If this is the first time you’ve received a Duty & VAT invoice from us then you may have some questions that you’d like answering before you pay it. This could be an unexpected bill and you may be unsure what it is or how it is calculated.
We hope that the most commonly asked questions listed below will make everything clear but if you have any questions that we haven’t covered, we’ll be happy to help.
The person receiving a shipment is obliged to pay Duty and VAT except where the person sending the shipment has agreed to accept these charges. Private individuals intending to buy goods on the Internet from non-EU countries should be particularly careful. The price advertised on the supplier’s website will not include Irish Duty and VAT and you will be expected to pay this once the shipment arrives into the Republic of Ireland. If you have agreed with the shipper that he will be paying the charges, then the shipper should indicate this on the Invoice or AWB. Otherwise Duty and VAT is charged to a receiver.
This invoice is not for delivery charges. The invoice relates purely to import duties and other applicable government taxes such as VAT that were levied by Customs when your shipment arrived in the country. DHL paid these duties on your behalf in order to comply with Customs regulations and to ensure your goods were delivered without delay.
Retailers (internet or catalogue) will normally include advice about import duties on their shipping information pages. You may wish to check the Terms and Conditions of your purchase.
Unfortunately this is sometimes the case. Products sold by companies outside of the Republic of Ireland may appear cheaper compared to Irish prices because they do not include taxes.
In order for us to raise an invoice we have allocated you a customer number but this is not a formal DHL account and has no shipping facilities. If you already have a DHL account then continue to use this for all shipping.
Under current regulations the cost of delivery is added to the declared value of the product to make the shipment’s “value for Customs”. If the sender has not supplied a shipping value, a value is used that is based on the weight of the shipment as per the Customs scale of charges. This calculation will also include a VAT Value Adjustment which is the cost of transport within the EU borders, liable to VAT only.
There is a facility for the sender to nominate to pay these charges on the shipment documentation. We can usually re-issue the charges to the sender, but we need you to get the sender to confirm to us in writing that this is what is wanted. Alternatively, they can pay the invoice directly.
The Office of the Revenue Commissioners is the primary state body responsible for the assessment and collection of taxes and duties in the Republic of Ireland. For more information visit: www.revenue.ie
The sender/3rd party should indicate on the backup documents they wish to be billed. If they have not done so, we will need you to get their written authorisation to confirm that this is what is wanted – then we will be able to re-issues charges to a sender.
