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View Full Version : Other What is the import/customs duty charged on goods ordered from the U.K?



Tdm
13-10-2013, 12:03
Can anyone clarify the position (the rules if any) with regards whether or not you get charged Duty for goods ordered in the U.K. and delivered to Tenerife.

Sometimes relatively small packages are delivered free and sometimes attract a Customs/Import charge and it does not seem to matter what the goods are.

1) Recent examples include a package sent by Royal Mail containing some small non-electrical
goods that was delivered free by Correos.
2) A similar sized package sent by TNT that did have some electrical parts in it that attracted a
Customs charge almost as much as the item itself.
3) A single book purchased via Amazon came free, but a slightly larger Amazon book package
with 2 paperbacks in it was charged Import Duty (these came from the US).

Is weight or content a factor, or are imported goods selected at random as to which ones will be charged extra for and which not?. Most of the goods I refer to are items not available in Tenerife.

LosRoques
13-10-2013, 12:10
This one's been covered a few times but:

The law is that anything coming in is subject to the applicable taxes for the item being delivered.

The reality is that stuff coming in via the post office does not always get processed for customs as Correos simply can't process it all and chances are what you're being sent will get to you without a fee. Even if you do get charged, there's a fixed processing fee of around 12-13€.

However, the local agents for delivery companies (DHL/TNT/FedEx/whoever) always process items through customs as then they can charge a processing fee (I've seen these as low as 15€ and as high as 55€) on top of the customs fees. Note that the processing fee is fixed and bears no relation to the customs fee. You might pay 2.30€ customs to the government and 45€ processing to the company delivering to you.

My advice - always have items sent via the postal service unless there really is no other option. We never use companies that use courier services.

P.S. quick tip - amazon super saver will always get processed by customs whereas their normal postal service rarely does.

Tdm
13-10-2013, 15:41
Thanks for that quick reply LosRoques - I got stung for €66.19 on the TNT delivery on goods costing £69 + a £32.20 normal delivery charge.
I will try and ensure items are sent by the Post Office in future, but some Companies limit the weight you can send through the normal post,
and insist on a courier service for other deliveries.

LosRoques
13-10-2013, 16:50
Yup - that's when we get visiting friends to bring things in their suitcases ;-)

essexeddie
13-10-2013, 18:12
Its the same in the UK, we ordered some curtains from the USA they came in two separate packs one was charged duty but the other wasn't??

JaBBa
15-05-2014, 17:26
Just the info ive been looking for, thanks LosRoques

essexeddie
13-06-2014, 17:15
Since my last posting I received a bill for the tax :(

Tdm
13-06-2014, 22:29
Since my last posting I received a bill for the tax :(

Well someone in authority must be monitoring this thread. My latest order from the U.K. simply hasn't turned at all.

golf birdie
14-06-2014, 17:31
Well someone in authority must be monitoring this thread. My latest order from the U.K. simply hasn't turned at all.

mine has been sat in customs for over a week and not one person has made contact with me. Remind me, what century are we in?

JaBBa
17-06-2014, 16:08
Ive learnt not to use spainish customs, they have you off....