Q+A on Import Duty+Tax [Do Not Ask How to Avoid!]

greenie

A friend of mine bought a second hand iphone online and the customs charge was ridiculous ( I thought! ). It came to about e150 (no euro symbol!) which is pretty much what she paid for the phone.
Firstly they treated it as a new phone, unfortunately for her it was in good condition. Secondly, tax was applied twice. When she rang to enquire they told her that this was done because the iphone is also an ipod so additional charges apply. I was really shocked but I guess these are the rules. I guess if you prefer to buy a second hand product abroad rather than pay triple the price for it here, you're going to pay in other ways!
Its cheaper these days to fly to another country and buy the product you want!:D

meme 1981

Hi everyone... I am brand new to here so pls be nice ,i sensitive
I am seriously looking into purchasing a ring online from the US (NY), purchase price approx €1500.00. How much do you think i will end up paying on VAT, Duty & excise when it is delivered to Ireland.? I am heading to Florida in May and was thinking would it be a good option to have it delivered to the hotel and that way avoid all charges???
Anyone got any experience or advice on this? Thanks

jor el

Since it's your first day, I'll be nice and move your post to an appropriate location. Dragging up an old thread is a no no, so have a look around before posting in future.

With regard to your question, if you get the ring imported you'll pay VAT at 21%, and possibly duty too. Duty rates can be found on the Revenue website, but are not always applied.

Getting it delivered to a hotel in the US may not be an option. A lot of sites will not ship to an alternate address from the credit card address, even more so if it's to a different country. If you're going to the US, then buying a ring in a shop will be the best option.

brumindub

Hi,

I was just wondering how long it takes for Customs to take money out of your account if you bought something from the States? I received my package over two weeks ago but no money taken out yet. I do realise that I might get away with not having to pay.

greenie

brumindub wrote: »

Hi,

I was just wondering how long it takes for Customs to take money out of your account if you bought something from the States? I received my package over two weeks ago but no money taken out yet. I do realise that I might get away with not having to pay.

As far as I know Customs don't take money out of your account. You usually pay on delivery.:)

rubadub

brumindub wrote: »

how long it takes for Customs to take money out of your account .

What do you mean by "account". If you get stuff from couriers (e.g. fedex) they can often send you a bill a month or so later.

brumindub

Well, I received a package from UPS and haven't been charged extra for VAT etc. I was just charged delivery fees by the company I bought some items from. So, I guess like you said, I just have to wait and see if I get a a UPS bill.

Thank you very much for your help.

Antigone05

Hope you guys can help.

Bought a pair of shoes (nothing nice in this country in 14s) from a US site based in NY.

Had a voicemail on my phone today to say from DHL that there is a customs charge of 47euro!

heres the breakdown :

$188.00 for the shoes including all p&p.

im adding the highest amount of 15% of customs duty as im not sure what % they chose.
= $135.70

the taking for the 21% VAT = $28.50

so that and the difference of the customs duty ($17.70) is $46.20

translate that to euro and its €33.79

Where did DHL get €47.14 from?
Am i missing something?

rubadub

Antigone05 wrote: »

$188.00 for the shoes including all p&p.

im adding the highest amount of 15% of customs duty as im not sure what % they chose.
= $135.70

the taking for the 21% VAT = $28.50

$188*21%=$39.48 I don't there should be any duty on it since it would be under €150.

DHL will also add on a handling fee, I think this can be around €15

EDIT I see now you added the duty on already, and your 21% is from the 135.70 -so I am not sure what is happening, I think you should get a detailed list from them. VAT is charged on the full shipping & handling fees.

jor el

Antigone05 wrote: »

Am i missing something?

Probably the handling fee. They may also be using a very poor exchange rate, but remember you'll never get the rates quoted on Internet conversion sites like xe.com. It'll always be a few percent off that anyway.

At a rough guess, I'd say they charge of €47 is about right.

Antigone05

thanks for the responses lads. im right to ask DHL for a break down on the charges>?

datk

I don't know if I've read earlier posts correctly. Am I right in saying that it's only goods shipped from outside the EU that is liable for custom charges?

I am looking at buying £90 worth of kitchen accessories from a UK supplier but I don't want to get caught out by additional charges.

I know if I buy via Amazon they convert to Irish rate of VAT but this supplier doesn't deliver to Ireland via Amazon but their own online store does.

Any advice appreciated.

D

herbieflowers

Hi guys, thinking of ordering a jacket from the US, about 80e incl. packaging. What kind of customs / duty charges should I expect?

noodle650

Hey there looking to buy some Microphones from the states as they are nearly 100% cheaper than here -.-.
But i have the catch 22 of import duty and tax. How much import duty would i be expecting to pay on an item that is costing roughly $150 and one that if i won a bid at $20?

the items are small and weighing in at less than a KG

Thanks guys

dudara

Moved to Online Buying & Auctions

dudara

Nody

10 EUR + ~25% on shipping + item price that you bought it for as a rough estimate. Customs office may challenge you on the price if they think it is to cheap but showing the proof of invoice is usually enough.

jor el

New thread for all Duty/VAT questions, with simple guidelines.