# Import/customs duties when buying goods online



## Calico

What with the favourable exchange rate I've just ordered a few hundred dollars worth of apparel over the internet - t-shirts & underwear. Now I've just realised that they could be liable for import duties ( & VAT?) 

Does anyone have any experiences of doing what I did - is it likely I will have to pay the market value in Ireland for these goods before they will deliver them?


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## car

Depends on where you bought them from, how theyre shipping them and whats on the packaging.  If its a courier from the states with a docket for new goods attached to the outside of the packaging then you more then likely will pay.   
If its an unmarked box, you may get away with it.


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## Protocol

We got new clothes shipped from a friend in USA in a large box.

The An Post postman requested duty, VAT and an admin fee.

The duty is very little, maybe 3-5%.

The VAT is 21%.

The fee was 5 euro.

The total was 85 euro on maybe 400 USD worth of new clothes.


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## Calico

They're being couriered so I think I will have to pay! It probably would have been better to book a shopping trip to the US. Or are they searching people at customs on the way in?


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## so-crates

From Citizen's Information there are quite restrictive limits. But from the Comptroller and Auditor General's report (as reported in the Irish Times on 26/09/2007) a "blitz" at Dublin Airport didn't catch many people in breach of the limits....


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## Calico

Well, got my goods today - plus a nice customs charge of 50 euros.  God, I love this country!


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## oopsbuddy

car said:


> Depends on where you bought them from, how theyre shipping them and whats on the packaging.  If its a courier from the states with a docket for new goods attached to the outside of the packaging then you more then likely will pay.
> If its an unmarked box, you may get away with it.



Does it matter if the goods are not new? My son recently bought a secondhand Zen on e-Bay from the USA, and muggins here had to fork out about €50 (I think) to the postman when it finally arrived. Can I get it back??


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## Ash

I could be wrong but I think the amount due is calculated on the value of what is in the package and whether it is a gift or merchandise or other.  
In my experience, the lower the value declared on the customs package the better and below something like €25 or so, doesn't attract anything.
I also think it is less likely anything delivered internationally by USMail & An Post will attract additional payment on delivery than deliveries by courier companies. 
Can Calico say what value was declared on the package by the sender and how the addidional payment on delivery was calculated?


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## Megan

My brother buys camera equipment on line from the USA . It is delivered by UPS and has never had to pay taxes or duty. The last thing he bought was a nikon lens which cost approx $900 which arrived on Tuesday and he only ordered it last Thursday. The same lens here is over €1,000.


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## Calico

Ash said:


> Can Calico say what value was declared on the package by the sender and how the addidional payment on delivery was calculated?



Um, the goods (designer underwear!) came to 191euros and the extra charge was 53euros broken into duty of 16 euros, vat 32 euros and post office clearance of 5 euros. 

We pay far too many indirect taxes in this country imo although I _think _what i ended up paying is still a fair bit cheaper than if i bought in brown thomas or elsewhere.....


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## Protocol

Our indirect taxes may be higher than some other countries......


but our income tax and PRSI are much lower.


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## ice

Can I ask a quick questions ?
If I order a cooker from the UK (price about 900 sterling)....will I have to pay customs on this ?

Thanks


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## porterbray

No, there's no duty payable for goods bought in another EU country


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## Yogi

Hi  there

I'm thinking of buying a new watch on line from authenticwatches.com and getting it mailed over here.  To make it worthwhile I would need to avoid VAT, duties, etc.  Anybody have any avoidance (as opposed to evasion  ) advise.  I've head that getting it posted to an address in Northern Ireland might work.

Any views?

Yogi


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## dereko1969

if anything, you're more likely to get hit with duty/tax in the UK. I have found that items coming through the US post office rather than UPS/FEDEX etc are less likely to attract attention, though the stuff i've ordered would be lower value items like dvds i've never been hit with customs/vat.


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## getoffthepot

Yogi said:


> Hi  there
> 
> I'm thinking of buying a new watch on line from authenticwatches.com and getting it mailed over here.  To make it worthwhile I would need to avoid VAT, duties, etc.  Anybody have any avoidance (as opposed to evasion  ) advise.  I've head that getting it posted to an address in Northern Ireland might work.
> 
> Any views?
> 
> Yogi



Northern Ireland doesn't work - been there done that. Whoever rewceives it will have to pay the charges.

best way is to have it delivered to someone in US and have it posted with USPS. marking it as a 'gift' ensuring there is no reference on the box to what is in it. Also insure contents for €40. It will be delivered without charges then.


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## need2budget

Calico said:


> What with the favourable exchange rate I've just ordered a few hundred dollars worth of apparel over the internet - t-shirts & underwear. Now I've just realised that they could be liable for import duties ( & VAT?)
> 
> Does anyone have any experiences of doing what I did - is it likely I will have to pay the market value in Ireland for these goods before they will deliver them?


 
i just bought a watch online from NYC , its being shipped fedex ...
do you rekon i would have to pay anything? also  the watch was $239
what will  i be hit with?


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## susynn

Hi, I've just bought a Samsung 32" LCD tv online from the UK for £400. Delivery to Ireland is £35. Will I have to pay import tax on it?


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## Protocol

Customs duty applies to non-EU imports.


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## Daddy

Just had a delivery from the USA.
goods cost USD 80 = Euro 53 approx
shipping cost USD 60 = Euro 40 approx

Just got a bill for customs with the delivery of € 44

How can I query this ?

I only bought them in the USA because the Santa toys were not to be got in Ireland.

Does one have any redress or can I at least query it ?

Thanks


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## Towger

The €44 should be broken down in your bill. eg (((Goods + P&P) + Duty) + VAT) + (Handling change + VAT) etc = €44.


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## Daddy

Breakdown is:

VAT = 27.30
Other Charges  =13.50
The Vat on other charges @ 21.5% = 2.90

So total is Euro 43.70

How can this be if the goods pre delivery cost me € 53.00 

As i said I would have purchased in Ireland but not to be got here and Santa waas the reason.

Is there anyone I can query this to ?
Thanks


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## truthseeker

Daddy said:


> Just got a bill for customs with the delivery of € 44
> 
> How can I query this ?


 
Surely there is a phone number, email address, street address or something on the bill you received?

I received a letter from them recently wanting me to email on a paypal receipt before they released my goods - I was not over the 22 euro limit so I was not liable for any charges but the email address was:
dmc@revenue.ie 

and I had to quote the parcel number they had assigned to it.


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## Daddy

Thanks.

Rang UPS just now.

The charges are based on the goods USD 80 + the cost to transport the goods USD 60.

I can understand being charged the duties on goods one can get here but to be charged on goods that I could only locate in the USA is a bit rich.

Should have tried to source them maybe in the UK (no duties) and this will never happen me again.


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## Berni

Daddy said:


> How can this be if the goods pre delivery cost me € 53.00


 
The VAT and charges are on the full cost of the goods and the postage combined, not just the goods as you might expect.
Unfortunately that amount sounds about right.


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