Buying from America and paying duty

John Griffin

I bought a lens filter for my camera from Adorama in New York on line. It cost $139.95 and an extra $40 for shipping with UPS. It arrived today with UPS and they have charged me an extra €45.23 and they called it duty. Fromm the docket i got from them €25.17 of this is freight, €3.72 is vat duty and €13.50 is other charges. Then there is another €2.84 stuck on to the end as vat again.

What the hell is going on?? The filter itself cost €88.85 when converted from dollars and i pay more than half its value again in duty?:mad:.

It appears this is all done through UPS and they also opened the package. Is this for real?

Beano

it looks like they charged you duty on €180 not $180 (duty is paid on purchase price + shipping). there is a way of claiming back any overcharge but you have to this from customs directly so make sure you keep the receipt from ups.

nowuckenfurries

Ok This is what you should have been charged:

Total value including freight USD 179.95 @ Customs rate of exchange of 1.5493 = EUR 116.15.

Import duty on camera lenses is 3.70 %, VAT is 21%

CIF Value EUR 116.15 x 3.70% Duty = EUR 4.30

EUR 116.15 + EUR 4.30 Duty = EUR 120.45 X 21% VAT = EUR 25.30

Total taxes payable EUR 29.60

You have been charged EUR 13.50 for something or other in addition to your Duty & Vat & by the looks of it UPS have charged you VAT on the EUR 13.50 charge.... Don't know what this charge is.... as any VAT charged on the freight will have been collected directly by Customs when the entry was declared.

I'd go back to UPS & ask them what this EUR 13.50 charge is & why have you been charged VAT on it....

EU Duty Rates Here http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/dds/cgi-bin/tarduty?ProdLine=80&Type=0&Action=1&Lang=EN&SimDate=20080728&YesNo=1&Indent=-1&Flag=1&Test=tarduty&Periodic=0&Download=0&Taric=9006910090&Country=US%2F0400&Day=28&Month=07&Year=2008


Irish Customs Exchange rates here: http://www.revenue.ie/index.htm?/services/elecserv/euroserv/eurcon1.htm EDIT: Click archive & select July 2008

Del2005

The €13.50 is UPS's charge for processing your item through customs, and collecting the money off you, they have then charged you VAT @ 21% on this charge. No way out if it except to buy from inside the EU or get the shipper to lie, and few of the US shippers will lie about the price.

Nody

John Griffin wrote: »

Is this for real?

Yes, and 110% legal, next time read up on shopping outside of EU.

nowuckenfurries

Del2005 wrote: »

The €13.50 is UPS's charge for processing your item through customs, and collecting the money off you, they have then charged you VAT @ 21% on this charge. No way out if it except to buy from inside the EU or get the shipper to lie, and few of the US shippers will lie about the price.

The buyer has paid the shipper a Door to Door courier fee, this IMHO is inclusive of any "customs entry processing fees" but excluding taxes of course....

MysticalSoul

There is usually an agents fee. From my understanding An Post charge this too, but at a slightly lower rate than the courier companies.

Nody

nowuckenfurries wrote: »

The buyer has paid the shipper a Door to Door courier fee, this IMHO is inclusive of any "customs entry processing fees" but excluding taxes of course....

Not really, the buyer has paid for the courier to deliver a package door to door, that don't include doing the paper work for VAT etc. (which btw you can file yourself in advance and send to courier company to avoid this handling fee).

Bluetonic

Contact UPS and let them know you never instructed them to pay VAT and duty on behalf of you and that their charge is illegal. You most likely will get the fee removed. Plenty have taken this approach before, do a search around for more info.

John Griffin

Thanks everybody for your help. I'll put this one down as a lesson learned.