New Customs duty to take place from July 1

Revenue has advised people who shop online to be aware of changes to Customs rules for goods valued at €150 or less purchased from outside the EU, which includes Great Britain.

The changes will take place in all EU Member States from July 1, resulting in many products becoming more expensive, and will also affect returns.

Essentially, this now means that a new Customs duty of €3 on each item will apply to goods bought online from non-EU countries, including Great Britain.

An important point to note is that this duty applies to each item in the package, so if the package includes three distinct items, a total of €9 in Customs Duty plus VAT will be due.

The Customs Duty will either be charged at checkout or upon delivery. For delivery, this will be the case when websites don’t collect the charge at checkout. An Post, or the courier delivering the item, will require you to pay the duty.

For returning goods, Customs Duty is non-refundable, unless the goods are faulty. Although VAT refunds may be possible, depending on the online suppliers.

Head of Revenue’s National Customs Policies and Procedures explained: “Our goal is to ensure consumers are fully informed about these changes before the new rules take effect.

“We want to help people avoid unexpected costs and make informed decisions when shopping online.

“We urge everyone who shops online to take a moment to check where their goods are coming from before they buy so that they know if there is duty to be paid before the goods are delivered.”