A customs officer at Dublin port today told us there was an annuali limit and that if we travelled again later in the year and exceeded the 90 litres cumulatively, our purchases could be seized. How can they say this if it is not correct? Is there a new policy to intimidate travellers with a view to deterring EU purchases? If they did seize the stuff, what can you do?
90 litre wine limit France to Ireland
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Gordon Gekko
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That’s utter nonsense...there is freedom of movement within the EU so if it’s clear that 1,000 litres of wine are for me, it’s fine. The problem is when it’s wooly, but if I can show, for example, that I’ve 300 people for a wedding, I should be grand with 225 bottles / 169 litres of vino.
newirishman
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Nothing is going on, and nobody is bluffing.
You can bring as much booze as you want, however, you might have to pay excise duty for anything in excess of the stated limits. Customs is more than happy to have you bring lorries full of wine on a daily basis and collect excise duty on it. If you don’t want to pay excise duty, the stuff will be seized.
Simple, really.
Edited to say that it is probably still worth doing the trip if you buying fo a wedding or a series of family events. Even if you add the excise duty you probably still save a lot of money compared to buying it in a shop or wholesaler, and you have a bigger selection of course.
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....just as a follow up....
I came back through Dublin Port again recently on a Sunday and while there were Gardaí checking passports, etc., there were no customs officers at all, so I could have brought in loads of wine. One extreme to the other.
Sometimes I wonder, Paddy the Irishman gets a rare break and takes advantage - Great! - We all love a break - Then somebody comes on here and blows the whistle ensuring nobody will get the same break in the future. Furthermore, every drug baron in the country now knows of what day to import their products of misery.
Advice from the Leprous One:- When you get a break, take it and stay quiet.
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I can see it now, :-
"Mick, the lads from Colombia are on their way, with that shipment, it's coming via, Algiers, Morocco, Amsterdam and then the usual way in here."
"Tell them not to bother going half way round the world , sure I read on AAM that we can bring it directly in next Sunday. Now, why didn't we think of that before ?"
"Don't know Mick, thank God for AAM, sure it'll save us a fortune, by the way it's your round".
Incredible stuff.
keving1989
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Any idea what would happen in this situation; a business importing wine from France (would be included in shipment of stock from French supplier) not for resale eg. Christmas presents / gifts to customers. I wonder would this need to be declared to customs beforehand and if excise duties etc are to be paid
As above, personal exemption limits won't apply so excise will be due on the lot. The personal limit only applies to what you are transporting yourself and is for personal use. As this is being shipped by a carrier excise will be charged. The fact that you plan to gift it is irrelevant.
keving1989
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Thanks guys, will probably head up to the North when this minimum unit pricing comes in
If you're just in the market for the cheapest booze, are you not risking the cost of the trip outweighing any savings?
keving1989
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Usually in the North every couple of months so wouldn't be traveling up for the sake of booze alone
If you value your clients, I'd avoid giving them wine that would take the enamel off their teeth.
Remember, mostly only the cheap rubbish alcohol will be affected by this.
Your half decent €15 bottle, basic quality €9 bottle and premium €25+ bottle will not be affected in any way.
The 3.99 bottle of pure rubbish, will.
Similarly on spirits, the €22 Jameson special offer, will still be €22, but the €13 bottle of own brand paint stripper vodka will become €20
Baby boomer
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Yep, great savings available. We have the highest rates of excise duty on wine in the EU and considerably higher than the UK. The contrast for champagne and sparkling wines is particularly stark. Excise duty in Ireland = €8.49 per litre. Over the border in Newry, it's £3.81 per litre. Then add VAT to the differential and you're getting it for fiver a bottle cheaper. Throw in lower retail costs and margins and what costs you €20 per bottle here will often be about £12 in Newry. And that's before you factor in the regular buy 6, get 25% off offers in both Sainsbury's and Tesco.
You will of course miss out on the satisfaction of funding all that wasteful government spending down here. Oh dear.
BTW on the OP about the so-called limit for personal use, does personal use equal personal consumption? I would have thought you're perfectly entitled to bring in stuff as gifts for family or friends, or if you're throwing a party.
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The 90l limit applies as per above. Going back a few years now and before the 90 litre limit was put in writing, the advice on the ferries was personal use would only be accepted for large quantities on production of evidence of a function like a wedding.
Baby boomer
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It's playing their game to even refer to it as a limit. There is no limit under EU law for personal consumption. At best, it's merely a guideline below which personal use won't be challenged. But you're still entitled to bring in more than the so-called limit for your personal use. That's your absolute right as an EU citizen despite the sneaky attempt by the Irish state to give the contrary impression in order to preserve an exorbitant source of tax revenue.
newirishman
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This is incorrect. You can of course bring as much as you want but you might required to pay duties.
Rules for carrying alcohol and tobacco in the EU and leaving and entering the EU - Your Europe
Travelling in the EU with; wine, beer, spirits and other alcoholic drinks, cigars, cigarettes and other tobacco products. Leaving and entering the EU with alcohol and tobacco.
And check also here, where you will see that Ireland is using exactly those limits.
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As above, you're absolutely wrong. Ireland are perfectly entitled to apply excise on all imports, they just waive them below certain limits.
It's also wrong to suggest that the application of excise on accompanied imports is a significant source of revenue.