Do you live in Germany and buy from China, the UK or America? Just don’t forget the duty!

"Import duties are due for every order outside the EU and are made up of three parts. On the one hand, the customs duties, which are only due from an order value of 150 euros. On the other hand, a consumption tax that is incurred for goods such as tobacco or alcohol. Thirdly, import sales tax must be paid. It corresponds to the value added tax of seven or 19 percent. Until July 1 of this year, there was an exemption limit of up to 22 euros, since then it has not been applicable, so that import duties are due from one euro. The competition is changing in favor of the traders in the EU who had to pay VAT for goods under 22 euros, traders from third countries, however, did not.

 

In addition: since July, every parcel from a third country has to be declared at customs. Usually this is done by the courier service. Taxes and duties that are due upon importation into the EU are laid out by the deliverer for the customer and then collected when the package is delivered. This service is not available for free. At Deutsche Post, a flat fee is due. Regardless of the value of the goods, it is currently six euros.

 

There is also the option to save this money and declare your order yourself. To do this, however, the recipient has to go to the customs office, which is often not just around the corner. In addition, you have to register the self-customs clearance with the deliverer, which can lead to delays in the often already long delivery times. "Customs clearance is usually only worthwhile for frequent customers and companies," says André Lenz from the General Customs Directorate. If you want to have a better overview of the costs, you can use the tax calculator or the free “Customs and Post” app from German Customs online and check out the taxes that are incurred for the order.

 

Shipping costs, service fee for the post office and import duties: To what extent is the bargain from third countries such as China and Great Britain still worthwhile? When buying a bicycle from China worth 1000 euros, there would be an additional 209 euros in import sales tax as well as 100 euros for customs duties and six euros for the service fee and, if applicable, shipping costs. Makes a total of at least 1315 euros, so the bike would be a third more expensive than advertised on the Internet. For a cheaper product such as a record from Great Britain for 30 euros, there is an additional 5.70 euros import sales tax and six euros service fee - the record is suddenly more than a third more expensive.

 

The legal situation must also be taken into account. 

 

European consumer law applies to purchases in the EU. These include the 14-day cancellation period or the two-year warranty for defective goods. 

 

If the dealer is located outside of the EU, however, the law prevailing there applies. In the event of damage or cancellation, consumer concerns are "often difficult to enforce," warns the federal government on its website. The biggest problem with this: the consumer is left to his own devices. Neither the German supervisory authorities nor consumer protection can achieve anything in third countries, and there are no sanctions in the event of violations. 

 

German retailers know that in the event of a return, in addition to the purchase price, they also have to reimburse the costs of shipping to the customer. "The Chinese trader may not see this and it will be difficult to convince them," says Oppelt.

 

If the buyer is aware of where he is ordering and how high the total costs are, then it is often worthwhile to make a comparison with the counterpart on the EU market. Often there is a cheaper product with guaranteed consumer rights. So maybe you can really get a bargain on the upcoming days of action like Black Friday. "