Experience regarding electronically providing VAT numbers

[ricarmic]

Today I received an unclaimed item RTS that was sent to Germany.

I suspect it was unclaimed because it was going to incur the VAT taxes for a second time.

Keeping in mind that I'm a stamps on the parcel kind of guy, I have to use the online customs form.

I had the VAT number in the manual address I tape onto the envelope and the VAT number WAS in the online customs form address (there is no other way to get it in the form there is no field for the VAT in the online customs form).

I suspect the definition of "electronic" address is that it is part of the CP online address label or eBay or PAYPAL etc where I believe there is a field to enter it, unlike the absence of one in the online customs form. I don't expect they'll put a space in the online customs form on the assumption Canada Post don't expect business to use that form and they want to disuade the "stamps on the package" folks from doing so.

I'm simply posting this because it appears to me that regularly if not always my recipients are getting billed taxes despite what I'm doing.

[marnotom!]

If I'm understanding your post correctly, the VAT information has to be input into some sort of database so that the importing country's customs office already has the information at their disposal when the item gets checked through.

[pjcdn2005]

 I have the impression that the VAT number has to be entered electronically for the EU which is why some buyers are being charged twice. I'm assuming that you haven't had all of your EU packages returned though which puts  a bit of a hole in my theory.  Since you mail your items at the post office without an online label have you asked your post office about why there isn't a line on the online customs form and/or if there is a way to enter it there?  

There is still the odd post on the .com boards from buyers in the EU who have had to pay twice and I don't understand why this whole process hasn't been fixed by now.

[msau4301]

I have a regular buyer from Italy who has told me she always gets charged the taxes again when item arrives. I buy my labels on line and have indicate VAT # but it hasn't made any difference at all.

She is accepting of this and says it's not just packages from me, she said every item she receives anything from an international destination she has to pay taxes on it (whether she already has online or not). She just pays it to get the item(s) and anticipates this extra cost. It is for this reason I no longer ship internationally (except for her!) since I would think most people would be far from understanding (and very upset). 

Also since your item went to Germany, if I recall correctly, there is only a few days until their new Packaging Act takes affect (and sellers must register) in order to sell there, I don't think this would be the case for your package this early, though I would imagine they have extra eyes in place getting ready for it!

[pjcdn2005]

Since that particular buyer has that happen with other sellers too, you might want to let them know that ebay has said they will pay back the extra tax paid to the buyer although I don't know how easy that process is or if it works.

[ricarmic]

My perhaps incorrect understanding would be that the PO will not have the intention to put the VAT number field on the online customs form because they prefer us to move to the CP or other online labels, where I believe there are already fields to populate that - I don't know because I don't use any online labels (so far). So if that's correct, there's nothing to "fix".

Stamps on the parcel folks like me cost the PO system more in po staff time handling the parcels etc. (They do perhaps forget that the stamp collecting folks provide extra revenue for them but that's another story for another time).

I do suspect that my customers aren't complaining because they appreciate the stamps on the parcels and they get the tax somehow reimbursed or just live with it.

It is interesting to know that it is happening with the real online labels too.

[msau4301]

Thank you! I will pass this on to her!

[zee-chan]

For my most recent sale, I printed the eBay invoice that says "VAT PAID" and taped that onto the exterior of the envelope... not sure if it helped, I know my buyer received it but I didn't ask if she got dinged VAT twice. I bought my label with Snap Ship and inputted the VAT code in there as well. 

[tuckhouse2021]

HI-I too recently sent a parcel to Sweden and I am also a stamps on the package person and the customs forms were completed online. I put the fancy taxes paid number in the address on the online customs form and the physical address on the package also with the number about halfway through the address-Just as it appears on the form. I mailed it at the post office. I had put a printed out copy of the online customs form in the package also. My buyer was also charged double tax. Despite showing an ebay invoice with the tax info and the copy I had printed and kept and then electorincally sent to her when there was a dispute, the customs office in Sweden said she had to pay again as they had no electronic form. I don't know what I could do differently. I did everthing correctly also and think I have lost one of my best customers as this is the second time this happened. 

[ricarmic]

@tuckhouse2021  My thoughts are that the online customs form really isn't meant for businesses, the PO is expecting or trying to send us in the direction of using the online shipping labels.

The reason for this is simple, us stamps on the box kind of folks are more expensive in the process. It takes more PO staff intervention, there's the possibility of mis/re-use of stamps etc (although I bet there are counterfeit labels to some degree as well).

Because of this I don't think we're going to see a field show up on the online customs form.

I would be most pleased if it did show up on the form.

However at the current rate I'm losing european countries to the likes of the "pollution licensing" stuff, it will be moot for the most part for me anyway, I'm viewing this as my somehow finding a way to "retire" a bit, my customer base is naturally declining this way. I've already lost a couple good German customers and will lose more as more European countries implement similar processes.