An Post Customs Admin Fee

Jonesy101 · 20-09-2021 10:00am #1

Ordered an item, stated to be work €6.90, customs has charge of 1.59 and an post has a flat admin fee of 3.50! ridiculous

Caranica · 20-09-2021 1:56pm

It's been that way for years. Even worse, if you use addresspal you pay them twice. You pay customs on the item plus all delivery costs (including addresspal), then you pay the addresspal fee plus the 3.50!

o1s1n · 20-09-2021 1:57pm

I had the exact same thing happen a couple of days ago, owed a little over 1 euro in customs fees - nice 3.50 anpost charge slapped on top.

Strumms · 20-09-2021 2:06pm

most couriers are the same.. it’s usually a lot cheaper and more convenient then nominating an independent broker.

the admin fee goes to them running that particular department... no sense to fund the running of that department out of charging customers extra shipping costs who don’t require customs clearance or interaction with said department.

Jim_Hodge · 20-09-2021 4:35pm

An Post's is the cheapest admin charge out there. Only right to recoup some of the cost of collecting taxes you owe the state. All carriers are charging.

Darc19 · 20-09-2021 10:52pm

They were €10 last year.

The work involved is the same whether it's a €6 item or a €200 item.

They are EU rules

And before you blab about unfairness, if an EU company wants to sell to the UK, they have to set up a company there and register for vat. So UK consumers don't even get the opportunity to purchase from many EU companies

Jonesy101 · 21-09-2021 9:38am

Is the historical process for this: the item arrives in Customs on the Quay in Dublin, you get a notification letter in the post, go there and pay the VAT or duties, and dont pay any An Post or DPD collectors fee?

Eoinbmw · 21-09-2021 10:27am

I've refused to pay recently for a low value item from UK and they delivered it anyway no fee!

Seth Brundle · 21-09-2021 10:52am

Coincidentally, yesterday my wife had a package delivered by An Post. The item was worh under a tenner and came from Britain. A short while later she mentioned how she just received an email and text from An Post regarding customs and admin charge which totals over €8.

Do they still expect her to pay this even though they had already delivered it?

21-09-2021 11:16am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117918334#Comment_117918334

How far back are you talking?

If you go far enough back, yes it would have been like that. But tax collection could have been privatised and storage fees or handling fees would have been at the whim of the local collector. There was no formal post so you might have received a letter or you might have to go checking.

More recently, no, you were paying someone (appropriately licensed probably) to unload and store it (somewhere appropriately secure and again licensed) to process the paperwork and it wouldn't be released to you until everyone was paid.

There are still elements of this in bonded warehouses where taxes on say whiskey aren't paid until it has matured.

whiterebel · 23-09-2021 1:28pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117918645#Comment_117918645

I'd say they would have the bare faced cheek to expect payment for money paid out and work done on your behalf, yes.

Seth Brundle · 23-09-2021 1:45pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117928771#Comment_117928771

Given the value of her package was under a tenner and the P&P was about the same (both details were written on the small package) and Revenue have a threshold from the UK of €22 for VAT to be applied and duty is applicable if over €150 (as per this link), why are An Post expecting her to pay duty plus their own charge?

whiterebel · 23-09-2021 1:47pm

Missed this in your link?

Note

From 1 July 2021, import VAT is payable on all goods entering the EU, irrespective of their value. The VAT relief for consignments of €22 or less was removed from 1 July 2021. VAT will always be collected, irrespective of the amount due. If you ordered goods valued at €22 or less before 1 July 2021, that arrive after that date, you may have to pay VAT.

Seth Brundle · 23-09-2021 2:13pm

Cheers didn't spot that 😕

I'll double check with her later but she mentioned it was duty rather than VAT she was being charged.

Jim_Hodge · 23-09-2021 4:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117929036#Comment_117929036

It is Duty. The duty is Import VAT.

Seth Brundle · 23-09-2021 4:21pm

OK cool, thanks.

Darc19 · 23-09-2021 8:49pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117928862#Comment_117928862

Actually, if the amount of vat due is under €1 it is considered uneconomical to collect and therefore not charged.

So something £4 sent by vat free standard mail from the UK (other delivery forms are vatable) can be imported and vat not charged.

But not worth the hassle

maestroamado · 23-09-2021 9:04pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117915091#Comment_117915091

I really got caught with address-pal some time ago... bought an item from amazon for about £15 and needed £20 for free UK post. The original item had no post option to Irl so i added 3 CDs. When i went to the PO to collect each item came separate so i had to pay for 4 separate deliveries....

Darc19 · 23-09-2021 9:08pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117930749#Comment_117930749

Addresspal is really only handy if there's something you really need and cannot get elsewhere.

You pay UK vat and Irish vat and charges.

somebody_else · 05-11-2021 3:10am

Does anyone know from anpost/customs pulls value of the item ?

I got post today from anpost asking for 36 euros VAT and handling fee for a mechanical movement for the watch.

They valued it at 140+ euros while I purchased it for 20 pounds as it is faulty and I'm gonna tinker with it.

Brand new movement cost around 40-50 euros.

Any ideas how come they end up with 140+ euros price ?

and how to revert from this fees ?

Regards

Tom

Atlantic Dawn · 05-11-2021 3:18am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118121301#Comment_118121301

The sender should have put a declared value on the parcel. If they didn't do this an estimate is made which is likely where €140 came from.

Strumms · 05-11-2021 3:26am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118121301#Comment_118121301

Should be from the commercial value on the commercial invoice that that the company provided with the package, either that or the declared customs value on the shipping documents...

IF the shipping company under declares to save themselves or the client a few bob they might be found out and fined.

It happens from time to time.

you could have ‘designer watch’ commercial value 560 euros declared. The truth could be ....Cartier designer watch 3,560 euros

somebody_else · 05-11-2021 3:32am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118121303#Comment_118121303

There was declared value at the parcel - 20 pounds !

Atlantic Dawn · 05-11-2021 4:01am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118121312#Comment_118121312

Did Revenue inspect the parcel and declare that value? Very odd An Post would come to this valuation. I've in the past being asked by Revenue to prove the value of an item by supplying the invoice, then after supplying they released the item without need to pay based on item being below threshold. In your case it nearly looks like a decimal place is out on it.

Strumms · 05-11-2021 4:07am

What was the item ? sounds like customs disagreed with the valuation.

thats not uncommon as there are hundreds of items every week imported and mis-declared or undervalued with the absolute intention of misleading customs / the state, to save a few bob...

i know of one company who used to mis-declare jewelry, specifically the carat gold rings so an under declaration of tens of thousands a year... ripping off the state... and paying less vat and duty...

somebody_else · 05-11-2021 3:30pm

Yes I managed to reduce incoming of the state so much !

It is NH36 movement with broken stem inside movement.

You could purchase whole watch with that movement for less money !

tonysopprano · 15-11-2021 3:29am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117930692#Comment_117930692

They seem to have changed this. Package from wales (stated as gift with value of £3) from private individual to me (private individual) was returned to sender.

tonysopprano · 15-11-2021 3:33am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117930759#Comment_117930759

Try using Deliverme.ie based in Carrickdale/Jonesboro on the border. Will accept delivery and forward on to you for from €25. (Furniture/White goods and alcohol/wine included). It is a UK address so qualifies for free UK delivery. Will also hold multiple parcels till shipment complete for negotiation of price

Darc19 · 15-11-2021 7:36am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118167690#Comment_118167690

Returned Because the details were not entered correctly.

fixxation · 19-11-2021 11:11am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117915078#Comment_117915078

I discovered this yesterday- ordered an item from a shop in the UK, delivery through AddressPal to my UK virtual address. Got an email from AnPost last night asking me to pay the custom charged, which was expected - but what I didn't expected was that the AddressPal fee of 6.50 also had VAT added on top of it as part of the overall customs charge. I thought I'd only have to pay VAT on the UK item being imported, not the services of AddressPal being an Irish company, and there is likely already VAT charged as part of that 6.50 fee. Doesn't seem right...

whiterebel · 19-11-2021 11:13am

VAT is charged on the landed cost which is - Price of the goods, Insurance and Freight.

An Post Customs Admin Fee

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