An Post / Customs 'Handling Charge' ?

Ditch

I once had a palm sized, steel spring sent from USA. Value, $2.50. It came through like a letter would.

More recently, I bought a $100.00, heavy, item. Shipping was $60.00. Then, Customs grabbed it. Kept it for a week. Then told the post office to charge me €40.00 " Handling Charge " before handing it over the counter to me

Does anyone know where the dividing line comes, please? Only, I now want to bring in a $5.00 purchase, weighing ounces. No idea what the shipping will be. But, to hell with paying €40.00 to get my €3.60 package over the counter! :eek:

Thanks.

Penny Tration

Over 22 euro and you can be charged by customs. For five dollars, you'll be fine

Ditch

Green Screen! My Hero!

Thanks, so much, for that! At last, I can just go ahead and order this stuff. Thanks!

Hey; Would ye believe this? I emailed a mate in england. Wondering if I might have it sent to him (less stringent Customs), to be sent in from there. What does he say, hours later?

" Ye doughnut! I'm In USA and could have grabbed ye gear in the shop I was in earlier today!!! Now ye've missed ye chance! "

:eek:

rubadub

The €40 would not be just handling, its VAT and nowadays a €6 fee. VAT is on the item cost and the shipping, this is why it pays to choose cheaper shipping, or I often email and ask for cheaper shipping options and explain I realise it will take longer and not complain.

An post will officially not collect less than €6 in VAT, the offical lower limit is €22, but on items that are 23% VAT this means in effect the limit is €26.08 (on items which are 23%)

Hi,
I was reading on revenue.ie that the limit is €22 until something is applicable for VAT when importing from online shops

http://www.revenue.ie/en/customs/leaflets/pn1179.html

Consignments not exceeding a total customs value of €22 may be imported without payment of VAT.

However it goes on to say

Where the customs duty on a consignment of goods amounts to less than €10 it will not be collected. Similarly, VAT liability amounting to less than or equal to €6 will not be collected.

So on typical imported items like a DVD the VAT is 23%, so if the DVD is €25 it is above the €22 threshold limit, but the VAT would only be €5.75 so is below the €6 limit. Am I right in thinking that this in effect means the real threshold value for non-excise items at 23% is €26.08 -since only items above this value will have VAT equal or above €6.

Thanks

Dear ***,
Your calculations in the example you quoted are correct but do remember that, if the freight costs or the VAT rates increase, the €22 threshold will produce a different result. This threshold is set in European Law, while the €6 de minimus limit is just a local practice based on administrative expedience.

Regards,


****
Customs Division

In theory if you got expensive express delivery on your cheap spring then your total value could end up over the limit, in practise I have not heard of this happening, unless its a scam where a seller puts a low price on an item. In practice they seem to wait until the item's value is above the limit, but then they do add on shipping costs to calculate the vat.

Ditch

Oh, god! And I was, literally just looking for the address of the company I want to buy this gear off!

But, no. A $5.00 (What's that? Few € ?) tub of powder, weighing in at a massive 16 oz ....?

Okay. I'll now ask them how much they want, to send it. See if we can keep this within parameters.

Thing is, I need this stuff like Last Week! I can't wait for a boat.

Thanks, Rubadub. It's good to be getting a handle on all this

dudara

Moved to Online Buying & Auctions

dudara

Collibosher

Ditch wrote: »

...I emailed a mate in england. Wondering if I might have it sent to him (less stringent Customs)....

The UK Customs and Border Agency are certainly more stringent in my experience.

Ditch

Dudara; Thanks for putting this into its right slot. I was Searching like a stoat ....! Just couldn't figure it.

Collibosher; Stand by .....