Importing and customs duty

makeorbrake

Hi. I am considering purchasing 10 units of an electrical item from China. If these are samples - and for my purposes they are (as I want to see what the quality is like before placing a bigger order) - do customs duties apply?

If not, what do I need to prove that they are samples?


The vendor provides three options in relation to shipping;
DHL, FedEX OR EMS.

Is there any difference between these in terms of how they clear customs? If memory serves me correctly, some automatically do the customs paperwork and some don't?


In the event of customs insisting on applying duties, if the overall cost of the lot is €500 delivered, what would they be likely to apply in terms of duty and VAT?


Thanks in advance for any assistance you can provide.

vicwatson

Talk to C&E in Nenagh, Co Tipp (find it on www.revenue.ie website), they'll give you the advice you need on samples etc and what duty and/or VAT is applicable

jor el

Being samples is irrelevant, you pay duty and VAT based on their value. There's a sticky thread on top of the forum that gives all the detail.