Post-Brexit Shipping (EU<->UK): What's the situation for customers and traders?

[Andrew66]

I’m noticing a lack of info from online traders regarding there new dealings with EU customers , Warlord and perry seem on the ball but no notifications from others , is this due to lack of clarity on the procedures or will UK manufacturers be looking inward only , what is your experience?

[v_lazy_dragon]

Frontrank and a few others have put a hold on shipping to the EU whilst they resolve this.

 I think it's less the manufacturers looking inward and more the fact that the trade deal was established literally just before Christmas, when many traders had already closed, and the UK is trying to deal with rapid shifts in Tier restrictions and a new national lockdown due to the COVID variant. From what I have heard, there is basically no guidance from the UK government regarding what the deal means for many small companies, so they will be trying to work it out whilst also trying to work out if they are even allowed to be open, and in what capacity that 'opening' might be.
Give them a couple of weeks to sort things out ;-)

[Andrew66]

I guessed it was more lack of information from governments part , it’s unfortunate that some businesses will suffer , I suspect that people in Europe like myself will eventually take the extra costs as part of having a hobby  and just suck it up 😞 or I’ll start fishing instead

[Antonio J Carrasco]

Lack of info, I guess. In theory, with the deal as it is there are no customs between the UK and EU, but do they get to collect VAT? Or not? What is the paperwork necessary to send out of the UK? And the lockdown I guess is not helping either. Hope this will be short it out soon and trade goes back to normal. In the meanwhile, I am saving money for later.

PS: I asked Eureka UK (I need to order some Austrian Hussars for the Revolutionary Wars) but not answer from them yet.

[Antonio J Carrasco]

Frontrank and a few others have put a hold on shipping to the EU whilst they resolve this.

 I think it's less the manufacturers looking inward and more the fact that the trade deal was established literally just before Christmas, when many traders had already closed, and the UK is trying to deal with rapid shifts in Tier restrictions and a new national lockdown due to the COVID variant. From what I have heard, there is basically no guidance from the UK government regarding what the deal means for many small companies, so they will be trying to work it out whilst also trying to work out if they are even allowed to be open, and in what capacity that 'opening' might be.
Give them a couple of weeks to sort things out ;-)

Be safe over there! This bugger is a nasty bastard.

[Andrew66]

As it stands , if a company in uk is vat registered and I order from uk there are 2 options , a retailer can charge zero vat on a product , and I get the figures for 20%  less , when it’s delivered to Ireland if the value is above 22euro, I will pay irish vat and customs ranging from 12€ to 40€ depending on the method of delivery. The alternate is that the company charges the relative vat at source and does the paperwork to go with it ,this should result in a frictionless delivery from retailer to buyer. What in no circumstances should happen is that company that is VAT registered charges the uk vat and then when delivered to the buyer he is also charged the vat of their respective country , I know all this sounds so complicated but if uk figure manufacturers want to keep its European customer base happy it really does need to be sorted out

[black hat miniatures]

As it stands , if a company in uk is vat registered and I order from uk there are 2 options , a retailer can charge zero vat on a product , and I get the figures for 20%  less , when it’s delivered to Ireland if the value is above 22euro, I will pay irish vat and customs ranging from 12€ to 40€ depending on the method of delivery. The alternate is that the company charges the relative vat at source and does the paperwork to go with it ,this should result in a frictionless delivery from retailer to buyer. What in no circumstances should happen is that company that is VAT registered charges the uk vat and then when delivered to the buyer he is also charged the vat of their respective country , I know all this sounds so complicated but if uk figure manufacturers want to keep its European customer base happy it really does need to be sorted out

Your second option only comes into existence on July 1st when the EU implements to VAT OSS policy that the UK implemented on January 1st.

A majority of UK small figure manufacturer are not VAT registered as the threshold is £85k and thus can't deduct VAT so EU customer are going to have to pay import VAT on their figures...

Mike

[Citizen Sade]

I’m noticing a lack of info from online traders regarding there new dealings with EU customers ...

I’d be interested to hear the thoughts of companies in the EU about supplying post-Brexit U.K. too.

Will the game not be worth the candle as we’re hearing from some other sectors?

[Andrew66]

The truth is , we will get used to it , but individuals like myself will have a smaller budget to spend on figures from the UK , I just worry that the impact on some UK manufacturers will be very negative.

[Fighting15s]

What in no circumstances should happen is that company that is VAT registered charges the uk vat and then when delivered to the buyer he is also charged the vat of their respective country

Actually, this is entirely possible. To deduct VAT, a VAT-registered business must obtain proof of export (e.g. proof of posting). If they’re not prepared to do that, by either queuing at a post office or paying for a mail collection service that gives such a proof, then they are still allowed to charge VAT to non-U.K. customers providing they also declare that VAT to HMRC. That, in turn, will lead to VAT again being charged on import.

In response to your original post, a number of VAT-registered wargames businesses, mine included, have made clear announcements on what is happening with EU orders. And in general that is we’re deducting VAT and customers in the EU can expect to pay VAT on import plus a handling charge, just like their fortunate fellow Europeans in Norway and Switzerland have for years.

When it becomes possible to register for the IOSS system that comes into force on 1 July 2021, the date on which the 22 euro low value exemption threshold for VAT ends, a number of us VAT-registered businesses will be looking at signing up so that EU customers don’t get saddled with handling charges and VAT is once again only charged at the point of sale. However, whether we adopt that system will depend on the work involved: slapping on a CN22 and letting the customer bear import costs is much easier than registering for VAT in one EU country and then keeping records of sales for each of the 27 member countries.

[Fighting15s]

Lack of info, I guess. In theory, with the deal as it is there are no customs between the UK and EU, but do they get to collect VAT? Or not? What is the paperwork necessary to send out of the UK? And the lockdown I guess is not helping either. Hope this will be short it out soon and trade goes back to normal. In the meanwhile, I am saving money for later.

PS: I asked Eureka UK (I need to order some Austrian Hussars for the Revolutionary Wars) but not answer from them yet.

Hi Antonio! Don’t confuse tariffs with VAT. The obsession in the media and from politicians about tariffs has been about the extra duties that different categories of goods attract, e.g. cheese, plus third-country status. VAT is due on import regardless of goods being tariff free, depending on the VAT rate for the goods, e.g. standard, reduced or zero. So wargames figures may be tariff free thanks to the last-minute trade agreement, but will still attract standard-rate VAT.

Be patient with Eureka U.K. - Nick and Donna probably have a lot on their hands. My decision to eventually stop being Eureka’s agent was taken as soon as the referendum result was known in 2016 because I thought that Brexit would lead to an unbearable workload for a one-man business dealing with a customer base that was 40% in the EU, knowing also that a new VAT regime was coming in. I took a couple of years to run down my stock liabilities before handing in my notice. One advantage of the drawn-out Brexit process is that I had plenty of time to withdraw. The new VAT regime and Brexit were also key reasons in dropping Oddzial Osmy: the hassle wasn’t going to be worth the volume of business.

Do I plan ahead? Yes, yes I do. 

Best, Ian

[Fighting15s]

I’d be interested to hear the thoughts of companies in the EU about supplying post-Brexit U.K. too.

Will the game not be worth the candle as we’re hearing from some other sectors?

Oh, that’s quite clear. They are up in arms about the new export requirements to send goods to the U.K., even though the new rules are those that the EU is itself bringing in on 1 July, and would have brought into force on 1 January as well except they have been delayed because of the pandemic. The U.K. could not delay the changes because of the Brexit deadline. So expect in July to hear howls from the rest of the world about sending goods to the EU, and to learn that ROW businesses have decided to stop supplying the EU.

See  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55530721

[duc de limbourg]

As far as i understand it from the Dutch taxdepartment, when ordering from UK there is no Dutch VAT when ordering under € 22,- , I have to pay VAT when ordering between € 22 and € 150 and have to pay also customs when ordering over € 150,-. Notice that the ordering amount is inclusive of insurance, postage/freight and the VAT is calculated on the goods+insurance+postage/freight+customs.

And of course you have to pay the organisation who does the importcalculation.

I thought that Eureka UK deducts the UK VAT already

[Wellington]

The pain for me is not a rise in prise because of Brexit, but the fact that I have to go to the "local" customs office and pay the vat (aka Einfuhrumsatzsteuer) to get my stuff. In Germany most customs offices were moved from the city centers to the outback in the last 24 years. For me its a one hour travel one way by public transport to get my stuff.

Its now much more convinient to order via an German trader than direct from the UK producer.

[Duncan McDane]

This sucks. Shipping costs alone are sky-high already. A once a year shopping spree in the UK might be a better option than receiving multiple packets every month...
Will see how it turns out but I'm not optimistic about this. VAT & Customs ( and high shpping ) are the reason why I quit eBaying a long time ago and only seldom order from the USA anymore ( EU-resident ). Never thought the UK would go the same way.