The Minister for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, Robert Troy has today issued a reminder to Irish consumers about the new arrangements now in place for online retail under the recently concluded Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and the UK.

The Minister said that Irish consumers should be aware that:
• Only goods of proven UK origin are tariff free
• Goods bought from the UK but not of UK origin that cost more than €150 may be subject to customs duty
• Irish VAT will apply on goods bought in the UK that cost more than €22
• Where UK VAT has been charged on the purchase of goods, Irish VAT will still apply when the good(s) is imported into Ireland.
• If an Irish consumer is charged UK VAT, a refund of such VAT should be sought by the consumer from the supplier.

Speaking this week, Minister Troy said, "The main concerns for consumers are the possibility of additional costs, by way of VAT and Customs charges that may apply depending on the value and origin of the goods in question.  Some online retailers are alerting consumers to these charges and some are including these additional charges in their final price. Consumers though need to check out each retailer’s policies and also whether there may be additional charges from the delivery company in respect of fee collection, for example."

Source: www.businessworld.ie