An Post Customs Admin Fee

Jonesy101

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Seth Brundle

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

It is Duty. The duty is Import VAT.

Seth Brundle

OK cool, thanks.

Darc19

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There was declared value at the parcel - 20 pounds !

Atlantic Dawn

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

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

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

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

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

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

Returned Because the details were not entered correctly.

fixxation

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

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

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118190226#Comment_118190226

Of course it's right. It's charged on the total cost of the item plus all carriage. You chose to buy in the UK and pay UK vat plus the seller's p&p and addresspal costs. That's the cost of the items coming in to Ireland. You ended up paying two lots of VAT as well.

fixxation

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118192283#Comment_118192283

I have no problem with buying from the UK, and paying the AddressPal fees for the service it is. The part that I was annoyed with was paying VAT on the AddressPal 6.50 charge, which I already had paid VAT on as part of the 6.50 charge - surely that is not right, why would anyone want to pay VAT on a product/service twice? It's not right...

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118194031#Comment_118194031

The second payment is import duty. The first is vat on carriage. Why send to a UK address and be hit for extra carriage and both UK and Irish taxes? You're adding at least 20% to the cist.

Like it or not those are the rules and saying it's not right won't make it so.

fixxation

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118194122#Comment_118194122

The second payment was not import duty, it was VAT on both the item from the UK (free postage to UK virtual address) and then the 6.50 AddressPal fee. The AnPost CS rep on chat even confirmed the AddressPal fee was part of the VAT. The item itself was £40.45 and that worked out at EUR 47.35 on my debit card... then this customs email comes in, where I would have expected the customs value to be that of the actual product £40.45/EUR47.35 and not include the AddressPal fee nearly 10 euro higher at EUR58.51. Not good. The VAT charged should only be on the item and UK postage, if it was there. Surely I had already paid VAT is part of the 6.50 AddressPal fee.

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118194260#Comment_118194260

You keep ignoring that the Import duty is VAT and must be charged on the carrier fees as well. So you must pay it in the addresspal fee and an Posts admin charge.

You just don't seem to get it,

fixxation

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118194283#Comment_118194283

It's pretty clear in the screenshot I posted that the import duty was 0.00. It's on a separate line from the VAT. But anyway... I'm done. In the end, the overall full price of the item (including all charges) was still 45% cheaper than what I would've had to pay here - so it's still a win - happy days.

cnocbui

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058209605/an-post-customs-admin-fee

I just submitted my tax return and 4 figure payment. If Revenue ask for a further 45% as a fee for processing the return, blood will be spilt.

Having to pay a fee for others to do a job the taxpayer already pays them to do has always struck me as wrong.

cnocbui

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118121325#Comment_118121325

No, it's a new plank in rip-off ireland: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058200515/an-post-returning-packages-from-outside-the-eu-see-1st-post#latest

whiterebel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118194486#Comment_118194486

An Post aren’t paid to maintain an account of probably close to €1M per month to pay out VAT on our behalf. I haven’t got much time for the way An Post do business, but a standard charge for customs clearance with a broker is between €40 and €60.

With regard to the previous complaint, An Post are adhering to EU and Irish Revenue rules on importation. Every single item imported to the Eu has to account for ALL transport charges.

Darc19

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118194260#Comment_118194260

You need to understand what the landed cost is.

The landed cost includes ALL costs incurred when an item has reached the EU. (Or vice versa if going from EU to UK)

Your landed cost is the item cost plus the address pal delivery cost plus the address pal service cost.

Add those three parts up and you have your landed costs.

Same basic calculation applies worldwide between customs borders.

Demelza

Anyone know if Import VAT is liable from purchases from NI to IE? An Post charged me Import VAT but seller claims that there should be no duties from NI to IE

Anyone know if the single trade agree Includes VAT?

Has anyone had any luck with receiving a refund from An Post if the charge was an error?

Thanks ☺️

Darc19

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118194260#Comment_118194260

Revenue have set exchange rates each month, November was .8450 https://www.revenue.ie/en/customs-traders-and-agents/importing-and-exporting/exchange-rates/2021/november-2021.aspx

Also, whilst you got "free" delivery, customs rules (worldwide) still requires a value on that delivery. A delivery is not actually free, you just get a 100% discount on the fee from the supplier. So looks like they applied a £3.50 delivery value. You see the same on amazon. They disocunt the delivery, but the vat on that fee still is charged

so cost of goods + 3.50 delivery value / .8450 + 6.50 fee = 58.51

This is the landed value.

Darc19

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118226896#Comment_118226896

Possibly sent via royal mail? - They may have bulk shipped to UK and then shipped back to here so that it seemed to be a package from Britain.

Email them and they should sort it. Include copy of receipt showing NI address

Demelza

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118227427#Comment_118227427

I emailed An Post customs and showed the delivery info, my receipt for the purchase which shows company is in NI. An Post refusing to sort it out as they told me twice that I have to follow it up with Royal Mail. I can't find anywhere to contact RM about this and it was An Post/Revnue that have the money anyway so RM aren't going to refund me. I have given up now. Since then, I received two gifts from family in UK. One was a Christmas cookie cutter set for the kids with a declared value of £15 inc postage. An Post valued it at €84! Another gift of a mug and scarf valued at £20 has been valued at €84 again. An Post won't budge on this because they claim that is the value Royal Mail put in their system, despite the receipt showing the correct declared value. Has anyone else experienced this inflation of value and where I can go to challenge it? I understand the rules for import duties etc but this seems outrageous to inflate value and not have a mechanism for verifying or disputing it.

irishproduce

Useful there is a thread dealing with this. I got a notification this morn from An Post for an item I bought from a .ie electrical spare parts site. Item was 6e.

The email from an Post is below

Customs charges:

Import Duty:

€0.00

Excise Duty:

€0.00

VAT:

€1.44

Admin fee:

€3.50

Total to be paid:

€4.94

To be paid by:

19/08/2023

Odd that there are no customs or duy involved but An Post charged me anyway. Is that the fee just for them having had to check the package value?

muffler

May be a .ie domain but where do they ship their items from?

Caranica

It must be a low value item?

z80CPU

Could the business be physically located in Northern Ireland?

My reason for posting here.

I've been CONSIDERING having some model locomotives ( a pair of CIE era orange & black ) locos repaired in a shop in eniskillen... No I'm not avoiding marks models... aforementioned models have been on prolonged cold storage in our holiday home in co Sligo.

Seeing this sort of nonsense by an post.... I'll take them back to marks models so.

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120879070#Comment_120879070

Read what they sent you. There's no Import Duty or Excise Duty but there is VAT. You're being charged the VAT on the import plus the admin fee. All perfectly in order. And An Post has the lowest admin fee of any of the carriers. A .IE website means nothing. The item came from a non EU location. An Post don't decide who gets charged what: That's down to customs.

pat_sconce

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120879070#Comment_120879070

If it buy-spares shop , that .ie parts shop is located in the uk and states that if it is shipped from the UK and customs duty and taxes can apply. The problem is you do not know whether they will ship the part from the uk or france. Best to avoid them. Nothing whatsoever to do with an post. Just a crappy retailer who can be bothered to make a few changes to their systems

"Orders may be sent from our distribution centre in the UK or France. Certain shipments may incur local customs duties and taxes that will be made payable to your local postal provider. Duties and taxes will vary depending on the delivery destination and the value of your order; unfortunately because these are paid locally we cannot give you a breakdown of possible charges in advance of your order being placed. If you have provided us with a valid email address or phone number you will contacted by your local postal provider to make payment. These duties and taxes are non-refundable."