Importing items with reduced/0% VAT via An Post/AddressPal

Sappy404

I'm not sure if this is one for BA or elsewhere in Consumer forum but it's saved me quite a few quid so I thought I'd share here.

If you get asked by An Post to pay VAT on a VAT-exempt item, or standard VAT on an item that carries a reduced rate of VAT, send an email to eCommChargeQuery@anpost.ie outlining the reference and including the original order email.

I have recently bought a few hardcover books from UK retailers that come in over the VAT threshold. They're coming to me via AddressPal. I get an email asking for VAT and handling fees on top of the Addresspal fee that gets taken automatically. Yesterday I got my 3rd such email in 6 weeks. Addresspal/An Post do not seem to know/care that books are 0% VAT as they listed the contents as books in the correspondence they sent me. After sending the email, in the first 2 cases I was told the case will be reviewed and within 4 days the item was delivered.

Reduced/0% VAT items are listed here:

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/money_and_tax/tax/duties_and_vat/value_added_tax.html

0% (Zero) VAT rating includes all exports, tea, coffee, milk, bread, books, children’s clothes and shoes, oral medicine for humans and animals, vegetable seeds and fruit trees, fertilisers, large animal feed, disability aids such as wheelchairs, crutches and hearing aids.

Peter File

Sappy404 wrote: »

I'm not sure if this is one for BA or elsewhere in Consumer forum but it's saved me quite a few quid so I thought I'd share here.

If you get asked by An Post to pay VAT on a VAT-exempt item, or standard VAT on an item that carries a reduced rate of VAT, send an email to eCommChargeQuery@anpost.ie outlining the reference and including the original order email.

I have recently bought a few hardcover books from UK retailers that come in over the VAT threshold. They're coming to me via AddressPal. I get an email asking for VAT and handling fees on top of the Addresspal fee that gets taken automatically. Yesterday I got my 3rd such email in 6 weeks. Addresspal/An Post do not seem to know/care that books are 0% VAT as they listed the contents as books in the correspondence they sent me. After sending the email, in the first 2 cases I was told the case will be reviewed and within 4 days the item was delivered.

Reduced/0% VAT items are listed here:

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/money_and_tax/tax/duties_and_vat/value_added_tax.html

Get them posted directly to yourself and save address fees. Books are vat free in Ireland so you won't be charged anyway

This is already mentioned in the couriers forum, which is where this post belongs.

Sappy404

Peter File wrote: »

Get them posted directly to yourself and save address fees. Books are vat free in Ireland so you won't be charged anyway

Delivery from Speedyhen and Books Etc is more expensive than the AddressPal fees and they offer free UK shipping. Many eBay sellers don't have Ireland as an option either.

witnessmenow

I bought some tea bags from the UK this week and got it sent to addressPal and I was curious what was going to happen or how they were going to handle it as Tea is one of the 0% VAT items. I previously had ordered from this company direct to Ireland but they wont ship here anymore.

hop

witnessmenow wrote: »

I bought some tea bags from the UK this week and got it sent to addressPal and I was curious what was going to happen or how they were going to handle it as Tea is one of the 0% VAT items. I previously had ordered from this company direct to Ireland but they wont ship here anymore.

Taking the piss now...importing teabags !
Shop local and support our economy ffs!

vicwatson

hop wrote: »

Taking the piss now...importing teabags !
Shop local and support our economy ffs!

Maybe they don’t sell the ones the poster likes “locally”

_Whimsical_

hop wrote: »

Taking the piss now...importing teabags !
Shop local and support our economy ffs!

I can't take caffeine at all. The teabags I use are 2.5 times more expensive locally than from the UK.

Had no idea tea was VAT free, thanks OP!

ted1

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

I can't take caffeine at all. The teabags I use are 2.5 times more expensive locally than from the UK.

Had no idea tea was VAT free, thanks OP!

https://shop.supervalu.ie/shopping/food-cupboard-decaffeinated-barry-s-decaf-blend-tea-80-pack-250-g-/p-1015997000

Less than 7c a cup of tea….

athlone573

Maybe they like the taste of Rooibos tea which is also caffeine free and difficult to find in Ireland?

loki7777

I thought that you can buy from who and where you want as long as you are happy with it. Don't let your local shops rip you off because they are local(or pretend to be).

witnessmenow

I got an email from An Post about my apparently controversial foreign tea order, as OP says they are asking for VAT @23%;, I've emailed the address in the OP now so we'll see what they say.

For those curious, the tea is Tea India Masala Chai. I originally got the tea from the special aisle in Aldi a few years ago but they rarely stock it. I did search for it locally but was never able to find it, so I'm left with no option but to apparently screw over Irish businesses cause I like a strange type of tea.

VG31

loki7777 wrote: »

I thought that you can buy from who and where you want as long as you are happy with it. Don't let your local shops rip you off because they are local(or pretend to be).

I get most of my tea from a shop in Hamburg. It has a much better range and prices than anywhere here. Delivery is also very reasonable.

VG31

witnessmenow wrote: »

For those curious, the tea is Tea India Masala Chai. I originally got the tea from the special aisle in Aldi a few years ago but they rarely stock it. I did search for it locally but was never able to find it, so I'm left with no option but to apparently screw over Irish businesses cause I like a strange type of tea.

I'm not sure if this is the same but the Austrian spice and delicacy food site Piccantino sell Masala Chai Tea.

I buy from Piccantino regularly, I 've only had positive experiences. They have a great range of unusual foods and spices and delivery is fast. It's not cheap though but the quality is excellent.

witnessmenow

VG31 wrote: »

I'm not sure if this is the same but the Austrian spice and delicacy food site Piccantino sell Masala Chai Tea.

I buy from Piccantino regularly, I 've only had positive experiences. They have a great range of unusual foods and spices and delivery is fast. It's not cheap though but the quality is excellent.

I'll definitely try it, thanks!

witnessmenow

So strange update from this. As expected I got the package after a few days emailing them to say tea is 0%.

Today (3 weeks after I got the package) they emailed me saying I owe €0.77 vat, plus there €3.50 fee for handling it. I mean it could be possible I owe vat on the mail forwarding aspect, but I've no idea what I'm actually paying vat on here 😅

It describes customs value as €56.86 but the charges are only as above.

Tamsta

€0.77 is very close to 23% of handling fee 🤣

Did you pay for shipping? Maybe AnPost is looking for VAT on that?

TallGlass2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117512822#Comment_117512822

I can barely find the log on button, how do you find that forum !

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117685509#Comment_117685509

https://www.boards.ie/categories/couriers 😊

Darc19

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117684220#Comment_117684220

Vat applies to the handling fee from addresspal.

Vat Exempt items still have to be inputted into customs, so the handling fee still applies no matter what.

Sappy404

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117684220#Comment_117684220

I asked about this previously and got the below in response:

We are currently uploading all our exempt items over the previous months into Revenue. Unfortunately, it automates a notification to the customer to pay the administration fee on the exempt item but please ignore the charge.  

 

Your documents have been supplied to Revenue as an exempt item and no charge is due. 

 

Apologies for the inconvenience. 

 

jean2014

I bought an item for 4.1 euro on AliExpress last month, paid 0.94 euro 23% VAT at check out. Surprisingly received a text message from An Post which demands to pay for 4.87 euro custom charge, with no option available to appeal for it, it I choose not to pay the customs charge, the item have to return back to the sender.

phester28

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117734158#Comment_117734158

check out the thread in consumer issues section of the consumer thread above (up one level). you need to email a certain department in an post

jbv

Is this the email? ecommchargequery@anpost.ie 

ablelocks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117760910#Comment_117760910

yep, that's it.

jean2014

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117735064#Comment_117735064

This is the reply that I got from An Post E-Comm-charge Query Team today:

Any item paid at source must arrive with an Eletronic data submitted by the sender/sending retailer with an IOSS number.

The electronic declaration on the below item doesn't have an IOSS number. 

Therefore, the sender/sending retailer dispatched the item without showing VAT paid at source and you must enquire with them directly regarding this.

Irish VAT is due to be paid.

I made an enquiry to AliExpress, however, as the VAT was clearly deducted during online check out stage, it seems more like an issue of teething problem of the new EU Import One Stop Shop (IOOS) roll out in Ireland.

I think I will stop buying things from the non-EAA e-commerce websites for now, as it seems going to be chaos like this for a while now, such a ridiculous situation.

whiterebel

There are threads in Consumer issues and the Online buying forums about this. Some people have put up photos where there is no IOSS info on the label. It was either never put on, or the sticker was covered by the Dutch Post label. Not much An Post can do when this happens.

Kramer

I think I will stop buying things from the non-EAA e-commerce websites for now, as it seems going to be chaos like this for a while now, such a ridiculous situation.

Mission accomplished!