Paying import duty on wine.

[Avantegarde]

Recently my car broke down in France and the AA will now recover it and bring it back to the garage of my choice in the UK. However the car contains 18 bottles of wine (three six-bottle cases) bought during the trip. I have told the AA as I noticed in the small print of its European breakdown policy that alcohol cannot be brought back in the car on the back of a recovery truck. Unfortunately it was not practical to unload the car and carry three cases of wine around with me while I waited two days for the local garage to decide they could not fix the car themselves; following which I came back by train. Import duty will be due as the purchaser of the wine, me, will not be there when the car crosses the UK border, thus nullifying its status as a duty-free personal import. And the recovery service employed by the AA will certainly not pay, nor be pleased if the car is inspected to reveal the wine. Does anyone have experience of this problem, or genuine knowledge of the legal position? The value of the wine (approx. £150) is not relevant. I just wish to avoid being accused of smuggling.

[Avantegarde]

Update: the AA says that UK customs will probably just bill me directly for the excise duty and I should not worry about my car being impounded.

Recently my car broke down in France and the AA will now recover it and bring it back to the garage of my choice in the UK. However the car contains 18 bottles of wine (three six-bottle cases) bought during the trip. I have told the AA as I noticed in the small print of its European breakdown policy that alcohol cannot be brought back in the car on the back of a recovery truck. Unfortunately it was not practical to unload the car and carry three cases of wine around with me while I waited two days for the local garage to decide they could not fix the car themselves; following which I came back by train. Import duty will be due as the purchaser of the wine, me, will not be there when the car crosses the UK border, thus nullifying its status as a duty-free personal import. And the recovery service employed by the AA will certainly not pay, nor be pleased if the car is inspected to reveal the wine. Does anyone have experience of this problem, or genuine knowledge of the legal position? The value of the wine (approx. £150) is not relevant. I just wish to avoid being accused of smuggling.

[AF62]

Update: the AA says that UK customs will probably just bill me directly for the excise duty and I should not worry about my car being impounded.

To be pedantic it would be within Border Force’s remit not ‘customs’, but irrespective, the likelihood of them taking the time and trouble of billing you is around zero.