Import Advice

When you buy an item on the internet from a country other than where you live, the item must be "imported" to you from that country. When the price includes shipping and handling, remember that they are paying to package and send you the item from their country to your address. But when the item arrives in your country the customs service, a government agency of your country, may charge you a customs fee on the item, depending on the amount of import duties and VAT and the amount of the item(s). If shipping is free, you better order twice the product to avoid a customs fee.

Most countries will levy import tax on purchases, but not all purchases will be eligible for import duty.

For instance, customs duty is not payable on goods that are bought between EU countries.

Import and VAT duties vary greatly, you can expect to pay on value about:

A full list of rates per country can be found here: www.dutycalculator.com/new-import-duty-and-tax-calculation

These fees will have to be paid when the item is delivered or received at the post office. The seller has no control over this so remember it is up to you to anticipate these charges. We make sure you purchase your online item from a buyer with a good reputation for international shipping, and that they will provide you with a tracking number that you can use to track the progress of your item. This is done to ensure that your country receives money for taxation. Most countries have a minimum limit whereby items with a value under that limit are are not taxed. Then custom duties are based on the items category and wether or not your country produces the same products.

Under international postal agreements the sender must complete a customs declaration which in most cases should be affixed to the package. The declaration includes a description of the goods, the value and whether they are gifts or commercial items. Any Post Office abroad should be able to give advice to the sender.

Most goods arriving in the EU from outside the EU are liable to any or all of the following taxes:

* customs duty

* excise duty

* import VAT

and must be paid whether:

* you purchase the goods or receive them as a gift;

* the goods are new or used (including antiques)

* the goods are for your private use or for sale

Goods sent as a gift are not free of import duties and import VAT. However, customs duty will not be collected always, depending on the amount of import duties and VAT and the amount of the gift.

Fast Parcel Operators may charge you for processing your package through Customs. These charges are normally collected together with any duty/taxes on delivery but they are not Customs duties. If you need to know the exact cost of these extra charges in advance, you should contact the seller and ask which carrier they will be using to send your goods. You can then contact the carrier and ask what their charges will be.

Note: When you buy an item online as a gift and you send it to an adress in the same country you purchased it, no extra import duties and taxes will be charged other than the VAT of the country you buy the item (included within the total amount of the purchase).