Buying things from Europe? - taxes / fees?
Discussion
Didn't really want to start a new thread for what seems a simple / stupid question but couldn't find a sensible place to put the query.
Post Brexit do I now need to pay VAT on goods bought from outside of the UK? Similar to when I used to buy things from the rest of the world, pre-Brexit?
A few examples:
1: New item purchased from Amazon Germany / France / Spain?
2: Preowned item from EU based seller on Ebay?
3: A.N Other retailer based in Europe?
4: Alibaba / Gearbest similar Chinese tat website who happen to ship goods from an EU based warehouse?
5: Is the fee going to be just the VAT on the item or will the courier also slap a handling fee on it like they do when buying things from the US or China direct for example?
Ta
Post Brexit do I now need to pay VAT on goods bought from outside of the UK? Similar to when I used to buy things from the rest of the world, pre-Brexit?
A few examples:
1: New item purchased from Amazon Germany / France / Spain?
2: Preowned item from EU based seller on Ebay?
3: A.N Other retailer based in Europe?
4: Alibaba / Gearbest similar Chinese tat website who happen to ship goods from an EU based warehouse?
5: Is the fee going to be just the VAT on the item or will the courier also slap a handling fee on it like they do when buying things from the US or China direct for example?
Ta
Dan_1981 said:
Didn't really want to start a new thread for what seems a simple / stupid question but couldn't find a sensible place to put the query.
Post Brexit do I now need to pay VAT on goods bought from outside of the UK? Similar to when I used to buy things from the rest of the world, pre-Brexit?
A few examples:
1: New item purchased from Amazon Germany / France / Spain?
2: Preowned item from EU based seller on Ebay?
3: A.N Other retailer based in Europe?
4: Alibaba / Gearbest similar Chinese tat website who happen to ship goods from an EU based warehouse?
5: Is the fee going to be just the VAT on the item or will the courier also slap a handling fee on it like they do when buying things from the US or China direct for example?
Ta
It really depends on what you are purchasing. Different items attract different tariffs, which in turn attract different customs duties. Unfortunately there is no simple straightforward answer at the moment. But hey, blue passports, etc!Post Brexit do I now need to pay VAT on goods bought from outside of the UK? Similar to when I used to buy things from the rest of the world, pre-Brexit?
A few examples:
1: New item purchased from Amazon Germany / France / Spain?
2: Preowned item from EU based seller on Ebay?
3: A.N Other retailer based in Europe?
4: Alibaba / Gearbest similar Chinese tat website who happen to ship goods from an EU based warehouse?
5: Is the fee going to be just the VAT on the item or will the courier also slap a handling fee on it like they do when buying things from the US or China direct for example?
Ta
RedWhiteMonkey said:
It really depends on what you are purchasing. Different items attract different tariffs, which in turn attract different customs duties. Unfortunately there is no simple straightforward answer at the moment. But hey, blue passports, etc!
In the future we are going to look back on the time when we could buy stuff from cheaper sellers on the continent and not pay some duty plus a massive admin fee. It’s the stuff of dreams. Not wanting to start some massive brexit debate, but my OAP parents - few years ago went to Germany and bought a hoofing great German caravan (no, they aren’t travellers). Saved about £8k on Uk price. Then voted brexit.
Thanks. Back on topic: until last year I used to buy a very nice champagne in some quantity direct from the house concerned. This year I did it by courier and absolutely battered my credit card and bought a load in December before brexit, so I’m good for a couple of years. All easy as you like, order it and add delivery of €3/btl.
If I drive there now I can bring back 9 litres (I think?). What happens if I order it and have it shipped? I suspect it’ll be monstrously expensive now.
You won't necessarily pay VAT separately, that seems quite complicated but the UK government expects foreign businesses to register to collect the VAT on their behalf, hence why some now no longer ship to UK, but you will be liable for any customs fees and then handling fees applied by RM / DHL etc on top of that.
As above, we will look back on the days when you could order something cheaper from Germany and have it delivered quickly and at no extra cost, as some sort of golden period I suspect.
As above, we will look back on the days when you could order something cheaper from Germany and have it delivered quickly and at no extra cost, as some sort of golden period I suspect.
Dog Star said:
Not wanting to start some massive brexit debate, but my OAP parents - few years ago went to Germany and bought a hoofing great German caravan (no, they aren’t travellers). Saved about £8k on Uk price. Then voted brexit. Thanks.
I know a couple of people who own holiday properties on the continent and who pre-covid loved to spend large chunks of the year there - These people voted to leave, I mean WTAF? Thanks. Dog Star said:
If I drive there now I can bring back 9 litres (I think?). What happens if I order it and have it shipped? I suspect it’ll be monstrously expensive now.
Alcohol42 litres of beer
18 litres of still wine
4 litres of spirits or 9 litres of sparkling wine, fortified wine or any alcoholic beverage less than 22% ABV
Tobacco
200 cigarettes or
100 cigarillos or
50 cigars or
250g tobacco or
200 sticks of tobacco for heating
or any proportional combination of the above
You can also bring back £390 worth of other goods
https://www.poferries.com/en/brexit/day-trips-to-f...
Did you lot not notice the zero quota zero tariff trade deal done at Christmas, I'm sure it was mentioned on the news?
The only issue is vat, which is knocked off at export then reapplied on import, making no difference.
Unless it's a second hand item, even sold privately, then you have to pay vat on import, but the seller can't knock it off on export because it doesn't include it in the first place. Which is really stupid imo.
As per the second hand car boot sale saucepan and the used Tudor GMT threads.
The only issue is vat, which is knocked off at export then reapplied on import, making no difference.
Unless it's a second hand item, even sold privately, then you have to pay vat on import, but the seller can't knock it off on export because it doesn't include it in the first place. Which is really stupid imo.
As per the second hand car boot sale saucepan and the used Tudor GMT threads.
Dan_1981 said:
1: New item purchased from Amazon Germany / France / Spain?
Amazon have confirmed that there will be no extra costs, other than local vat will be deducted and UK vat will be added. So Germany will cost 1% more, France no difference and Spain will cost 1% less.Vat rates across the EU vary from 17% to 27%, so there may well be more chance of a saving than a loss.
I've had a look to see if prices actually change if one is viewing EU Amazon sites from the UK compared to locally, prices are adjusted at checkout.
Edited by 21st Century Man on Sunday 17th January 09:20
Interesting piece on the BBC this morning on this topic:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55734277
It would appear that the following apply:
Gifts from the EU marked with a value of >£39 could face import VAT @ 20%
Goods costing >£135 custom duties may apply - ranging from 0% to 25% dependent on product.
Costs usually collected by the courier...
Royal Mail charging £8, DHL 2.% of the amount with a minimum fee of £11, TNT have added £4.31 to every fee.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55734277
It would appear that the following apply:
Gifts from the EU marked with a value of >£39 could face import VAT @ 20%
Goods costing >£135 custom duties may apply - ranging from 0% to 25% dependent on product.
Costs usually collected by the courier...
Royal Mail charging £8, DHL 2.% of the amount with a minimum fee of £11, TNT have added £4.31 to every fee.
matrignano said:
I got my car searched at Eurotunnel last week and thought I was in the s
t for having 600 cigarettes with me!
They let me go with the cigs as they apply a bit of a grace period, but clearly things are gonna change for the worse!
What would happen normally, fine / confiscation?t for having 600 cigarettes with me!They let me go with the cigs as they apply a bit of a grace period, but clearly things are gonna change for the worse!
21st Century Man said:
Amazon have confirmed that there will be no extra costs, other than local vat will be deducted and UK vat will be added. So Germany will cost 1% more, France no difference and Spain will cost 1% less.
Vat rates across the EU vary from 17% to 27%, so there may well be more chance of a saving than a loss.
I've had a look to see if prices actually change if one is viewing EU Amazon sites from the UK compared to locally, prices are adjusted at checkout.
Right,so in the case of Mr Champagne man if I order, say, 100 bottles then (if he's geared up for this type of thing) he now knocks off his French 20%, adds UK 20%, there is some paperwork that goes with it to confirm this and then punts it off with a courier (UPS) as usual and I see no difference?Vat rates across the EU vary from 17% to 27%, so there may well be more chance of a saving than a loss.
I've had a look to see if prices actually change if one is viewing EU Amazon sites from the UK compared to locally, prices are adjusted at checkout.
Seems suspiciously easy.
I need to look into this further.
Spare tyre said:
matrignano said:
I got my car searched at Eurotunnel last week and thought I was in the st for having 600 cigarettes with me!
They let me go with the cigs as they apply a bit of a grace period, but clearly things are gonna change for the worse!
What would happen normally, fine / confiscation?t for having 600 cigarettes with me!They let me go with the cigs as they apply a bit of a grace period, but clearly things are gonna change for the worse!
Dog Star said:
Right,so in the case of Mr Champagne man if I order, say, 100 bottles then (if he's geared up for this type of thing) he now knocks off his French 20%, adds UK 20%, there is some paperwork that goes with it to confirm this and then punts it off with a courier (UPS) as usual and I see no difference?
Seems suspiciously easy.
I need to look into this further.
Yes. It's the same as dealing with the Rest of the World. Goods leave a country with no local VAT on them. When they arrive, local VAT is applied. Seems suspiciously easy.
I need to look into this further.
The problem is if Mr Champagne decides he can't be arsed dealing with les rosbifs, your supply will stop. But hopefully another guy will decide it's worth doing.
Dog Star said:
Right,so in the case of Mr Champagne man if I order, say, 100 bottles then (if he's geared up for this type of thing) he now knocks off his French 20%, adds UK 20%, there is some paperwork that goes with it to confirm this and then punts it off with a courier (UPS) as usual and I see no difference?
Seems suspiciously easy.
I need to look into this further.
Of sorts. The responsibility to account for the U.K. VAT part is yours although to avoid widespread evasion the couriers are responsible for its collection Seems suspiciously easy.
I need to look into this further.
RicksAlfas said:
The problem is if Mr Champagne decides he can't be arsed dealing with les rosbifs, your supply will stop
I suspect he will be doing, he's pretty clued up and I believe the UK is the one of the worlds biggest champagne markets.Crikey - it's the biggest; good going considering our size.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/545198/leading...
I've got 84 bottles of his stuff left so I'll let things settle down.
The VAT looks like a non-issue tbh, I thought that there might be some additional massive tax as well, as I cannot quite reconcile what the stuff costs in the UK. Is it really as "simple" as just VAT?
21st Century Man said:
UK is their 2nd biggest market, the US being their 3rd. If they can be arsed shipping to the US, then why not the UK?
Because they are French?
I'm sure they will once all the dust has settled from this. I know some EU based suppliers have stopped shipping to the UK whilst they get their heads round everything, which is fair enough.
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