Duty bound: Britain’s Brexit woes continue
UK citizens buying online from EU companies have been hit with £100 customs bills.
By Marc Allen, Maritime Direct UK.
Parcel firms have been demanding up-front payment of import duties before they will deliver packages originating in the EU, reports the Guardian.
Boris Johnson’s promise of tariff-free trade has yet to materialise and consumers are finding that items bought from European firms are incurring import duties, VAT, and admin fees. In one instance the newspaper is aware of, a £35 order attracted a £20.59 charge before it would be delivered.
Large online companies such as Amazon collect VAT at the point of purchase on behalf of other retailers, giving them an advantage over smaller companies and the current policy puts many small, specialist online companies in jeopardy.
The government says that European companies supplying goods to UK customers must collect VAT at the point of sale, a policy branded as ludicrous by Assen-based company, Dutch Bike Bits, and the company has now ceased all sales to the UK.
