READ SUMMARY IN POST 986 - Amazon.uk Post-Brexit

CelticRambler · 02-01-2021 12:14am

SCOOP 64 wrote: »

If i order goods from Northern Ireland no customs/vat added ?

No extra charges added - they're applied when the stock arrives in NI.

SMC92Ian · 02-01-2021 1:12am

guil wrote: »

That Tv is available from powercity for €299

Never use Power City, they are pure trash. Dodgy, refurbished ****e.

joeysoap · 02-01-2021 1:18am

Amazon bought book depository last year. Does anyone know if they will continue selling to Ireland postage and customs charges free? I’m actually missing a book and they are offering a refund but not a replacement. I know it’s the total value of the order the customs use ( not part) but easy to get around - just order each book separately. Preferably on different days or even weeks. But only if they continue to sell to the EU.

harmless · 02-01-2021 1:32am

joeysoap wrote: »

Amazon bought book depository last year. Does anyone know if they will continue selling to Ireland postage and customs charges free? I’m actually missing a book and they are offering a refund but not a replacement. I know it’s the total value of the order the customs use ( not part) but easy to get around - just order each book separately. Preferably on different days or even weeks. But only if they continue to sell to the EU.

It should be fine for now. €22 VAT exemption on imports would cover most books.
From 1 July, 9% VAT would be due on all book imports.

Gregor Samsa · 02-01-2021 1:39am

harmless wrote: »

It should be fine for now. €22 VAT exemption on imports would cover most books.
From 1 July, 9% VAT would be due on all book imports.

Actually, printed books are 0% VAT here (and in the UK).

E-books are 9% here.

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/money_and_tax/tax/duties_and_vat/value_added_tax.html#

9% is a special reduced rate for newspapers and sporting facilities. This also includes e-books and electronically supplied newspapers. [...]

0% (Zero) VAT rating includes all exports, tea, coffee, milk, bread, books, children’s clothes and shoes, [...]

As we're all learning today, VAT is a bit of a midfield

nephster · 02-01-2021 1:57am

Gregor Samsa wrote: »

Actually, printed books are 0% VAT here (and in the UK).

E-books are 9% here.

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/money_and_tax/tax/duties_and_vat/value_added_tax.html#

As we're all learning today, VAT is a bit of a midfield

However, looks like Amazon are applying 13.5% on print books above €22 at the mo - that ain't right, surely? Should be zero-rated?
Example at random: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0008260184/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&psc=1
Cost, 33.16. Checkout with Irish address, 4.48 added.

TheDriver · 02-01-2021 2:24am

I had awful hassle few years ago with kids shoes on Amazon. A particular pair had VAT added to them. I had a long string of emails back and forward to CS along with revenue links that kids shoes are zero vat rated but no one seemed to get it. Eventually got my vat back as a gesture of goodwill rather than it was wrong

Gregor Samsa · 02-01-2021 2:52am

nephster wrote: »

However, looks like Amazon are applying 13.5% on print books above €22 at the mo - that ain't right, surely? Should be zero-rated?
Example at random: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0008260184/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&psc=1
Cost, 33.16. Checkout with Irish address, 4.48 added.

Yes, it seems they are.

On this Help page, they specify that printed Books are 0% VAT in Ireland:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display.html

So something seems amiss.

harmless · 02-01-2021 2:57am

I've just noticed something that will case massive confusion(perhaps it was already discussed here?)

If you order using prime and the item is under €22 you pay no VAT even if it is not sold by Amazon.
If you order from Amazon you pay Irish VAT
If you order from another seller and it is fulfilled by Amazon you pay both UK and Irish VAT on some items but not others.

Many people don't seem to realise if an item is sold by amazon or just fulfilled by them.

Edit: The problem is mostly Chineese sellers but there also a few in the UK. Perhaps it happens with items that are VAT free in the UK but not Ireland?

jimmycrackcorm · 02-01-2021 3:42am

Just ordered a diy item from Amazon that was listed at Â£8.45 and I ended up paying â‚¬7.04 with free prime delivery. sunny uplands of Brexit! It's listing delivery as being in a couple of weeks time but it's actually expect it to arrive sooner.

Not only is Amazon cheaper but the hassle I'd have to go to by driving to DiY shops and the time needed just makes it a no brainier for anything you can wait for that is vat exempt.

gogo · 02-01-2021 4:19am

Same as that, just ordered four items, total £28.16 .. £7.18 import fees, still working out way cheaper then if I had bought here, one item is 1/3 of the price from what I found locally... I was all set to use Amazon.de or I’ve also found the French site good but looks like I’ll be sticking with the uk site if I can . I don’t have prime but still availed of the free shipping as normal also.

Items:
£28.16
Postage & Packing:
£6.00
Total before VAT:
£34.16
Total:
£34.16
Promotion Applied:
-£6.00
Import Fees Deposit
£7.18
Gift Certificates:
-£15.87
Order Total:
£19.47

Oat23 · 02-01-2021 5:39am

nephster wrote: »

From 1 July 2021 import VAT will:
be payable on all goods entering the EU, irrespective of their value
and
always be collected, irrespective of the amount due.

https://www.revenue.ie/en/importing-vehicles-duty-free-allowances/buying-of-goods-online-for-personal-use/buying-goods-from-outside-the-eu.aspx

A little off topic, but I don't see how they are going to enforce this on every package coming in. I order cheap tat from AliExpress all the time and the customs declaration on the front always has a random value. I ordered something for €11.50 a while ago and they put a value of $5/€4 on the front of it. Are revenue seriously saying they'll chase me for €0.84c in VAT?

02-01-2021 8:05am

I noticed tonight that most movies that were available are no longer available in this region.
Amazon refunded Prime for the month. Brexit related.

rock22 · 02-01-2021 9:17am

harmless wrote: »

I've just noticed something that will case massive confusion(perhaps it was already discussed here?)

If you order using prime and the item is under €22 you pay no VAT even if it is not sold by Amazon.
If you order from Amazon you pay Irish VAT
If you order from another seller and it is fulfilled by Amazon you pay both UK and Irish VAT on some items but not others.

Many people don't seem to realise if an item is sold by amazon or just fulfilled by them.

Edit: The problem is mostly Chineese sellers but there also a few in the UK. Perhaps it happens with items that are VAT free in the UK but not Ireland?

The Brexit Agreement only covers UK products , it does not cover products made in third countires, sucj as China, being bought from a UK retailer.

TimHorton · 02-01-2021 9:31am

Just placed 8 different orders for items under £20 , This https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000X2F0GO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 is £19.75 but I paid £16.46 , Thats a worthwhile discount.

Darc19 · 02-01-2021 9:38am

TheDriver wrote: »

I had awful hassle few years ago with kids shoes on Amazon. A particular pair had VAT added to them. I had a long string of emails back and forward to CS along with revenue links that kids shoes are zero vat rated but no one seemed to get it. Eventually got my vat back as a gesture of goodwill rather than it was wrong

Kids shoes/clothing are a minefield of their own.

The shoes have to be under a specific size AND designed to be used exclusively by children under the age of 10.

So simply not worth it for some companies to do declarations.

Previously something like a size 4 pair of converse would have got in as 0% vat

reubenreuben · 02-01-2021 10:03am

When Amazon adds the import duties fee does that mean when the item is delivered no more customs fees/handling are added on by an post or whichever courier is delivering?

Gregor Samsa · 02-01-2021 10:34am

reubenreuben wrote: »

When Amazon adds the import duties fee does that mean when the item is delivered no more customs fees/handling are added on by an post or whichever courier is delivering?

That’s the idea. There’ll be paperwork on the outside of the package to say that all is in order and any VAT has been paid. Obviously there will be times when something goes wrong, and that’s when the hassle will start, but if it goes right, it should be a smooth process.

Aurelian · 02-01-2021 11:36am

Oat23 wrote: »

A little off topic, but I don't see how they are going to enforce this on every package coming in. I order cheap tat from AliExpress all the time and the customs declaration on the front always has a random value. I ordered something for €11.50 a while ago and they put a value of $5/€4 on the front of it. Are revenue seriously saying they'll chase me for €0.84c in VAT?

Customs won't always go along with your random valuation and could re-value it themselves.

flintash · 02-01-2021 12:14pm

Aurelian wrote: »

Customs won't always go along with your random valuation and could re-value it themselves.

i often buy items of value of couple of euros, for example electrical components such as capacitors or connectors. if i get stung by 10 euros anpost handling fee, i wont be buying obviously, if not and customs keeps chasing me for 20 or 40 cent for each parcel, I'll bancrupt them

my logical conclusion would be aliexpress , ebays and the rest of Chinese online sites starts collecting vat on behalf of EU otherwise bussiness is gone for them.

TheDriver · 02-01-2021 12:16pm

Aurelian wrote: »

Customs won't always go along with your random valuation and could re-value it themselves.

Hence why July will see things change.
Amazon and most UK packages won't be fudging anything. If customs sees Amazon boxes, I doubt they'll do anything other than a random check.

Quackster · 02-01-2021 1:02pm

gogo wrote: »

Same as that, just ordered four items, total £28.16 .. £7.18 import fees, still working out way cheaper then if I had bought here, one item is 1/3 of the price from what I found locally... I was all set to use Amazon.de or I’ve also found the French site good but looks like I’ll be sticking with the uk site if I can . I don’t have prime but still availed of the free shipping as normal also.

Items:
£28.16
Postage & Packing:
£6.00
Total before VAT:
£34.16
Total:
£34.16
Promotion Applied:
-£6.00
Import Fees Deposit
£7.18
Gift Certificates:
-£15.87
Order Total:
£19.47

In cases like yours, it'd actually make sense to sign up to Prime for a month (especially if you've yet to make use of a free trial) and then split your order into multiple orders of <€22, thereby saving yourself the £7.18 VAT.

Oat23 · 02-01-2021 1:04pm

Aurelian wrote: »

Customs won't always go along with your random valuation and could re-value it themselves.

It's not my valuation. It's whatever the Chinese seller writes on the customs declaration included on every package from China.

The point I was making is how can it be viable for them to chase everyone for a few cent in VAT for something purchased from Aliexpress? The VAT exemption for goods valued under €22 was brought in to begin with because it was burdensome to search and value every package. What has changed to make it viable to do it now, in 2020, when there are several times more packages coming into the country from outside the EU than there were back when the exemption was introduced?

I don't see it happening unless, as flintash said, the major players like Aliexpress and DHgate start collecting the VAT at the time of ordering.

Quackster · 02-01-2021 1:05pm

Oat23 wrote: »

A little off topic, but I don't see how they are going to enforce this on every package coming in. I order cheap tat from AliExpress all the time and the customs declaration on the front always has a random value. I ordered something for €11.50 a while ago and they put a value of $5/€4 on the front of it. Are revenue seriously saying they'll chase me for €0.84c in VAT?

Marketplaces like AliExpress, eBay, Amazon etc will be required to collect VAT on behalf of all their sellers.

Sheep Shagger · 02-01-2021 1:26pm

An Post have a full page advert in todays Irish Times....you'd assume Amazon is one of their partners given outside Dublin they still deliver for them.

el Fenomeno · 02-01-2021 1:53pm

Is VAT applicable to the shipping costs also?

ie. value of product is €15, shipping is additional €15.

Will I be paying 21% of €15 or 21% of €30?

Thanks

joeysoap · 02-01-2021 1:54pm

€30.

joeysoap · 02-01-2021 1:55pm

Deleted

el Fenomeno · 02-01-2021 2:08pm

Thanks for confirming.

Looks like An Post have introduced an online link for paying Customs and VAT now. I got an email and text notification this morning with a link to pay VAT due on a US import shipped using AddressPal.

I've used the US AddressPal close to 100 times in the past year and this is the first time I've got this link.

scamalert · 02-01-2021 2:15pm

el Fenomeno wrote: »

Thanks for confirming.

Looks like An Post have introduced an online link for paying Customs and VAT now. I got an email and text notification this morning with a link to pay VAT due on a US import shipped using AddressPal.

I've used the US AddressPal close to 100 times in the past year and this is the first time I've got this link.

is the link just for AP deliveries or general anpost ?

READ SUMMARY IN POST 986 - Amazon.uk Post-Brexit

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