Magazines

The Cigarette Smoking Man

The price of magazines seems to be going through the roof at the moment. I was in Easons a while back and they were selling one magazine that had two prices on it. It was £3.95 sterling and €7.30. £3.95 is currently worth €6.17....

Meh

€6.17 + 21% VAT = €7.47

Magazines/newspapers don't get charged VAT in the UK, but they do in this country.

Terminator

I think the govt taxes books/magazines so thats why you're seeing further price differences there.

The Cigarette Smoking Man

Originally posted by Meh
€6.17 + 21% VAT = €7.47

Magazines/newspapers don't get charged VAT in the UK, but they do in this country.

Fair point Still €7.47 is a bit much for a magazine...

Kali

not really.. magazines have always been expensive here, just buy the one you'll get the most reading out of and your moneys worth

davros

The VAT rate applicable to magazines is 12.5% (13.5% from January).

So €6.17 ex-VAT works out at €6.94 incl. VAT.

The conversion from Sterling depends on when the shop bought their currency.

If you subscribe to a UK or US publication, you will not pay any VAT. So if you are a regular reader of the magazine, you should look into that.

Culchie

davros wrote:

If you subscribe to a UK or US publication, you will not pay any VAT. So if you are a regular reader of the magazine, you should look into that.

Is this true? ... Where can I find absolute clarification?

ShiverinEskimo

davros wrote:

If you subscribe to a UK or US publication, you will not pay any VAT. So if you are a regular reader of the magazine, you should look into that.

You pay vat on anything purchased inside the EU. and you pay at the rate of that country. If you subscribe to something outside the EU (including european countries) you are exempt from paying VAT.

http://www.expatax.nl/vatrules.htm

The VAT system in the single European market

The single European market became effective from 1 January 1993. From this date onwards, goods, persons, services and capital may move freely within the eu. The transitional arrangements that apply after this date, for which the 1968 Turnover Tax Act of the Netherlands was amended, contain the following main points.

1. Private persons buying goods in another Member State pay vat in the country in which the goods are bought (based on the country of origin principle). Exemption on exports from the Member State and the obligation to pay vat on goods upon arrival in the Netherlands do not apply.

Culchie

Does the same apply for subscriptions to magazines?

Thumper Long

even subscription services usually work out more expensive than actually buying the magazines here, empire for example works out at between €1.50 & €2.00 more expensive per issue if bought directly on an annual subscription from the publishers

Chalk

buy them in reads.
save loads off easons price.

cover price is lower, cant remember by how much, andthey knock 10% more off when you get to the counter

Culchie

Thanks Folks ...I'm trying to find out the actual legal position to the following questions, rather than where to get the best buy in town is.

1. If I am a UK citizen, but purchase a UK magazine (there is no VAT in UK on magazines) through an Irish internet site, am I liable to pay VAT... should the Irish on-line retailer charge me VAT?

2. Are subscriptions of a UK magazines liable to VAT, (the same way as if I bought a UK magazine in an Irish shop is)?

John R

Culchie wrote:

Thanks Folks ...I'm trying to find out the actual legal position to the following questions, rather than where to get the best buy in town is.

1. If I am a UK citizen, but purchase a UK magazine (there is no VAT in UK on magazines) through an Irish internet site, am I liable to pay VAT... should the Irish on-line retailer charge me VAT?

Yes, because you are effectively buying the product in Ireland

Culchie wrote:

2. Are subscriptions of a UK magazines liable to VAT, (the same way as if I bought a UK magazine in an Irish shop is)?

Not if you buy them from a UK supplier, but good luck finding one that doesn't have hugely inflated overseas postage rates.

Gillo

Alternatively, just do what half of Dublin do, read it in the shop and stand in teh way of people who actually want to buy the magazine