Duty/Vat/Tax on Mail Order Wine/Beer from the EU
Discussion
Does anyone on here properly understand the rules about buying beer and wine mail order from within the EU?
As far as I can see the regulations regarding tax stamps and health warnings are only on spirits.
If I buy some beer with local duty and vat paid from Germany or Belgium and have it shipped here, am I liable for any more tax?
As far as I can see the regulations regarding tax stamps and health warnings are only on spirits.
If I buy some beer with local duty and vat paid from Germany or Belgium and have it shipped here, am I liable for any more tax?
User33678888 said:
Does anyone on here properly understand the rules about buying beer and wine mail order from within the EU?
As far as I can see the regulations regarding tax stamps and health warnings are only on spirits.
If I buy some beer with local duty and vat paid from Germany or Belgium and have it shipped here, am I liable for any more tax?
Assuming that the law has not been changed then, yes, you would be liable for excise duty and VAT in the UK.As far as I can see the regulations regarding tax stamps and health warnings are only on spirits.
If I buy some beer with local duty and vat paid from Germany or Belgium and have it shipped here, am I liable for any more tax?
Alcohol and tobacco are only considered to be personally imported if you personally transport them. Hence, booze cruises are OK but mail/internet orders or buying in person and then having them shipped to the UK are not.
EU directive 92/12 article 8 said:
As regards products acquired by private individuals for their own use and transported by them... excise duty shall be charged in the member state in which they are acquired
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6158762.st...I never comment on things like this but the misinformation provided here really annoys me and it seems it has prevented you from ordering something you want.
With all due respect, the information ralphrj is COMPLETELY INCORRECT. He has quoted an EU directive and article that has absolutely no relevance. Furthermore, he has linked a BBC news article which is 9 years old.
You want to pay attention to the HMRC website which details when VAT/excise duty is due on goods purchased from abroad. So, HMRC website clarifies what is due when buying from EU countries and non EU countries.
https://www.gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad/tax-and-...
The above link is CURRENT. Not some 9 year old BBC news article.
Key parts for you:
What about excise duty?
I buy a LOT of beer online from many EU countries including Belgium and Germany. I order from EU countries on average once per month. With the particularly weak euro and for the beers I want, this is a lot cheaper (obviously including postage too).
I hope this helps.
With all due respect, the information ralphrj is COMPLETELY INCORRECT. He has quoted an EU directive and article that has absolutely no relevance. Furthermore, he has linked a BBC news article which is 9 years old.
You want to pay attention to the HMRC website which details when VAT/excise duty is due on goods purchased from abroad. So, HMRC website clarifies what is due when buying from EU countries and non EU countries.
https://www.gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad/tax-and-...
The above link is CURRENT. Not some 9 year old BBC news article.
Key parts for you:
HMRC site said:
VAT
You pay VAT on goods sent from non-European Union (EU) countries and EU special territories (eg the Canary Islands) if they’re:
gifts worth more than £36
other goods worth more than £15
alcohol, tobacco products and fragrances (eg perfume, eau de toilette and cologne) - of any value.
The countries you want to buy from are in the EU so no further VAT payable.. When you place your order online from the Belgian website for example, the total would include the Belgian rate of VAT (21%). Therefore you have paid VAT once within the EU, so you won't pay it again when it comes into the UKYou pay VAT on goods sent from non-European Union (EU) countries and EU special territories (eg the Canary Islands) if they’re:
gifts worth more than £36
other goods worth more than £15
alcohol, tobacco products and fragrances (eg perfume, eau de toilette and cologne) - of any value.
What about excise duty?
HMRC site said:
Excise Duty
If you’re sent alcohol or tobacco from outside the EU, you’ll be charged Excise Duty at current rates.
If it’s sent from the EU, check that the Excise Duty was included in the price. If it’s not, your goods may be seized.
Any beer or other alcohol product for sale on ANY online shop would of course include excise duty. So you've paid excise duty for one country in the EU (for example Belgium), so you won't get charged it again when it comes into the UK.If you’re sent alcohol or tobacco from outside the EU, you’ll be charged Excise Duty at current rates.
If it’s sent from the EU, check that the Excise Duty was included in the price. If it’s not, your goods may be seized.
I buy a LOT of beer online from many EU countries including Belgium and Germany. I order from EU countries on average once per month. With the particularly weak euro and for the beers I want, this is a lot cheaper (obviously including postage too).
I hope this helps.
stuart313 said:
Is it still cheaper from abroad, I did a booze cruise with a mate about 10 years ago and everything was astronomical, we came home with 1 bottle of wine each. It was cheaper to buy from bargain booze when they had an offer on.
It completely depends on what you're buying of course. However, I also do a few beer runs to Belgium every year visiting 2 or 3 beer warehouses each time.I go to:
http://www.vanuxeem.com/vanuxeem/en/6993-presentat...
http://www.dehopduvel.be/
http://www.drankengeers.be/site/
If you drink Carlsberg, this is a waste of time. But if you like decent beer, the savings can be huge (and yes of course I include all overheads such as fuel, ferry etc). Go with 2 or 3 people in the car and it's even better value.
The 3 places I've linked have great selections of beers that are not just cheaper but some you cannot find in the UK.
Danish beers from breweries such as Mikkeler, Amager and To Ol are between £2-£5 per bottle and the exact same beers in the UK would cost double if not triple.
They also carry good American beers from breweries such as Hoppin' Frog, Lost Abbey, Evil Twin and the Bruery. Bruery beers are not available in the UK. I've also picked up Cigar City stuff which is incredibly tricky to find in the UK.
Oh not to mention the huge selections of de Molen too.
And finally the Belgian beers... Well 330ml bottles of Leffe work out at 90p/bottle but it's the other stuff that's really a lot cheaper. Orval for £1.90/bottle, Tripel Karmeliet for £1.50, St Bernardus dubbel, tripel and quadrupels are 1/3 the price of the UK.
2x750ml leffe for £5 in Tesco at the moment and that's only a special offer price. It's ALWAYS about EUR2.5/ 750ml bottle in the warehouses.
Rubin215 said:
Ollie, is there a particular site you use for beers?
I have a taste for quality beer, but resent paying £5 a bottle for it over here.
What particular beers are you looking for? Countries, breweries etc.? This French site is very good IMO:I have a taste for quality beer, but resent paying £5 a bottle for it over here.
https://www.saveur-biere.com/fr/
Stuart, read my post above.
Of course it does make a difference how far away from Dover/Folkestone you live.
I should point out that the main reason is the selection. Nowhere in the UK do you have 500+ different Belgian beers under 1 roof. Nor 200+ Danish beers all reasonably priced.
In any case, it is completely pointless for buying lager as that is cheap anywhere as you have pointed out. I am simply stating it works for good quality Belgian/German/other country beers that are simply not available or more expensive in the UK.
Of course it does make a difference how far away from Dover/Folkestone you live.
I should point out that the main reason is the selection. Nowhere in the UK do you have 500+ different Belgian beers under 1 roof. Nor 200+ Danish beers all reasonably priced.
In any case, it is completely pointless for buying lager as that is cheap anywhere as you have pointed out. I am simply stating it works for good quality Belgian/German/other country beers that are simply not available or more expensive in the UK.
ollie j said:
What particular beers are you looking for? Countries, breweries etc.? This French site is very good IMO:
https://www.saveur-biere.com/fr/
"ollie j" is clueless here. I work directly with HMRC in the UK and the Douane in France. https://www.saveur-biere.com/fr/
"ollie j", due to ignorance or otherwise, is illegally evading UK Excise Duty.
UK Excise Duty has to be paid on all EU alcohol sold and delivered to addresses in the UK. The only exception is when you transport the alcohol personally, say in the boot of your car as you return by the Euro Tunnel and the alcohol is only for your personal consumption.
Saveur Bière specifically has only been paying French Excise Duty and has been effectively smuggling when it sells alcohol products to customer addresses in the UK. The UK resident purchasers are accepting smuggled alcohol with the obvious consequences and risks.
Relevant EU Directive is "2008/118/EC of 16 December 2008".
"It is the responsibility of the seller to pay the Excise Duty due in the Member State where the goods are being sent to."
Note the words " ... due in the Member State where the goods are being sent to." In this case it means UK Excise Duty has to be paid, since the goods are being sent to the UK, which for the foreseeable future is still a Member State.
For your convenience, an up-to-date and very much relevant link:
http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/common/buying...
Illegally avoiding UK Excise Duty harms hard working UK businesses that operate legally, putting UK jobs at risk and encouraging counterfeit products.
"ollie j" comments are slap-dash and ridiculous. He should not be encouraging others to act illegally to buy himself some unfounded comfort.
bbwlch said:
ollie j said:
What particular beers are you looking for? Countries, breweries etc.? This French site is very good IMO:
https://www.saveur-biere.com/fr/
Illegally avoiding UK Excise Duty harms hard working UK businesses that operate legally, putting UK jobs at risk and encouraging counterfeit products. https://www.saveur-biere.com/fr/
"ollie j" comments are slap-dash and ridiculous. He should not be encouraging others to act illegally to buy himself some unfounded comfort.
king debacle.I don't think Ollie j is intentionally trying to encourage illegal activity.
What staggers me is the ridiculous double taxation that goes on, as you have stated; the law may well be the law but it sucks, the purpose of the EU was to simply things and ensure no double taxation - be that VA, Excise, Stamp Duty, or any other taxes. Again the EU has failed us all.
Likes Fast Cars said:
Don't you mean to say: "UK businesses working hard at ripping off people"? It's the bloody rip-off mentality of some businesses which encourages the disgraceful counterfeiters. If the double-charging of Excise didn't happen the prices would be lower - we can thank HMRC for this fking debacle.
I don't think Ollie j is intentionally trying to encourage illegal activity.
What staggers me is the ridiculous double taxation that goes on, as you have stated; the law may well be the law but it sucks, the purpose of the EU was to simply things and ensure no double taxation - be that VA, Excise, Stamp Duty, or any other taxes. Again the EU has failed us all.
Its not the uk businesses doing the ripping off, its the higher taxes and higher operating costs that result in the higher prices you pay here, that isn't the fault of uk business owners thats the fault of the organised criminal gang bbwlch works for.king debacle.I don't think Ollie j is intentionally trying to encourage illegal activity.
What staggers me is the ridiculous double taxation that goes on, as you have stated; the law may well be the law but it sucks, the purpose of the EU was to simply things and ensure no double taxation - be that VA, Excise, Stamp Duty, or any other taxes. Again the EU has failed us all.
bbwlch said:
ollie j said:
What particular beers are you looking for? Countries, breweries etc.? This French site is very good IMO:
https://www.saveur-biere.com/fr/
"ollie j" is clueless here. I work directly with HMRC in the UK and the Douane in France. https://www.saveur-biere.com/fr/
"ollie j", due to ignorance or otherwise, is illegally evading UK Excise Duty.
UK Excise Duty has to be paid on all EU alcohol sold and delivered to addresses in the UK. The only exception is when you transport the alcohol personally, say in the boot of your car as you return by the Euro Tunnel and the alcohol is only for your personal consumption.
Saveur Bière specifically has only been paying French Excise Duty and has been effectively smuggling when it sells alcohol products to customer addresses in the UK. The UK resident purchasers are accepting smuggled alcohol with the obvious consequences and risks.
Relevant EU Directive is "2008/118/EC of 16 December 2008".
"It is the responsibility of the seller to pay the Excise Duty due in the Member State where the goods are being sent to."
Note the words " ... due in the Member State where the goods are being sent to." In this case it means UK Excise Duty has to be paid, since the goods are being sent to the UK, which for the foreseeable future is still a Member State.
For your convenience, an up-to-date and very much relevant link:
http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/common/buying...
Illegally avoiding UK Excise Duty harms hard working UK businesses that operate legally, putting UK jobs at risk and encouraging counterfeit products.
"ollie j" comments are slap-dash and ridiculous. He should not be encouraging others to act illegally to buy himself some unfounded comfort.
Makes a complete mockery of a supposedly free market, but you should be paying UK Excise duty. I don't agree with it, and personally think it is complete bulls
t, but it is what it is.belgianbeerwarehouse.com used to ship to the UK and many other EU states from Belgium. They have now stopped shipping to most including the UK.
Big thumbs up for Drankengeers though. Every time I drive up to the Netherlands to visit a relative I stop in there.
But in Belgium and the Netherlands the beers are far cheaper and a much better selection even in the supermarkets. I picked up Tripel Karmeliet, Chimay, Kwak, Westmalle and St Barnadus in a Jumbo supermarket in the Netherlands, not quite as good as Drankengeers prices, but not bad either.
Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff