Import duty and VAT payable

eth0_ · 16-01-2003 1:08pm #1

Apologies if this is the wrong forum

I'm buying a PDA from the USA, the value is just over 300 dollars. I'm pretty sure they're shipping via UPS....is it VERY likely i'll be charged import duty and VAT or is it pretty much pot luck?

Any personal experiences would be appreciated

lynchie · 16-01-2003 2:54pm

Any purchases over $50 are liable for Import duty. I've ordered some items before from the states, some totalling over $250 and I havent been charged duty on them. But then one time I ordered something for roughly $75 dollars and Fed-ex rang me saying I owed duty on it. So I guess its pot luck.

16-01-2003 5:23pm

*warning*
Be carefull to use a courrier, and not the US parcel post service, as if you use them a private company (owned by Royal mail) have the contract to deliver parcels from the US postal service to Ireland now, and not An Post.
Unbelievable, but they are having awfull problems and taking up to six weeks for delivery, and worse charging COD on arrival regardless of whether VAT is chargeable or not.
Yes regardless , you are liable for the duty, but in the piles of stuff, it might get through, but as I say be warned , if you use US parcel post airmail, etc, you will be waiting, and there will be an extra charge, it's outrageous!

mm

lynchie · 16-01-2003 5:59pm

Well Ive received 3 packages in the past two months sent by US Parcel Service and they have taken roughly 3-4 weeks to deliver but I put that down to the christmas buildup of airmail. Be interesting to see if my next delivery takes that long!

sunbeam · 16-01-2003 7:41pm

I got a couple of packages last month that took nearly four weeks to arrive and I put it down to Christmas too.

I did have to pay >€33 vat/duty/service charge on a package delivered by FedEx in August. Not impressed as despite the nine incidences of my address on/in the box they initially managed to deliver it to someone on the other side of the country. I've bought a previous version from the same compnay in March. Can't remember what courier brought it, but I didn't have to pay anything.

Man, how can they charge COD if you are not eligibe for vat-i.e. if the value of the package <€45 or so?

16-01-2003 7:53pm

Originally posted by sunbeam
Man, how can they charge COD if you are not eligibe for vat-i.e. if the value of the package <€45 or so?

This was aired a couple of days ago on Joe Duffy, thats where I heard it.
There is a problem with delivery of air mail packages from the us sent via the US mail service.
Apparently this applies to packages worth €50 and over only.

Basically An post lost the contract to deliver U.S parcels here and, according to many callers to the Duffy show, the incompetant company that was delivering them were charging everybody COD even if no duty was owed-smells like a rip off somewhere.

When tackled about it , they said it was human error somewhere, but it's still happening.
The problem doesn't apply to parcels sent by surface mail, they are still being delivered by An Post.
mm

De Rebel · 17-01-2003 1:10pm

Originally posted by Man
the incompetant company that was delivering them were charging everybody COD even if no duty was owed-smells like a rip off somewhere.

They are calling it an admin charge. That is levied anyway by this shower, irrespective of whether there is VAT/DUTY or not.

Your import therefore can incurr any/all of the following: Duty, VAT,Customs Clearance charge, Admin charge.

I have had a couple of instances where an item advertised at $100 end up costing over€200 after shipping and all the other bits were added.

If you are buying on the net, there is a major difference between buying from Europe and buying from the US. Especially if the European supplier is not required to add UK or Irish VAT.

sunbeam · 17-01-2003 4:44pm

Does this company only deliver parcels above a certain size or weight? The two boxes I received recently (Books from Amazon.com and BN.com sent by airmail) came via An Post. BTW they were boxes rather than packages-you know the way they sometimes place a small book in a biggish box with an airbag to pad it out....

17-01-2003 5:34pm

Do amazon.com ship out of the states though?
It's been a while since I got anything from their US site, but it came very quickly (3 days) which suggested to me it was dispatched from the UK.

Having said that, the complainants on the Joe duffy show were talking about air mail packages that contained small books etc - yes.

But all over €50 in value.
mm

sunbeam · 17-01-2003 5:46pm

Yes, as far as I know. Barnes and Noble definitely do as they have no UK store. Stuff from Amazon.com used to take a week to 10 days to arrive. Last package took 3.5 weeks. Both boxes were valued at less than €50.

Actually I found last summer than stuff from Amazon.co.uk was taking longer to arrive than orders from Amazon.com posted on the same day. It normally takes about 3 days for stuff from various UK online retailers to get to me (in the west of Ireland) and for a few months that changed to an average of 10-12 days. Seems to be back to normal now.

gandalf · 17-01-2003 10:09pm

eth0_ if thet are shipping via a courier then the chances are very high that you will be charged duty and VAT. The last crowd I got anything couriered from the States with was Fed-Ex and they made me pay by credit card (ba$tards!).

On another note yes Amazon.com and Amazon.ca both ship to Ireland. The Canadian Amazon are normally quicker and cheaper.

Gandalf.

sunbeam · 17-01-2003 10:22pm

I never thought of trying Amazon.ca. Must check it out....

sunbeam · 20-01-2003 11:24pm

It seems the €45 limit applies to gifts only. According to http://www.revenue.ie/pdf/pn1882.pdf the exemption limit for ordering over the Internet is only €22. It is unclear as to whether this limit includes shipping.

Wook · 21-01-2003 2:39pm

If i would buy a camera from the states and have it shipped over here (500-600 dollars) how much would the state tax me ? Could anyone help me with this ? Would it be like 21% tax or more ? Anything extras ?

Minolta Maxxum 7 cost price States : 553 Euro
" " Ireland: 1650 euro

Wook · 21-01-2003 4:35pm

bumper

The Cigarette Smoking Man · 21-01-2003 6:54pm

Originally posted by Man
This was aired a couple of days ago on Joe Duffy, thats where I heard it.
There is a problem with delivery of air mail packages from the us sent via the US mail service.
Apparently this applies to packages worth €50 and over only.

That company has only got the contract for packages over 2kg, so if you've getting DVDs etc from the US they'll probably be under that and will be delivered by An Post.

Victor · 21-01-2003 7:10pm

Originally posted by Wook
If i would buy a camera from the states and have it shipped over here (500-600 dollars) how much would the state tax me ? Could anyone help me with this ? Would it be like 21% tax or more ? Anything extras ?

Minolta Maxxum 7 cost price States : 553 Euro
" " Ireland: 1650 euro

If I am right, add customs duty (4%) and VAT (21%). However, what will the guarantee / warranty situation be? Do you trust someone offering this low a price?

(€553 + 4%) + 21% = €695.9

sunbeam · 21-01-2003 7:38pm

Don't forget the duty and vat will be calculated on purchase price plus shipping/courier costs. If it comes by FedEx they will also add an administration charge. The last software box I received cost US$101.63 including about $32 in shipping. To this FedEx added a total duty/VAT/admin charge of €32.83.

Wook · 22-01-2003 10:09am

Originally posted by Victor
If I am right, add customs duty (4%) and VAT (21%). However, what will the guarantee / warranty situation be? Do you trust someone offering this low a price?

(€553 + 4%) + 21% = €695.9

I have read the warrenty and they cover the globe.
It's not a gray market camera so it's fine..but with these taxes on top of the cost price i would still make a fine deal.. hmmm
btw is it true that if they put it in a box with a label 'Sample' then this is not considered to have tax ?

Victor · 22-01-2003 7:17pm

Originally posted by Wook
hmmm btw is it true that if they put it in a box with a label 'Sample' then this is not considered to have tax ?

Yes, but a €600 camera doesn't constitute a "sample". I'm sure there are rules somewhere, but it is designed to cover modest items (maybe up to €20-50) and commodities (which could include chips, but not boards). I suspect a sample shouldn't be able to work by itself (e.g. a carpet sample wouldn't be allowed be more than say 300 x 300mm).

Ro-76 · 23-01-2003 2:47pm

To the best of my knowledge, and experience, An Post still delivers USPS packages less than 2kg approx. I have received a number of small packages recently from the US delivered by An Post. I have never paid duty on a package delivered by An Post.

Ro

daveg · 24-01-2003 9:50am

Here's my two pence.....

About 6 months ago I bought a minidisc from the US. A few weeks later I got a letter through the post from a company in Dublin saying I had to pay duty to have the parcel delivered. I rang them up and spoke to a really sound guy. He told me that it was fairly random which packages they picked but courier delievres were more likely to be hit.

However he gave me advice that I used when I bought my Creative Jukebox a few months later. I got the to write gift on the package and to put the value as under €50 - therefore it would not be hit for duty. THere is one draw back though if your package goes missing your screwed as you'll only be insured for the €50.

Import duty and VAT payable

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