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Customs + Excise Duty

  • 05-06-2015 5:35pm
    #1
    alyssa292
    Registered Users Posts: 6 ✭


    HEy all hope someone can help, not sure if its the right thread but deffo to do with rip off IReland. So my hubby is from the states and doing an online course with the states. His parents sent him a tablet, an ipod touch and an amazon tv stick which the college had sent him. (it cost his parents 80 quid to ship) Now the post office are looking for €141 for customs and excise ?? They wouldnt accept credit card so effectively it's been taken hostage and he needs it for his course. Is this right ?


Comments

  • #2
    snubbleste
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 31,117 ✭✭✭✭snubbleste


    " tablet, an ipod touch and an amazon tv stick"
    Yes. http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055862554


  • #3
    animaal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 815 ✭✭✭animaal


    It's probably mostly VAT - It's understandable that the state would be looking for that.

    Where it starts to get into "ripoff Irland" territory is where the VAT is applied to the duty. And applied to the postage.


  • #4
    delahuntv
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,532 ✭✭✭delahuntv


    alyssa292 wrote: »
    HEy all hope someone can help, not sure if its the right thread but deffo to do with rip off IReland. So my hubby is from the states and doing an online course with the states. His parents sent him a tablet, an ipod touch and an amazon tv stick which the college had sent him. (it cost his parents 80 quid to ship) Now the post office are looking for €141 for customs and excise ?? They wouldnt accept credit card so effectively it's been taken hostage and he needs it for his course. Is this right ?

    If he sent his parents the same package from Ireland USA duties and state taxes probably would have applied.

    If he lived in UK / Germany / Italy or any other EU country the same charges would have applied.

    Vat is applied on the value of goods + shipping cost if the goods are from outside the EU. No duty would have applied as computer equipment is zero rated for duty.


    Its sort of like USA - price on shelf excludes sales tax that is added at the till, just in this case it is added upon entry to the country.


  • #5
    Greenmachine
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,063 ✭✭✭Greenmachine


    Not a ripoff. It is state legislated tax.


  • #6
    animaal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 815 ✭✭✭animaal


    Greenmachine wrote: »
    Not a ripoff. It is state legislated tax.

    The meaning of "ripoff" is an ongoing debate though. The forum charter proposes one common definition of a ripoff. In that context, just because something is imposed by the state doesn't mean it can't be a ripoff.

    In this case it actually may not be a rip off. VAT is applied to most goods and services, so although rate of VAT might be considered a ripoff, it's more difficult to argue that for the application of VAT itself.

    However, where there's an extra "handling charge" to collect the charges, that could be considered a ripoff. I'm not charged for the collection of PAYE from my pay packet or VAT in a restaurant.

    Or where Duty/VAT are applied on top of each other. That's not the case with the OP, but I'd consider it a ripoff too.


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  • #7
    whiterebel
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 15,034 Mod ✭✭✭✭whiterebel


    animaal wrote: »
    The meaning of "ripoff" is an ongoing debate though. The forum charter proposes one common definition of a ripoff. In that context, just because something is imposed by the state doesn't mean it can't be a ripoff.

    In this case it actually may not be a rip off. VAT is applied to most goods and services, so although rate of VAT might be considered a ripoff, it's more difficult to argue that for the application of VAT itself.

    However, where there's an extra "handling charge" to collect the charges, that could be considered a ripoff. I'm not charged for the collection of PAYE from my pay packet or VAT in a restaurant.

    Or where Duty/VAT are applied on top of each other. That's not the case with the OP, but I'd consider it a ripoff too.

    Handling charge involves paying for the initial outlay of very expensive software to do a customs entry , paying someone to use the system, and paying out the VAT/Duty for hundreds if not thousands of people up front. €6-€15 for that seems reasonable to me, considering customs entries used to cost at least £25 each before the borders were removed.


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