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

ussjtrunks

Are items fulfilled by amazon covered for vat? And any of ye use shopto how do they work these days?

I've recently had several packages sent from the USA to me in Ireland rejected at Dublin parcel hub and returned to sender.

The packages contained children's toys, and the sender delivered similar packages to me successfully last March. The value of each package is less than 350 euro, and the toys are for personal use.

When I called An Post to query what had happened, a lady told me that important "new" customs-related documentation was missing but she couldn't tell me exactly what.

Does anyone here know what might have gone wrong?

whiterebel

Presumably there was no invoice or documentation included. Duty is due on values over €150, so it needs to have country of origin declared as well. Personal use doesn't come in to it, all chargeable for customs.

Purchased an item on eBay UK a week ago. Only went through with it because eBay have a message at checkout stating there would be no further charges. Yes you guessed it I got an email tonight with a customs charge from An Post. I even have a PDF from eBay showing I paid the correct VAT. LOL looks like no one told An Post about eBay's guarantee of no further charges.

whiterebel

If the electronic data transfer, and the parcel label isn’t done properly, it doesn’t really matter what eBay says. An Post have to take it that its not paid

joker@

Ok so now ? Ebay saying ask customs show them you did pay. Customs....blah blah blah electronic system blah blah blah ask your seller. Vicious circle, no help from anyone. None give a minimum responsibility for what they made,we as a customers getting battered with vat from left and right. Same story at Ali.

reubenreuben

Mod <Snip> you have posted this in another forum. Do not cross post.

Historydoll

Hi all, I ordered a photobook from Freeprints but it's just not showing up and the replacement they sent isn't either. I never had this problem before the customs changes in July but I haven't even been sent any info about paying a customs charge? I also read on the website that the photobooks have a zero rate VAT charge does that mean it's not going to be subjected to a customs charge? It's all a bit confusing! I don't understand how an item can have a zero rate VAT charge

d51984

Pair of socks from ali express, 1.09 euro. Card in door this morning looking for 3.50 from An post. Socks delivered last week. They can f**k right off!

sniper_samurai

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117892873#Comment_117892873

Yeah, they seem to be a bit off on vat calculations atm. Got charged €0.53 vat plus the €3.50 processing fee last week on a parcel valued at £1.

Muahahaha

Got hit with a 7.69 charge on an item that cost 18.24, its 3.50 An Post fee and 4.19 Vat.

Just wondering for future purchases from ebay sellers is there a way to avoid the double VAT. Wont be doing it on this purchase but in theory is there a form you can fill out to get a refund for UK vat from HMRC? Or should you be asking the seller to deduct UK vat but charge Irish vat instead or just not charge any Vat at all because its for export?

Sparkling Gamorreans

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117892873#Comment_117892873

When did you buy them? Ali have been collecting VAT since 1 July.

whiterebel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117896005#Comment_117896005

I think businesses can claim back UK VAT, I don't think individuals can. You can ask the seller if they can ship it for export minus the UK VAT, but they don't have to, or may not be be able to.

Muahahaha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117896477#Comment_117896477

cheers, will contact sellers first in future though Im guessing shipping for export minus VAT means that they have to fill out paperwork that they dont want to? Or can they just ship it Vat free without any trouble?

Think the better thing to do for the long term is to find sellers in the EU for these small bits and pieces I normally got from ebay

chasm

I received a customs charge in the door today for VAT. It's for a freeprints order. I have a couple of issues with it though and I'm not sure who I am meant to contact or how.

The package contains 40 prints for which VAT is supposed to be 13.5%, yet the bill shows a rate of 23% applied. When I go in the free prints app, the invoice for the order shows VAT has been paid and gives a VAT number starting with IE.

Who am I supposed to contact in this instance?

Kiith

Isn't excise duty only on alcohol and tobacco purchases?

Got the below on a portable potty thing for our baby. VAT is obvously fine, but don't understand the excise.

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117900347#Comment_117900347

The printing is misaligned. the VAT is 8.20 and the An Post fee is 3.50.

Kiith

Ah, that makes more sense. Cheers 👍️

briany

So, how prevalent is the phenomenon, now, of routing shipping from China (or outside the EU generally) through Post NL or BPost, and how successful is that in negating the silly customs charges on something like a 2 Euro pair of headphones?

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117903623#Comment_117903623

It is not effective at negating customs charges but that is not the point of shipping via belgium or netherlands. Most of the stuff I buy from china comes from Aliexpress and they use it so they can ship to europe in bulk containers and also combine multiple orders when they arrive in europe. shipping it via BE and NL makes no difference to the vat due.

chewed

I was looking to purchase a telescope from a UK site. Great price, but when I go to checkout, it looks like they removed the VAT from the original price and a note to say "Please Note: VAT & additional duties may apply upon import."

Does this mean I will have to pay 23% here when it arrives?

whiterebel

Yes and possibly duty on cost + delivery. Add on clearance fee too.

One More Toy

I thought Wish were collecting VAT at point of sale? Got an email today looking for vat on a 3e item. I was almost sure wish put out a notice saying they were going to collect VAT

jmorrisey

I've had three items delivered recently and subsequently received letters from an post with custom charges to pay (or item will be returned to sender!). How is this happening and is it happening to many more people? Obviously there is much less incentive to pay these charges after the item has already been delivered, especially with one of them looking for €3.98 on an item that cost €2.13

whiterebel

There is another big thread on things being returned by An Post, so it is probably in response to that to let smaller items through.

Remember An Post is semi-state, and they will have to pay the money to revenue, so we are all going to pay it eventually in increased charges, to cover the losses.

If they were in any way organised they would hold a future shipment on you until all charges are paid.

GBX

Got a small item €2 value from Aliexpress. . Delivered without any request for payment from An Post. Must be because of the small value.

sniper_samurai

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117959571#Comment_117959571

I got one for a parcel valued at £1, charged me €0.55 vat plus the clearance fee. Nothing like paying 50% vat on the declared value.

vidavida33

I've gotten 2 letters from an-post for custom charges after receiving my package recently. I thought they usually request payment before releasing the package? Anyone know what happens if the charge isn't paid?! I'm a little sore since I overpaid a charge recently (the item had the wrong value on it but I needed it asap so paid anyway) so was thinking of not paying to even it all out!

whiterebel

Go back a few posts, its being asked repeatedly.

beardybrewer

Hi there, I'm wondering if anyone can clarify how VAT applies to used items specifically. My understanding was that used laptops aren't subject to customs which I read about in this link:

https://www.moneyguideireland.com/irish-customs-duty-on-uk-online-purchases.html

However, it was VAT they were after. I did search this up and believed what I saw on revenue's website was that VAT only applied to a used item if the value of said item had appreciated. As the laptop clearly lost value, given what I read, I thought I was in the clear.

Anyone know what the current policy is for used items? I'll certainly be avoiding the UK for the likes of eBay in the future.

whiterebel

Mod - I split this off from the other thread, as it should be here. Read the first post in the thread - VAT is payable on 2nd hand goods.

ForestFire

MOD - <SNIP> There is a thread called site changes. Please read it.

Anjunadeep

Are there still delays in items coming from the UK?

I'm looking to buy a very low value item (8.00 GBP) from Ebay.co.uk which I cannot source over here.

I'm needing it quite urgently hence why i'm asking if there are still delays/backlogs?

Thanks

whiterebel

Doesn't seem to be any improvement...https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058200515/an-post-returning-packages-from-outside-the-eu-see-1st-post#latest

XVII

anyone had any luck on getting a refund for UK VAT when our customs charged Irish VAT on top of it? Just wondering who would be to contact first.

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118074854#Comment_118074854

I dont think you can if you imported privately. Only a business can.

XVII

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118074861#Comment_118074861

you reckon it's official that we have to pay double tax when buying from the UK?

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118075135#Comment_118075135

no, not at all. UK sellers should be charging you Irish VAT not UK VAT. The same way Amazon does.

XVII

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118075149#Comment_118075149

yeah Amazon is super easy in this regard. But not like some other shops :( I suppose it depends whether they are registered with Irish VAT or not?

XVII

Sorry, forgot to mention: this was purchased via AddressPal, so they had no way to know it's for an Irish address.

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118075205#Comment_118075205

Addresspal is a terrible idea now for purchasing from the UK for exactly that reason. you are almost guaranteed to pay VAT twice.

blastman

I see a few posts on this, and had heard anecdotal stories from mates, but I actually got a demand from An Po$t this morning looking for a total of €7.50 to be paid on an item from the UK with a customs value of €17.43. Is the €22 VAT limit gone completely?

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118106129#Comment_118106129

gone since July 1st.

wilsixon

I recently bought some books from the UK.

I thought books were not subject to VAT or duties, but am open to correction.

But TNT has sent me an invoice for "import charges".

Does anyone know if that's correct, or should I dispute it?

Thanks!

walshtipp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058216284/import-charges-on-books-from-uk

It depends on the type of book. Refer to the below document, look at appendix 1.

https://www.revenue.ie/en/tax-professionals/tdm/value-added-tax/part03-taxable-transactions-goods-ica-services/Goods/goods-printed-matter.pdf

wilsixon

Thanks. It was a bunch of books on theology and religion. Eg:

https://www.thegoodbook.co.uk/god-of-all-things

Mostly paperbacks, a couple of hard cover, ranging from 64 pages to 300 odd.

I can't work out what category that goes in. Any help?

Much appreciated.

walshtipp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118113629#Comment_118113629

To be honest I'm not sure myself, maybe somebody else on here can help further.

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118113629#Comment_118113629

that looks to meet the criteria for the zero rate. get on to TNT and tell them they have made a mistake assuming the sender put the correct taricc code on the parcel.

In order for a printed book or booklet to qualify for the zero rate, it must meet the following four requirements:

1. it must consist essentially of textual or pictorial matter

2. it must have a distinctive front cover which is devoid of body text

3. it must comprise not less than four leaves (eight pages) exclusive of the cover, and

4. it must be bound (loose-leaf or otherwise), or stitched or stapled.

GreenGrass2019

Hi

Help needed urgently.

I have today received an email from An Post informing me I have a Customs Charge of €60.46

The facts are as follows:

The company this order is coming from I have ordered from at least 20 times this year, and half of these orders were after the 1st July ... they have an EU domain and charge the relevant VAT at checkout. Since July you cannot order in excess of the €150 including VAT and shipping (shipping is free over €50 so I always order above that threshold).

In the past week alone I have received 3 orders from this company through Fastway Couriers without issue (all with a value close to this order).

In the case of this order where I have now received this Custom Charge notification from An Post, it is through a delivery company I have never heard of before and have never received anything from either through this company or any other.

The intrinsic value of the order is €146.91 including shipping (zero charge for shipping as order above €50 threshold) and VAT.

The company I have ordered from is an international global business fulfilling thousands of orders everyday, including to the EU / US and UK.

So I cannot make any sense what has happened here, the only factor that is different is the delivery company that the order is being processed through. Prior to Fastway I was receiving the orders through An Post themselves once it reached Irish shores without incidence!

Anyones experience / I advice on experiencing the same would be greatly appreciated so I can get this sorted and my order delivered asap.

T.I.A. 😌

ohnonotgmail

was the item actually shipped from the EU?