Benjamin Gough
Policy Advocate
Check for hidden costs when you order presents from outside the EU. You might be liable for customs duty, excise duty or import VAT on these goods, depending on their value and contents. A handling fee is automatically imposed by postal operators if they pay any duty on your behalf (for example Royal Mail charges £8 for this). You can contact HMRC for more information.
For more information see the HMRC’s guide to goods posted from outside the EU or call their Helpline on 0845 010 9000 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm). Simply put, if you buy goods other than alcohol, tobacco, perfume and toilet water from a country outside the EU then you don’t have to pay excise duty. You will have to pay import VAT on goods with a value that exceeds £18 and you may have to pay customs duty on goods worth more than £135 (but for all goods from outside the EU customs duty is waived if the duty is £9 or under).
