How do I know whether an online supplier is outside the EU and subject to VAT and other charges?

This charge really is making me so angry.

Still though even with the import charges its cheaper than buying from an Irish company.

The same order on Amazon.co.uk coming in at €29
 

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I'm finding it hard to figure out where things are actually coming from. I've started using the Amazon.ie site and was going to move my Prime from the UK site, but I'm not sure it's worth it if a lot of the .ie site stock is still being fulfilled from the UK.
 
ClubMan said:
The UK is not the only origin that involves "import charges".
Click to expand...
Agreed but the op was talking about moving from UK to Irl prime, my point is import charges on Irl site will indicate coming from UK more than likely since if you are using UK site already the majority of your produce is probably coming from there.
 
I did a bit of online browsing for an up-coming 3rd birthday. The intended recipient is very advanced in some ways so my gift market included ages up to 5 year olds. The branded product is a firm favourite in various forms and is used extensively to educate a 10-month old sibling! :)

VERY

amazon

Both vendors are clear that there is nothing extra to pay in the line of duties, but only amazon is specific about the quantum of duty levied. Amazon happens to be €4 cheaper for this particular item, €7 if you include VERY's delivery charge, but I do pay €6.99/month for amazon prime membership, signing up for VERY is free.

[EDIT] I did try shopping closer to home but Smyths Toys Ireland do not list that specific product
 
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cork said:
I tried ordering a few CDs on the Amazon UK website, being dispatched from an Amazon EU facility, and a levy was imposed.

I think it is odd that the levy imposed from an EU warehouse to an |EU country.

You can see the EU dispatch facility at checkout
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Amazon UK's default shipping routes operate via the UK and the levy still applies where goods transit a non-EU country.
 
Thats brain-dead. They desperately need to levy for an exception to TRANSITING the UK given so much of our EU trade still comes through that country.
 
Leo said:
Amazon UK's default shipping routes operate via the UK and the levy still applies where goods transit a non-EU country.
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That violates the principals of the customs union.

An Irish buyer should be able to purchase goods from any EU supplier and be exempt from the tax.

If the physical item is stored in the UK, then the tax apples.

If the physical item is stored in an EU country, then it shouldn't. This should be true, even if the good is transferred via (transits) the UK.

Amazon has UK warehouses that EU businesses can store their stuff in. In that case, the item is dispatched from a UK warehouse, so the tax applies. It doesn't matter that the supplier is an EU business. This may change as Amazon takes into account of the new fee.
 
There are already arrangments whereby goods going from Country A, through Country B, to Country C are taxed on arrival in Country C as imports from Country A. The arrangement is called "customs trasit". It's the transport equivalent of the bonded warehouse.

From what's said here, Amazon clearly isn't making use of customs transit when it ships goods from the EU-26 to Ireland. They're "landing" the goods in the UK. Amazon are greedy, but not stupid, so presumably they do this because it offers advantages to them - simplifies their logistics, or whatever.
 
TomEdison said:
From what's said here, Amazon clearly isn't making use of customs transit when it ships goods from the EU-26 to Ireland. They're "landing" the goods in the UK.
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Nope, not at all. That would not be very efficient. Never mind that there are indeed ways to get goods to Ireland without going via the UK.
By and large, the duty only applies if sold by a UK entity ( like the UK branch from Amazon sarl) or some UK based 3rd party seller.
(And of course many other non-EU based 3rd parties).
If buying from Amazon.ie, Amazon tends to give an all-inclusive price, including import duties. (I am sure you can find cases where it doesn’t work perfectly, due to the vast amount of 3rd party sellers)
 
eBay handles it well.

It gives the location of the seller: Located in: Avondale, PA, United States

Most things seem to go through eBay shipping, which charges the Irish VAT and the item is then delivered.
Import fees
Import fees may include duties, taxes and customs processing for international orders.


"Payment options
Prepay at checkout
eBay International Shipping offers the option to prepay import fees at checkout. You won't have to manage customs or pay anything extra after checkout.
Pay on delivery
Customs may apply import fees when your item arrives. If fees apply, customs or the postal courier will contact you for payment."
 
Brendan Burgess said:
It gives the location of the seller: Located in: Avondale, PA, United States
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Does that guarantee that the item comes from that location though? Drop shippers, for example, may be located in one jurisdiction but the goods that they sell may originate from another.
 
LarryScott said:
That violates the principals of the customs union.
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It doesn't really, the customs union covers transactions between EU states, here you are buying from a UK company who are shipping the goods to you from the UK! In this case, the goods are being supplied to Amazon from a third party Marketplace business based in the EU, but that does not mean you are buying from an EU business.
 
TomEdison said:
rom what's said here, Amazon clearly isn't making use of customs transit when it ships goods from the EU-26 to Ireland. They're "landing" the goods in the UK. Amazon are greedy, but not stupid, so presumably they do this because it offers advantages to them - simplifies their logistics, or whatever.
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Yeah, there are administration overheads and costs to the the transit procedure. Amazon are of the scale where they could fully manage this themselves, but most big companies outsource to specialist companies whose charges start at about €40 per declaration.

In reality, when Amazon receive shipments from EU suppliers that go through Amazon fulfilment, the majority of items will be destined for the UK and so the transit process isn't a viable option. You've can't show proof a vehicle's seals haven't been tampered with if someone has to remove some items from a load for example.
 
Leo said:
In reality, when Amazon receive shipments from EU suppliers that go through Amazon fulfilment, the majority of items will be destined for the UK and so the transit process isn't a viable option. You've can't show proof a vehicle's seals haven't been tampered with if someone has to remove some items from a load for example.
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That's the point. To make use of the customs transit procedure, Amazon would have to separate its shipments from the EU-26 to the UK into two streams - those destined for the UK, and those destined for onward shipment to Ireland. And that would be a nuisance, and involve some cost.
 
Leo said:
It doesn't really, the customs union covers transactions between EU states, here you are buying from a UK company who are shipping the goods to you from the UK!
Click to expand...
A UK company which ships from the UK is definitely liable for the tax.

The question was about an EU supplier where the goods are shipped from the EU through the UK to an Irish customer. That is a transit package and so shouldn't be subject to the tax.

If a supplier sends a consignment containing lots of packages from the EU to the UK and then opens the consignment in the UK, then they lose the transit status since the consignment is no longer sealed. If it was 80% UK destinations and 20% Irish, it would have to be opened and so the Irish customers would be charged the tax.

Also, if the warehouse with the item is located in the UK, you still have to pay the tax even if the supplier is physically located in the EU.

It is possible that going forward, Amazon (and other merchants) would look into having Ireland only consignments. This would be a hassle but would allow the transit procedure to be used. It shouldn't matter if the ship the goods directly from the EU to Ireland, or via the UK. As long as it is an Ireland only consignment, it should be fine.
 
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