New Import Duty/VAT Thread. Read Post #1 for Rules Updated 10/9/2024

galtee boy

Sorry if this has been asked before, but I'm thinking of buying a DVD box set from the US through eBay, value is $75. On the eBay site, it says that the item is covered by Global Shipping which will cost $20 extra, but this will cover import duties, taxes etc and I will have no further charges to pay, upon delivery of the box set. Does anyone know if this is true ? ie I wont have to pay any vat charges to Irish Revenue etc, when the item arrives ? By the way, the same box set is available on UK eBay for £112 ! But at least, there would be no further charges as it would be coming from the UK. I don't want to think Im getting a bargain from the US and then find out, I owe a small fortune in VAT. Thanks for any prompt replies as Im thinking of making the purchase this weekend.

RUDOLF289

galtee boy wrote: »

Sorry if this has been asked before, but I'm thinking of buying a DVD box set from the US through eBay, value is $75. On the eBay site, it says that the item is covered by Global Shipping which will cost $20 extra, but this will cover import duties, taxes etc and I will have no further charges to pay, upon delivery of the box set. Does anyone know if this is true ? ie I wont have to pay any vat charges to Irish Revenue etc, when the item arrives ? By the way, the same box set is available on UK eBay for £112 ! But at least, there would be no further charges as it would be coming from the UK. I don't want to think Im getting a bargain from the US and then find out, I owe a small fortune in VAT. Thanks for any prompt replies as Im thinking of making the purchase this weekend.

Hello Galtee boy.

Have a look at the original post on the first page of this thread. That should answer all your questions.

Cheers,
Rudolf289

galtee boy

RUDOLF289 wrote: »

Hello Galtee boy.

Have a look at the original post on the first page of this thread. That should answer all your questions.

Cheers,
Rudolf289

Thanks Rudolf289, but that first page of this thread is nearly 4 years old and I don't think this Global Shipping system that eBay is using now, was there then, so Im still no wiser !

Collibosher

galtee boy wrote: »

....it says that the item is covered by Global Shipping which will cost $20 extra, but this will cover import duties, taxes etc and I will have no further charges to pay, upon delivery of the box set. Does anyone know if this is true ?....

That is how it works, yes.

I have heard, maybe it was on this forum, that on rare occasions the delivery agent this side has tried to collect the vat, fees etc again, but this has been sorted out by contacting the company who operate the Global Shipping Program.

galtee boy

Collibosher wrote: »

That is how it works, yes.

I have heard, maybe it was on this forum, that on rare occasions the delivery agent this side has tried to collect the vat, fees etc again, but this has been sorted out by contacting the company who operate the Global Shipping Program.

Thanks for your help. I've taken the plunge and bought the box set, will find out about Global Shipping in or around May 10th, when delivery is due !

rubadub

galtee boy wrote: »

the same box set is available on UK eBay for £112 !

It is probably a different region, you should make sure you will have no region issues buying outside your zone. Also the content can often vary between regions. Some might have more content, some less.

I am wary of buying dvds via ebay due to fakes.

how much am i gonna pay DHL on a order for 313 dollars

Collibosher

Deleted User wrote: »

how much am i gonna pay DHL on a order for 313 dollars

Does that include shipping ? What are the goods ? These things will make a difference to what you have to pay.

Check out the first post in this thread for more info and link to a duty calculator.

Medceltic

Hunting for a DSLR of "€1400" within EU. should I pay Customs TAX ??
Did same thing ... but bought it from China. €520 was Customs Duty fees and tax. I had to send back the parcel.

dare2dream

Hello,

I'm planning on purchasing some art supplies, easels & brushes from the US:
Cost of goods is $734.80
Shipping is: $160 via FedEx Economy.
Could anyone clarify how much vat, duty and any other fees I might get upon arrival in Ireland.
Thanks so much.

allthedoyles

dare2dream wrote: »

Hello,

I'm planning on purchasing some art supplies, easels & brushes from the US:
Cost of goods is $734.80
Shipping is: $160 via FedEx Economy.
Could anyone clarify how much vat, duty and any other fees I might get upon arrival in Ireland.
Thanks so much.

You could use www.dutycalculator.com - Its accurate

TeddyTedson

I want to buy a few things off a site based in Jersey, they're all below 20e so would I be best to order each separately as there is free shipping?

Beano

TeddyTedson wrote: »

I want to buy a few things off a site based in Jersey, they're all below 20e so would I be best to order each separately as there is free shipping?

yes

Medceltic

I bought €1300 camera from Korea, I had to pay €520 customs fees from DHL.
Thank Allah, The seller refunded me and Lost €30 return shipping.
There is good website based in France and UK, camera cost €1400 and no fees.

blastman

Got a UPS notice through the door today saying that I had missed a delivery (2 vinyl records, originally shipped from Canada). On the notice it says there's a COD amount due of nearly €31. I paid just under €40 including shipping for the item. According to DutyCalculator, the amount I owe is €9.14. I presume the other €22 or so is UPS' "administration fee" for collecting the €9. Is there anything I can do regarding this, it's a ridiculous amount to have to pay based on the value of the item? What happens if I refuse to pay UPS/accept delivery, are they obliged to send the item back, or does someone get lucky in the office sweep.

Beano

UPS charge a €15 fee. Most of the courier firms do.

blastman

Thanks Beano, that only leaves about €7 unexplained, then. Is there any way to tell them to take a running jump and pay the duty myself? What will happen if I refuse to accept delivery?

RUDOLF289

blastman wrote: »

Thanks Beano, that only leaves about €7 unexplained, then. Is there any way to tell them to take a running jump and pay the duty myself? What will happen if I refuse to accept delivery?

Please note that the customs entry has been done and the charges have been paid to Revenue. Why not contact UPS (I am sure there is a contact nr on the notice left with you) and find out the break down of the charges, rather than us on boards.ie guessing what is actually involved?

Obviously, you have a choice at this stage. Either pay the charges and accept delivery, or refuse the shipment. In that case it will have to be returned to the shipper/your supplier and you need to apply for a refund. And no, your shipment is unlikely to be entered into the office Christmas draw ......

Perhaps you need to contact your supplier and raise the issue with them. Especially if there was a clear expectation on your part that all you had to pay on arrival/delivery was he charge advised by your supplier.

Cheers,
Rudolf289

Beano

blastman wrote: »

Thanks Beano, that only leaves about €7 unexplained, then.

It may be that the seller did not include an invoice with the parcel so customs have estimated the value. Or the seller did not include the cost of shipping on the invoice so customs have estimated this portion of the vatable amount.
Bear in mind you also pay VAT on the €15 UPS fee so that narrows the gap further.

blastman wrote: »

Is there any way to tell them to take a running jump and pay the duty myself? What will happen if I refuse to accept delivery?

As RUDOLF289 already said the duty has already been paid by UPS. If you dont pay you wont be getting your parcel.

RUDOLF289 wrote: »

Perhaps you need to contact your supplier and raise the issue with them. Especially if there was a clear expectation on your part that all you had to pay on arrival/delivery was he charge advised by your supplier.

Unless explicitly stated any customs fees and duties are the responsibility of the receiver. Given the low value of the shipment i doubt they would have used one of the pre-paid services.

ger1961

I am looking at purchasing a watch on amazon.com in USA for $ 1000 plus postage it cost's about € 2000 plus here. I am wondering what duty and vat is due and where do I find out exactly what due before I purchase to see if what I am saving. Any help would be greatly appreciated

mickzer

ger1961 wrote: »

I am looking at purchasing a watch on amazon.com in USA for $ 1000 plus postage it cost's about € 2000 plus here. I am wondering what duty and vat is due and where do I find out exactly what due before I purchase to see if what I am saving. Any help would be greatly appreciated

Fill in the details here:www.dutycalculator.com
mickzer

daddy_boy

hi I have recently bought an item from amazon USA which i am returning

i paid a total of 130 euro incl shipping duty carriage etc..

the item cost 80 euro, shipping 20e pre-paid duty 30e


The question is will i get a full refund from amazon of 130 or will i get a partial refund excluding duty/vat

blastman

So as an update to the saga above, here's what happened:

UPS came back twice more in their attempts to deliver package, no-one was there to collect and more importantly pay exorbitant extra fee. UPS give up and (presumably) take the package back to the depot in order to hold it for the five days they say they do so I can contact them to arrange collection. I do not contact UPS or original seller, although I plan to at some future date to say I didn't receive the goods and can I have my money back. Five days or so expire and UPS return package.

Two-ish weeks after this deadline i.e today, a package is delivered by An Post with a fee of €14.30 due. Turns out to be the package UPS were "unable" to deliver. VAT outstanding is €8.30 (so less than DutyCalculator predicted) and An Post's collection fee is €6.00, according to the label on the package. I pay this and collect package.

So I saved myself about €18 by being a contrary fcuker. To put this in perspective, that's almost 50% of the item purchase price. In summary, then:

UPS are cnuts for their outrageous collection fees
Revenue are cnuts for charging me to pay them money
An Post aren't quite as bad as the two above as at least their fee is a bit more reasonable, and they break the amount down so you can see who's screwing you the most.

dinnnyde1

I'm after receiving clothes as a birthday present from America totalling about 265 euro. I got stung for 67 euro vat charge? This seems extortionate to me? Or is it because it's over 45 euro?

rubadub

dinnnyde1 wrote: »

I'm after receiving clothes as a birthday present from America totalling about 265 euro. I got stung for 67 euro vat charge? This seems extortionate to me? Or is it because it's over 45 euro?

seems spot on, 23% VAT and €6 handling charge. It is over the gift limit.

dinnnyde1

rubadub wrote: »

seems spot on, 23% VAT and €6 handling charge. It is over the gift limit.

Some kick in the stones. Would ya be better off lying about the value of the clothes.

flutered

i though presents were vat free?.

rubadub

flutered wrote: »

i though presents were vat free?.

No just a higher limit. If they were exempt lots of companies would be sending "presents".

dinnnyde1

There was 7 items in total of which 5 were priced at under 45 each? Should they be exempt?

flutered

dinnnyde1 wrote: »

There was 7 items in total of which 5 were priced at under 45 each? Should they be exempt?

they would probably be mailed seperatly.

Louiselydon

I am hoping to buy a kayak while in Canada in the next few weeks. Does anyone know what the duty and vat will be on my return to Ireland?

Collibosher

Louiselydon wrote: »

I am hoping to buy a kayak while in Canada in the next few weeks. Does anyone know what the duty and vat will be on my return to Ireland?

Take a look at the very first post in this thread, lots of useful information there plus link to an online duty calculator that will give you some idea of the charges.

RUDOLF289

Louiselydon wrote: »

I am hoping to buy a kayak while in Canada in the next few weeks. Does anyone know what the duty and vat will be on my return to Ireland?

Good morning Louiselydon,

The rate of duty is 2.7%, commodity code 9506290000. The duty is calculated over the cost of the item (you may need to submit proof of payment to customs) plus the freight costs. VAT is charged at 23% over the combined total of Cost of the item, freight cost and duty.

Cheers,
Rudolf289

lillen

Ordered something from China, value of shipment €50 and the shipping cost was €29 with DHL.
Today the DHL delivery man calls me saying "I have your package, it will be €40,96t 'import fee'."

How the hell does something with a value of €50, end up giving me an "Import fee" of €41? That is 82% of the products value!
Is it like the poster above says, that VAT is charged at 23% combined cost of item + freight?
In that case it should be roughly €18 VAT, and add like €15 handling fee from DHL landing at €33, at the most!

Beano

lillen wrote: »

Ordered something from China, value of shipment €50 and the shipping cost was €29 with DHL.
Today the DHL delivery man calls me saying "I have your package, it will be €40,96t 'import fee'."

How the hell does something with a value of €50, end up giving me an "Import fee" of €41? That is 82% of the products value!
Is it like the poster above says, that VAT is charged at 23% combined cost of item + freight?
In that case it should be roughly €18 VAT, and add like €15 handling fee from DHL landing at €33, at the most!

what was the item? there could be duty to pay as well as VAT.

lillen

Beano wrote: »

what was the item? there could be duty to pay as well as VAT.

I called DHL to clarify what I was being charged for.
The sender did not list the freight cost on the invoice, and because of this the customs estimated the freight cost.
Not that it is of any relevance, but what I ordered was 200 phone cases.

What it should have been like:
€50 Value of product
€29 Cost of shipping
Total amount to be taxed (at 23%): €79
Tax: €18.17
DHL handling fee: €10
Total taxes/fee: 28.17


What happened due to seller not stating shipping cost:
€50 Value of package
€85.88 Estimated cost of shipping (Cost of shipping not on invoice).
Total amount to be taxed (at 23%): 135.88
Tax: €31.25
DHL handling fee: €10
Total taxes/fee: €41,25

rubadub

Beano wrote: »

what was the item? there could be duty to pay as well as VAT.

Duty only kicks in at €150, unless its excise duty.

lillen wrote: »

Not that it is of any relevance, but what I ordered was 200 phone cases.

not all items are 23% vat so its best to mention it. Or it could have been excise which many people might not realise, people know about alcohol & cigarettes but some might be surprised at getting excise duty on the likes of perfume.

VEN

i have items stuck in customs, anyone recommend a clearance agency? called revenue, they said dhl, fedex, tnt etc do this everyday but does it matter if it was shipped with them or not or do they offer that service in general? thanks

boombang

The VAT rate in Luxembourg (which is an EU member) is 15%. If I import a laptop from the US to there, pay the due VAT and then have the item shipped to me in Ireland is that legit? Or does revenue insist Irish VAT be paid since that's the final destination of the goods?

Admittedly I didn't read all the previous posts in the thread to check if this has already been addressed, but a search found no previous mention of Luxembourg (which would have been relevant given its low VAT).

Thanks

Beano

boombang wrote: »

The VAT rate in Luxembourg (which is an EU member) is 15%. If I import a laptop from the US to there, pay the due VAT and then have the item shipped to me in Ireland is that legit? Or does revenue insist Irish VAT be paid since that's the final destination of the goods?

Admittedly I didn't read all the previous posts in the thread to check if this has already been addressed, but a search found no previous mention of Luxembourg (which would have been relevant given its low VAT).

Thanks

are you resident in luxembourg? how do you propose to pay the vat there?

boombang

Beano wrote: »

are you resident in luxembourg? how do you propose to pay the vat there?

I am resident in Ireland. I guess the implication of your question is that it is only acceptable to pay the Luxembourg VAT rate if I am resident there.

My thinking had been that the item can meet its VAT obligations at its point of entry to the EU and then enjoy free movement within the union. Clearly my interest is to minimise my tax liability on the item.

I am not sure how I would pay the VAT in Luxembourg, but I was under the impression that parcel forwarding firms that send items from the US handle VAT liability on arrival in the EU.

RUDOLF289

boombang wrote: »

I am resident in Ireland. I guess the implication of your question is that it is only acceptable to pay the Luxembourg VAT rate if I am resident there.

My thinking had been that the item can meet its VAT obligations at its point of entry to the EU and then enjoy free movement within the union. Clearly my interest is to minimise my tax liability on the item.

I am not sure how I would pay the VAT in Luxembourg, but I was under the impression that parcel forwarding firms that send items from the US handle VAT liability on arrival in the EU.

Hello Boombang,

You are correct, once the duty (which should be 0% any way) and VAT at the appropriate rate is paid in another EU member state, the goods are in free circulation and can be moved freely within the EU.

The question is, is an 8% saving on VAT sufficiently large to cover the additional transport costs from Luxembourg to Ireland.

Cheers,
Rudolf289

boombang

Thanks Rudolf,

Indeed, the 8% saving may be marginal once additional postage is considered. It might be worthwhile as the absolute value of the item increases, but for me its only going to be a saving of €50 or so.

I think this route would be worth considering if you're spending €2k.

Thanks again

johnj1969

Came across an fixed frame Elite projection screen from Overstock.com.

They were looking for €290 for an 103inch Screen. Not motorised, DIY on arrival. Not bad I thought...

After I was finished with the Customs calculator it said €85 for duty & €98 for VAT. So "landed" cost brought it to €500.00 (inc delivery). So thats the end of that. We pay tax upon tax upon tax. Really... GTH.:mad:

Turns out if I was a UK resident it would be €100 less. Irish customs put the shipping charge on the total cost & charge duty & VAT on that too!

RUDOLF289

johnj1969 wrote: »

Came across an fixed frame Elite projection screen from Overstock.com.

They were looking for €290 for an 103inch Screen. Not motorised, DIY on arrival. Not bad I thought...

After I was finished with the Customs calculator it said €85 for duty & €98 for VAT. So "landed" cost brought it to €500.00 (inc delivery). So thats the end of that. We pay tax upon tax upon tax. Really... GTH.:mad:

Turns out if I was a UK resident it would be €100 less. Irish customs put the shipping charge on the total cost & charge duty & VAT on that too!

Hello Johnj1969

Please note that import duty is set by the good old "EU" and that the way it is calculated is exactly the same in all 28 member states. Whoever suggested that UK customs does not levy duty and VAT over the shipping cost is clearly wrong.

Cheers,
Rudy

johnj1969

RUDOLF289 wrote: »

Hello Johnj1969

Please note that import duty is set by the good old "EU" and that the way it is calculated is exactly the same in all 28 member states. Whoever suggested that UK customs does not levy duty and VAT over the shipping cost is clearly wrong.

Cheers,
Rudy

I didn't say anyone told me anything :-)

It just worked out €100 cheaper than over here. The customs & duty & VAT was €234 in UK it worked out @ €150 thereabouts.

If you read the info on the Customs union website, it clearly states each individual member state sets it own rates VAT and excise duty. The cost of the item was calculated without the shipping charge on the calculator so I assumed thats just their method... I tried it again & the total outcome is the same.

For the record we have a 3% VAT hike on UK.

RUDOLF289

additional info

johnj1969 wrote: »

I didn't say anyone told me anything :-)

It just worked out €100 cheaper than over here. The customs & duty & VAT was €234 in UK it worked out @ €150 thereabouts.

If you read the info on the Customs union website, it clearly states each individual member state sets it own rates VAT and excise duty. The cost of the item was calculated without the shipping charge on the calculator so I assumed thats just their method... I tried it again & the total outcome is the same.

For the record we have a 3% VAT hike on UK.

Good morning Johnj1969,

The 3% VAT difference does not make up for the difference of € 84.00. Indeed each country within the EU sets its own VAT rate. Excise duty only applies to tobacco and alcohol. Customs duty is the same throughout the 28 member states.

Duty is calculated over the cost of the product plus the transportation cost throughout the EU. The following below is an excerpt from the UK Customs HMRC website. (a) is the most relevant part to this discussion. (also herewith the link to the website ; http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageLibrary_PublicNoticesAndInfoSheets&propertyType=document&columns=1&id=HMCE_CL_000230#P27_2224

3.15 What items must I add to the price paid or payable?
You must add the following to the price you pay (unless they are already included):

(a) Delivery costs. The costs of transport, insurance, loading or handling connected with delivering the goods to the EC border must be included. Section 17 gives further details.

(b) Commissions. Certain payments of commission and brokerage, including selling commission, must be included. Section 32 gives more details about selling agents.

But you can exclude buying commission if it is shown separately from the price paid or payable for the goods (see paragraph 3.16(f) and Section 34).

(c) Royalties and licence fees. You must include these payments when they relate to the imported goods and are paid by you as a condition of the sale to you of those goods.

You can find further information in Section 35.

(d) Goods and services provided free of charge or at reduced cost by the buyer. If you provide, directly or indirectly, any of the following, you must include in the customs value any part of the cost or value not included in the price charged to you by the seller:

(i) materials, components, parts and similar items incorporated in the imported goods including price tags, kimball tags, labels

(ii) tools, dies, moulds and similar items used in producing the imported goods, for example, tooling charges. There are various ways of apportioning these charges

(iii) materials consumed in producing the imported goods, for example, abrasives, lubricants, catalysts, reagents etc which are used up in the manufacture of the goods but are not incorporated in them, or

(iv) engineering, development, artwork, design work and plans and sketches carried out outside the EC and necessary for producing the imported goods. The cost of research and preliminary design sketches is not to be included.

NOTE. If you make any payments (periodically or 'one off') to the seller for any of the above goods and services, you must include the amounts in the customs value (see paragraph 3.4).

(e) Containers and packing. Include:

the cost of containers which are treated for customs purposes as being one with the goods being valued (that is not freight containers the hire-cost of which forms part of the transport costs), and
the cost of packing whether for labour or materials.
Where containers are for repeated use, for example, reusable bottles, you can spread their cost over the expected number of imports. If a number of the containers may not be re-exported, this must be allowed for.

(f) Proceeds of resale. If you are to share with the seller (whether directly or indirectly) the profit on resale, use or disposal of the imported goods you must add the seller’s share to the price paid (but see paragraph 3.16(d) as regards dividends). For example, if the seller is to have 30% of the profit which you receive, this is to be added to the price paid or payable. If at the time of importation the amount of profit is not known, you must request release of the goods against a deposit or guarantee (see paragraph 2.5).

(g) Export duty & taxes paid in the country of origin or export. When these taxes are incurred by the buyer they are dutiable. However, if you benefit from tax relief or repayment of these taxes they may be left out of the customs value.

If you want me to I can also submit the relevant section of the Irish Customs code, but you can take it as read that the same applies for Ireland, UK and all other EU Member states.

johnj1969

RUDOLF289 wrote: »

The 3% VAT difference does not make up for the difference of € 84.00. Indeed each country within the EU sets its own VAT rate. Excise duty only applies to tobacco and alcohol. Customs duty is the same throughout the 28 member states.

If you want me to I can also submit the relevant section of the Irish Customs code, but you can take it as read that the same applies for Ireland, UK and all other EU Member states.

You didn't have to go to all that trouble copying & pasting info, But thank you all the same. I was simply giving my experience whether I was making a train wreck out of it or not. A simple link to my relevant information, as you suggested, would have sufficed.;)

Theres also another variable, as the calculators seem unreliable... If I choose USA-UK you have the option of choosing a non-electric canvas screen, but if I choose USA-Ire, I could only select a "PROJECTOR SCREEN OF CANVAS".

Also its a DIY project but your hand is forced to declaring it an AV/Electrical item, yes its an AV product but not an electric product.

I would have little trouble believing Ireland in its euro & exchange rate can lead to a €84 higher charge if you don't give every little detail & also being forced to declare something that it isn't. They need to include the option of choosing the exact type of product, not just an option that makes them the most money/VAT.

So instead i typed in PROJECTION SCREEN-NON ELECTRICAL in both estimates & it came up within €15.00.
I still stand by my point regardless of my meagre situation, we live in R-O-I & every day we get RIPPED more & more.

All info appreciated, thanks.:)

Brendan Garvey

Hello would any one be able to guide me on how much I will have to pay customs. I am buying leather phone cases from China . I will be spending about €20,000 . This is my first time importing I taught it would be around 20% for customs however I can't get a straight answer anywere.

Collibosher

Brendan Garvey wrote: »

Hello would any one be able to guide me on how much I will have to pay customs. I am buying leather phone cases from China . I will be spending about €20,000 . This is my first time importing I taught it would be around 20% for customs however I can't get a straight answer anywere.

Go to the first post in this thread and you will find some useful links, including an online duty calculator