Nick

correct me if wrong but pretty sure all none UK suppliers should now charge tax at point of sale so you should not pay it on arrival

As jack says, the seller should charge tax, so you shouldnt get stung with that. If it isnt shown on the order... don't go through with it. It will get stopped at customs and then all kinds of charges slapped on for them processing whatever it is.

This is worth a read:

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/buying-online-from-europe-post-brexit/

But essentially, it's just a roll of the dice still. The system is so complicated, no-one seems to be able to boil it down into language that normal people can understand.

It's expensive. I stupidly bought a drill, got hit hard. VAT, plus import, plus handling. Won't be doing that again in a hurry.