Importing from China- tax, duties?

crissa

hi! i am buying wedding dress from china. aparently it's very very cheap...it's under €200. do i have to pay a lot at them custom duties?

RUDOLF289

Hello Crissa,

The rate of duty on clothing is generally 12% over the cost of the dress plus the freight cost. The VAT is 23% which is calculated over the cost of the dress plus the freight plus the duty.

I have no experience with wedding dresses from China. However, be diligent with the supplier. Ask for references and chase those references for feedback.

Other than that, enjoy your nuptials.

Cheers,
Rudolf289

crissa

thanks a lot RUDOLF289;)

theaaao

Hopefully someone can reply to this.
Looking to import some electronics accessories. Looked it up on duty calculator.com, and gave me an import duty rate of 3.3% and VAT rate of 23%.

Now to calculate this I was required to enter the value of the goods which I did. But I'm buying from dhgate.com, and the final cost includes free shipping so to speak. Because I have no shipping fees, I'm not required to pay import duties as the values is less than €6?
Cost of goods is around $212, so final cost to import comes out at approximately €193 with €36 VAT.

Also dhgate don't specify insurance on goods so does that factor into my importation calculations.

Any feedback or comments would be appreciated. This is my first time venturing into such a project so need advice.
Cheers

Jose Maria

Hello

I'm thinking of buying a tent from Aliexpress, The tent costs $317 with free shipping with Fedex_IE, any idea how much I will pay on Taxes and customs on arrival.

$317 = €292,Vat x 21% = €61

20kg is the package weight

Rowela

Jose Maria wrote: »

Hello

I'm thinking of buying a tent from Aliexpress, The tent costs $317 with free shipping with Fedex_IE, any idea how much I will pay on Taxes and customs on arrival.

$317 = €292,Vat x 21% = €61

20kg is the package weight

Standard VAT is 23% now

MarkY91

I'm oblivious to this import tax stuff.

How much is one of them hover board type things to import? The 2 wheel ones.

$160 excluding shipping fee.

And

10 android boxes at 281 USD Including shipping fee. About 260 euro..

RUDOLF289

You can take it that anything that even remotely looks like a hoverboard will be snagged by customs and thoroughly inspected. I suggest you do a search on hoverboards and see the increasing numbers that go on fire, blow up or problems like that. I would stay well away from them.

smartsense

Well. I was doing global trading business in China about 7 years, and arranged a lot of shipments for customers all over the world(I'm not logistics agent). Most of our clients complaint about the express, but no one really complaint about the ocean shipment. Cause when they decided the marine shipping, they already know how many days they need to wait from the agent or supplier. (7 days up 50 days depends on different county/ocean lines/holidays/customs clearance).

Arrange the shipment according to your needs. For big quantity goods, the most convenient, fastest and expensive way is express, then is air shipment, ship by ocean is the cheapest but very slow, sometimes, it could be very complicated if you chose a wrong agent and will cost you a big fortune. Ship by truck is also an option.

If it is a direct shipment, full container is quicker than bulk container. Sometimes, the boat needs to stop at another country, then it will take a few extra days to get reloaded. ( Start to contact logistics agent once the order is decided, prepare for the clearance paper while production. Check all the shipping companies very well, not only compare with the price, but also the service. It's very important. )

There are lots pain to deal with Chinese factories, you have to be very careful with them at each process. Feel free to ask them to send you samples or photos to continue to the next step if its the first order(Better to confirm in person). When everything is confirmed, you still need to follow up with the production, till you make sure the deliver will be on time. Otherwise, you will get disappointed.

I must say not every Chinese factory is like that, most of the above mentioned ones are Small/Medium companies I dealt with before. Though all the bosses are really nice and friendly, but they did give me a lot of headache. Big companies with good reputation are much better.

There are millions of wonderful suppliers in China, excellent product with great skills of technique as well as price, you just need to know how to select. Each province/area has something famous for. Never bargain below the average price, or you will get "surprised" when you see your final production. In a word, you pay what you get.

It is good to start with small quantities from trading companies, though they are more expensive, but you pay for the service and lower MOQ.

Well. Guess I have to stop typing.... Hope it helps.

lightspeed

Has anyone any experience on importing clothing and textile materials from China such as leather?

From a cost perspective, would it be worthwhile or would it be cheaper to source from somewhere based in Europe?

spaltedwood

Hi
I am looking to buy a laser engraving/cutting machine and have seen one on Alibaba.com been sold by a Chinese manufacture directly to customer. The cost of machine is us$1230 and the shipping cost us$45 into Dublin from China, it's not a very big machine.
I would like to know how much Duties and VAT I would be liable to pay, there was no mention of insurance costs but I hav'nt ordered yet I'm just pricing.
Also has anyone else had any dealings with Alibaba.com buying from China.
Thanks

spaltedwood

Hi
I have a similar question about importing, I'm looking at a laser engraving machine from a manufacture in China, the cost of the machine is us$1230 + us$45 shipping cost to Dublin from China, can anyone show me how to workout how much duty and vat I would be liable to pay.

quinney123

spaltedwood wrote:

Hi I have a similar question about importing, I'm looking at a laser engraving machine from a manufacture in China, the cost of the machine is us$1230 + us$45 shipping cost to Dublin from China, can anyone show me how to workout how much duty and vat I would be liable to pay.

You will require the commodity code which is a specific code which revenue will recognise and therefore be able to tell you how much duty is applicable on the product.

nicolaod

Hi i am looking to order a box of 12 dresses from china to sell here in ireland
what would be the rate of tax i would have to pay and is it per item or per lot
newbie to this business scene so all awnsers are greatfully accepted

quinney123

nicolaod wrote:

Hi i am looking to order a box of 12 dresses from china to sell here in ireland what would be the rate of tax i would have to pay and is it per item or per lot newbie to this business scene so all awnsers are greatfully accepted

If it is one particular product you will need to speak to revenue who will provide the commodity/tariff code.

Each code has a specific percentage for duty and unless your vat exempt would be 23% VAT of the value.

the deftone

Im looking at buying some camping equipment from china to try make a bit of money off it. Getting it delivered by air. Gonna be about 350 for the equipment and another 300 for the shipping,

How much will I be charged on that for vat and duty?

Will I have to pay it to the delivery guy or how does that work?

Thanks a million for any help guys,

quinney123

the deftone wrote: »

Im looking at buying some camping equipment from china to try make a bit of money off it. Getting it delivered by air. Gonna be about 350 for the equipment and another 300 for the shipping,

How much will I be charged on that for vat and duty?

Will I have to pay it to the delivery guy or how does that work?

Thanks a million for any help guys,

Hi Deftone,

It depends how you are bringing the goods in, if you are using a freight forwarder you will be asked upon entry into Ireland prior to customs entry for all duties/VAT.

If you are using a courier or An Post, then you will be asked upon delivery.

If the goods are above 50kgs send me a PM as a maybe able to help. As i deal with air/sea freight on a daily basis.

Thanks

Adam

RUDOLF289

quinney123 wrote: »

If it is one particular product you will need to speak to revenue who will provide the commodity/tariff code.

Each code has a specific percentage for duty and unless your vat exempt would be 23% VAT of the value.

Hello,

the rate of duty on clothing is generally 12%. The duty is calculated over the cost of the product, plus the freight cost. The VAT is calculated over the cost of the product, freight cost and duty.

Cheers,
Rudolf289

RUDOLF289

the deftone wrote: »

Im looking at buying some camping equipment from china to try make a bit of money off it. Getting it delivered by air. Gonna be about 350 for the equipment and another 300 for the shipping,

How much will I be charged on that for vat and duty?

Will I have to pay it to the delivery guy or how does that work?

Thanks a million for any help guys,

Good morning,

In order to establish the rate of duty, you would need to get on to the tariff classification unit in Customs, in Nenagh

Tel : 067 63370
Fax : 067 32385
E-Mail : tarclass@revenue.ie

If you give them the details of the product(s) they will advise the customs tariff nr and corresponding rate of duty.

Duty is charged over the cost of the product plus freight cost
VAT is charged @ 23% over the cost of the product, freight cost plus duty.

If goods come in by regular airfreight, the agent receiving the goods can act on your behalf and arrange the customs entry. Normal procedure is that they will ask you to transfer the duty / VAT direct to Revenue (the bank with AIB and BOI)

If the goods come in through An Post or Couriers like DHL, they will take care of the clearance and collect the Duty / VAT on delivery. They usually charge a fee of between € 10.00 and € 15.00 to process the payment to Revenue and collect it from you.

Feel free to PM me if you need any further information or assistance.

Cheers,
Rudolf289

kvitalij82

Hi All.

Maybe someone could help me. I want to order x50 units of small wooden (1GB) USB flash drives from China
x50 units - 240 EU
Delivery - 65 EU
No insurance.

How do I calculate extras? VAT or stamp duty.
They weight is very small.
Any hidden extras I should know off

Thank you in advance for all your help.

Tried ringing revenue but office for stamp duty is closed till Monday.

Cheers.
Vitalij

RUDOLF289

kvitalij82 wrote: »

Hi All.

Maybe someone could help me. I want to order x50 units of small wooden (1GB) USB flash drives from China
x50 units - 240 EU
Delivery - 65 EU
No insurance.

How do I calculate extras? VAT or stamp duty.
They weight is very small.
Any hidden extras I should know off

Thank you in advance for all your help.

Tried ringing revenue but office for stamp duty is closed till Monday.

Cheers.
Vitalij

Hello Vitalij,

A couple of things.

On imports from outside the EU there are generally two outlays to Revenue ;

1. Import Duty (Stamp duty deals with property)
2. Value Added Tax

USB Flash drives attract no import duty, they are rated as 0%
VAT is charged @ 23% over the value of the goods plus the delivery.

Depending on the courier making the delivery, they may charge a processing fee for paying revenue on your behalf and collect the charges paid to Revenue on delivery. That would be in the order of 10 to 15 euro

It is important that the shipment is accompanied by a commercial invoice that clearly shows the value of the goods and the delivery cost, e.g. Carriage Paid To (CPT) Incoterms.

Trust this assists ?

Cheers,
Rudolf289

irishlass89

Hi,
I was wondering if anyone could help. I am looking at ordering 12 artificial cherry blossom trees that are 4ft in height and 70-90cm in width? I have been quoted 645USD for the products, 107USD for fumigation fees and 323USD for shipment by sea which will take 40 days. They said it will cover shipping cost and customs charge in China. Is this all I need to see about and how can I calculate any tax or fees I need to pay when they arrive in Ireland? They said there will be two cartons, 140x40x40. Really appreciate any help.
Thank you.

andrewfaulk

irishlass89 wrote: »

Hi,
I was wondering if anyone could help. I am looking at ordering 12 artificial cherry blossom trees that are 4ft in height and 70-90cm in width? I have been quoted 645USD for the products, 107USD for fumigation fees and 323USD for shipment by sea which will take 40 days. They said it will cover shipping cost and customs charge in China. Is this all I need to see about and how can I calculate any tax or fees I need to pay when they arrive in Ireland? They said there will be two cartons, 140x40x40. Really appreciate any help.
Thank you.

What terms are you buying under from your supplier, you said delivery by sea but is that to Dublin(CFR) or to your door(DAP or DDP).. without that info it's difficult to say what else is going to be payable

RUDOLF289

irishlass89 wrote: »

Hi,
I was wondering if anyone could help. I am looking at ordering 12 artificial cherry blossom trees that are 4ft in height and 70-90cm in width? I have been quoted 645USD for the products, 107USD for fumigation fees and 323USD for shipment by sea which will take 40 days. They said it will cover shipping cost and customs charge in China. Is this all I need to see about and how can I calculate any tax or fees I need to pay when they arrive in Ireland? They said there will be two cartons, 140x40x40. Really appreciate any help.
Thank you.

Hello Irishlass89,

First of all, I would be very careful. To allow the Chinese supplier make the shipping arrangements has the potential of being landed with a lot of charges on arrival. I have posted on this before, if you search for the terms : China Import Service fee you will see some of the pitfalls that people have encountered.

You would need to check with your Chinese supplier what the charges are on arrival in Ireland. That way you have a total picture. My concern is that the arrival costs will be very high. Also, once the shipment is en route there is no mitigation or negotiaton possible.

I would query the fumigation charges. Is there any wood in the shipment ? If so, is it absolutely neccessary that the wood travels to Ireland? Shipments containing wood run the risk of additional inspections at the Border Post, which would lead to delays and additional costs.

Have you checked the rate of duty payable ? In addition to Duty you are also liable to VAT @ 23% over the cost of the product, plus the shipping costs plus the duty. If you are registered for VAT you will be able to claim back the VAT paid on imports through your periodic VAT return.

In order to get the customs tariff nr and rate of duty I would suggest to contact the Customs Classification unit in Nenagh ; https://www.revenue.ie/en/contact-us/customs-ports-and-airports/customs-division.aspx

My recommendation always is to take charge of the shipping process by dealing through an Irish based freight forwarder. I would recommend that you agree FCA (Free Carrier) Incoterms with your supplier. In accordance with FCA terms your supplier will need to deliver to the depot of your nominated agent and arrange / pay for the export customs formalities. In order to get quotations for the freight the following additional information is required.

- Port of shipment in China
- weight of the shipment
- place of delivery in Ireland

I can assist you with securing quotations for the transportation based on the info you posted plus the additional information as per above. Once you have the customs tariff nr I can also work out the cost for Duty and / or VAT.

Feel free to postr again or PM me.

Cheers,
Rudolf289

irishlass89

They quoted me $323 for shipment by sea (about 40 days) and quoted me $1048 for shipment door to door. Is this any more help? Thanks for your reply.

irishlass89

Hi Andrew, thank you so much for this detailed reply. I have never done this so want to make sure I am going about it the right way. I have been quoted $323 for shipment by sea (40 days) and $1048 door to door (about 7 days). I would really appreciate your help with quotations. I will give the revenue a ring tomorrow after I get the answers regarding weight etc. Thank you so much for your help.

andrewfaulk

irishlass89 wrote: »

Hi Andrew, thank you so much for this detailed reply. I have never done this so want to make sure I am going about it the right way. I have been quoted $323 for shipment by sea (40 days) and $1048 door to door (about 7 days). I would really appreciate your help with quotations. I will give the revenue a ring tomorrow after I get the answers regarding weight etc. Thank you so much for your help.

Hi Irish lass

I think your getting me and Rudolf mixed up, I was only asking your terms so I could help give you a guide on costs.. I won't be quoting on this one but from what I know Rudolf takes on small shipments like this one

Regards
Andrew

potsy11

Hi Guys

I am trying to buy 2 gazebos on Alibaba and the cost is:

Total Price: US$501x2=US$1002
Total Freight: US$845
Total Cost: US$1002+US$845=US$1847

The delivery is door to door.

Is there a cheaper option of transport available to me?

What is the duty and vat I am likely to get hit for?

Thanks

Potsy

andrewfaulk

potsy11 wrote: »

Hi Guys

I am trying to buy 2 gazebos on Alibaba and the cost is:

Total Price: US$501x2=US$1002
Total Freight: US$845
Total Cost: US$1002+US$845=US$1847

The delivery is door to door.

Is there a cheaper option of transport available to me?

What is the duty and vat I am likely to get hit for?

Thanks

Potsy

Hi Potsy,

Transport for something like this would be on a so called consolidated service, where you cargo is shipped on a shared sea container with other peoples shipments.. This is the cheapest method of transport going and is likely what the quote you have is based on

If you want to PM me the below details I can have a look tomorrow to see if the rate is reasonable..

Gross weight of the gazebos when packed, including pallets if any
Dimensions of he gazebos when packed, also including pallet
Collection point:
Delivery point:
Any special delivery requirements etc..

I take it that this price is from the shipper in China, so although they say door to door, it is unlikely to cover all charges(see above and similar threads for examples of how shipping from China can be a minefield)

Re Vat and duty, this will be payable.. I will check the tariff code tomorrow for a duty rate for you

RUDOLF289

potsy11 wrote: »

Hi Guys

I am trying to buy 2 gazebos on Alibaba and the cost is:

Total Price: US$501x2=US$1002
Total Freight: US$845
Total Cost: US$1002+US$845=US$1847

The delivery is door to door.

Is there a cheaper option of transport available to me?

What is the duty and vat I am likely to get hit for?

Thanks

Potsy

Good morning Potsy11,

To start with your last question first. The rate of duty is likely to be 12%. That is calculated over the cost of the product plus freight cost plus marine / cargo insurance premium.

VAT is charged at 23% over the combined total above plus the duty. If you are a VAT registered trader, you can reclaim the VAT paid on import through your periodic VAT return.

The freight costs indicated by your supplier are possibly for a courier type delivery. It appears expensive, but you are likely to see the shipment delivered in 4 to 5 days after despatch allowing for the customs formalities in Ireland. You will settle the duty and VAT outlay to the courier on delivery, they usually charge between € 10.00 and € 15.00 to handle the admin / payment to Revenue on your behalf.

If you could provide the following details ;
1. Collection address
2. Delivery address
3. Packed dimensions of the gazebos + grossweight

We can have a look and see if there are cheaper courier / airfreight options available.

You would save money by shipping the consignment by seafreight. Again, we would need to have the above details in order to provide pricing.

In general, when buying products from China, it is better to take charge of the shipping process. The reason is that the supplier in China often would get a very low cost to get the goods to destination, but the forwarder then recovers the "discount" by levying charges on arrival. Often these charges are not apparant and can lead to a significant, unexpected cost. My recommendatuon is to agree either Free Carrier (FCA) or Free On Board Terms (FOB) with your supplier. That way you can work through an Irish based forwarder and establish the costs, without surprises.

Feel free to post the detail or PM me if you need any further information.

Cheers,
Rudolf289