New Import Duty/VAT Thread. Read Post #1 for Rules

breadbin

no seriously i got a letter from revenue, arrival of post C&e 160 where it asks me to send an email of proof of purchase. The tracking number of the parcel is on the top of it. The following day, before I sent the email back to them, the postman delivered it and I paid the duties to him. Do I need to do anything else?


why would i get a letter and then they send the parcel anyway?

scamalert

breadbin wrote: »

no seriously i got a letter from revenue, arrival of post C&e 160 where it asks me to send an email of proof of purchase. The tracking number of the parcel is on the top of it. The following day, before I sent the email back to them, the postman delivered it and I paid the duties to him. Do I need to do anything else?


why would i get a letter and then they send the parcel anyway?

well id imagine if you didn't pay up the postman wouldn't handed the parcel ? either way seems they sent out letter first for what you owed before postman got to you, but once you paid dont think there's anything else to be done.

breadbin

scamalert wrote: »

well id imagine if you didn't pay up the postman wouldn't handed the parcel ? either way seems they sent out letter first for what you owed before postman got to you, but once you paid dont think there's anything else to be done.

I emailed them and they said to disregard the letter. It's strange because normally they wouldn't send it until I email them.

ScrubsfanChris

Hope this is the right place for this.

I recently had to send my Onewheel (electric skateboard thing) back to the manufacturer for a repair under warranty (faulty bluetooth.)
It unfortunately had to go all the way back to California but because it was under warranty they pre-paid for shipping to and from via Fedex, so no cost to me so far.

I got confirmation yesterday its all fixed and I'll be getting a tracking number soon.
Now I bought the board from a shop in Ireland a couple months ago so I have already paid the Irish VAT.

Surely there will be no import/customs duty to pay as after all it was an Irish purchase to being with and only left the country for repair?

Any help on this would be appreciated.

Trick of the Tail

The company sending it back to you will need to attach a 'commercial invoice' to the package.

In this they should state what it is, its original retail value, and 'ITEM BEING RETURNED AFTER WARRANTY REPAIR - NO COMMERCIAL VALUE'.

Then hopefully you won't get charged the import VAT.

ScrubsfanChris wrote: »

Hope this is the right place for this.

I recently had to send my Onewheel (electric skateboard thing) back to the manufacturer for a repair under warranty (faulty bluetooth.)
It unfortunately had to go all the way back to California but because it was under warranty they pre-paid for shipping to and from via Fedex, so no cost to me so far.

I got confirmation yesterday its all fixed and I'll be getting a tracking number soon.
Now I bought the board from a shop in Ireland a couple months ago so I have already paid the Irish VAT.

Surely there will be no import/customs duty to pay as after all it was an Irish purchase to being with and only left the country for repair?

Any help on this would be appreciated.

ScrubsfanChris

Trick of the Tail wrote: »

The company sending it back to you will need to attach a 'commercial invoice' to the package.

In this they should state what it is, its original retail value, and 'ITEM BEING RETURNED AFTER WARRANTY REPAIR - NO COMMERCIAL VALUE'.

Then hopefully you won't get charged the import VAT.

Thanks, that great help.
Just sent them an email with your recommendation. Hopefully its not too late and they haven't shipped it already.

Out of interest, what recourse do I have if custom decide to charge me something?
I have purchase receipts and proof it originally departed from Ireland.

ScrubsfanChris

Trick of the Tail wrote: »

The company sending it back to you will need to attach a 'commercial invoice' to the package.

They actually sent me this in a previous email I'd forgotten about.
It was printed and placed with the Fedex and other documents with the box.

I've just removed the personnel and other such data for here....

Dumitru Ivanov

Sounds like a pretty complicated scenario. Have you considered contracting a customs consultancy company?

ScrubsfanChris

Dumitru Ivanov wrote: »

Sounds like a pretty complicated scenario. Have you considered contracting a customs consultancy company?

Fedex (in Dublin) rang me this morning asking for basiclaly whats talked about above, proof of warranty and a copy of the WARRANTY REPAIR invoice.

Waiting to hear back, hopefully its sorted.

ScrubsfanChris

ScrubsfanChris wrote: »

Fedex (in Dublin) rang me this morning asking for basiclaly whats talked about above, proof of warranty and a copy of the WARRANTY REPAIR invoice.

Waiting to hear back, hopefully its sorted.

Got delivered yesterday, no payment needed.

harr

Quick question...google didn’t give an answer or the answer I wanted
So purchased a second hand camera lens from Japan (40 years old ) I paid €35 euro for it and it arrived this morning with the post man and revenue looking for €30 custom charges.
The lens is barely worth that and it’s definitely not worth the €35 purchase price plus €30 customs.
I honestly haven’t had to pay customs before on second hand products, I have paid it for new gear I got form the US.
Does the 30 quid sound right or should I try claim it back or just not bother picking lens up.

( didn’t have cash for post man so he brought it back to post office)

ohnonotgmail

harr wrote: »

Quick question...google didn’t give an answer or the answer I wanted
So purchased a second hand camera lens from Japan (40 years old ) I paid €35 euro for it and it arrived this morning with the post man and revenue looking for €30 custom charges.
The lens is barely worth that and it’s definitely not worth the €35 purchase price plus €30 customs.
I honestly haven’t had to pay customs before on second hand products, I have paid it for new gear I got form the US.
Does the 30 quid sound right or should I try claim it back or just not bother picking lens up.

( didn’t have cash for post man so he brought it back to post office)

€10 of that is the customs handling fee that an post impose. you also pay vat on the cost of the item plus the shipping cost. if there is no invoice in the parcel then customs estimate a value. take a look at the first post in the thread for a full explanation.

scamalert

it all boils down how the declaration was put down on customs form by sender, its been years since I had to pay import tax, but contacting them with paypal invoice would be first go to.


Thou as mentioned handling fee cant be avoided so its a big chunk of change for your price of purchase.

Suckit

Shipping must have been €10.
Lens €35 + Shipping €10 = €45 + VAT €10.35 = €55.35 + An Post Handling €10 = €65.35

ohnonotgmail

Suckit wrote: »

Shipping must have been €10.
Lens €35 + Shipping €10 = €45 + VAT €10.35 = €55.35 + An Post Handling €10 = €65.35

An post were looking for €30 on top of what was already paid. 10 of that is the handling fee leaving 20 for vat.

Suckit

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

An post were looking for €30 on top of what was already paid. 10 of that is the handling fee leaving 20 for vat.

No, €10 is shipping, and €10 is VAT.


Lens €35 + Shipping €10 = €45
VAT on €45 = €10.35 which brings the price to €55.35 including delivery.
Then An Post Handling fee is €10 = €65.35

ohnonotgmail

Suckit wrote: »

No, €10 is shipping, and €10 is VAT.


Lens €35 + Shipping €10 = €45
VAT €10.35 = €55.35
An Post Handling €10 = €65.35

you might want to look at that again. an post requested 30 at the door. 10 of that was the handling fee. that means the rest must have been VAT. the shipping cost you mention would have already been paid by the buyer and an post would not be requesting it from them at the door.

Suckit

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

you might want to look at that again. an post requested 30 at the door. 10 of that was the handling fee. that means the rest must have been VAT. the shipping cost you mention would have already been paid by the buyer and an post would not be requesting it from them at the door.

Gotcha... You're right.
I am after confusing myself.

So customs must have guesstimated/calculated the shipping to have been €50ish, which would mean they value the whole item at around €85 delivered :eek:. Which would put the VAT up to €20 + €10 handling.

I wonder are they using the DHL 'volumetric' calculator.

I would 100% dispute that,

scamalert

https://imgur.com/a/tCvAxTJ going by this, sorry cant ingrain image, but 23pc+10nner for handling seems should be 18.05 total, unless theres some claim for additional transportation fees after it hit EU, seems over top to pay almost 100% on top of purchase price.

harr

OP here ..
Seller clearly had cost marked on the package and postage cost again was clearly visible... I made contact with revenue and they have asked to send them eBay confirmation on price and PayPal info .... no matter what what happens I will have to pay the on post handling fee.
I honestly can’t figure out where or how they calculated the €30 ..
What happens if I don’t pay it and don’t pick it up in post office ? Would they continue to look for it ?
As I said I have no issues paying vat or fees if they are appropriate to cost of item .

Thank for reply’s so far

ohnonotgmail

If you dont pay the package will most likely be destroyed.

Suckit

Was it €35 including shipping? If so then VAT should only be €8.

harr

Suckit wrote: »

Was it €35 including shipping? If so then VAT should only be €8.

Yeah €35 in total

rubadub

I have found revenue & an post to be excellent in regards to fees. I have emailed in ebay and paypal statements before and never had any hassle.

I remember putting in a note of "shipping is listed as $0 since the website includes shipping in their pricing and so call it "free shipping" for "marketing purposes. "

Now the dogs on the street know this is the case, but the couriers act/play dumb over this.

whiterebel

harr wrote: »

OP here ..
Seller clearly had cost marked on the package and postage cost again was clearly visible... I made contact with revenue and they have asked to send them eBay confirmation on price and PayPal info .... no matter what what happens I will have to pay the on post handling fee.
I honestly can’t figure out where or how they calculated the €30 ..
What happens if I don’t pay it and don’t pick it up in post office ? Would they continue to look for it ?
As I said I have no issues paying vat or fees if they are appropriate to cost of item .

Thank for reply’s so far

Ask them for a copy of the customs entry. It sounds like they don't believe the valuation that was put on it. It does sound cheap for a lens, including postage, from Japan. They'll probably refund you once they see the proof of what you paid.

harr

whiterebel wrote: »

Ask them for a copy of the customs entry. It sounds like they don't believe the valuation that was put on it. It does sound cheap for a lens, including postage, from Japan. They'll probably refund you once they see the proof of what you paid.

I have emailed them the info they wanted so hopefully it will be sorted I also sent them a link to the eBay page where it shows a number of similar lenses at same price. Similar to this one

py2006

Customs overcharging me

Purchased some jeans at half price from Nautica using Addresspal. Totaling €84. An post dude just left card in letterbox and never rang bell. He wrote on it that I owe €49.28 to customs. ffs. :mad:

breadbin

I was thinking of buying a once in a lifetime titanium bicycle frame from Japan but the thoughts of giving the Irish government 23% of it (€1000) is enough to change my mind. I give them enough already.

chopperp

might be subject to Anti dumping charge also

witnessmenow

I ordered something today (electronics parts) and my total including delivery was ~€24 , so more than the €22 limit but less than the €26 mentioned in the"Non Collection of Small amounts" part of the OP.

It is being delivered by DHL, will they insist I pay customs? (And get them selves the nice €15/16 admin fee!)

Seller was using something called "DHL eCommerce", different and slower to a regular DHL option they have