La Poste takes about 9 euros.
I thought the gift allowance disappeared 2 or 3 ywars ago and now there’s no free allowance for gifts.
There are 2 main ways of processing VAT/Duty incoming to us.
Method 1
Amazon sends DDP, or DPP I forget what it’s called, which is the gold standard. Basically Amazon takes off UK Vat when sending as it’s an export. Then they land it sonewhere in Europe often Belgium or Germany.. Then Amazon paya tbe Belguum or Germany VAT. Wirh VAT paid in an EU country then there’s no VAT to pay when it is moved to another EU country eg France.
Because Duty (mostly n/a) and VAT have bern prepaid there us no need for La Poste or other courier to do any tax processing. So their admin charges eg 9 euros (La Poste) to 22 euros (DHL) aee not triggered.
As most EU VAT rates are close enough to the UK VAT that was taken off the only extra you’ll pay over UK cost is usually a very moderate shipping charge.
None of this is complicated but sadly there seems to be a lot of incompetence or unwillingness to make the effort about and so not many sellers do it. But if Amazon ships it they do it correctly as above.
Method 2 - the half-intelligent but lazy way.
If you have a vendor that has made the tiny bit of effort to investigate VAT free exporting available for sales to consumers then they’ll take the UK VAT off as it’s an export when shippjng to you.
Lakeland does this and so do a nimber of others.
Sadly though unless they want to organise themselves better at the EU landing end so they also pre-take from you the vat/duty payable where it first lands in the EU, eg Belgium, Germany etc, then at that incoming EU location the transporter must pay the local tax. Then as it wasn’t prepaid to tnem an admin charge is then walloped on when you get tne item ie 9-22 euros. Usually that’s rotally disproportionate to the ahip cost and often far too much considering the vslue of many small gifts now taxed.
Method 3 Don’t Go Here but it’s sheer laziness, tell a vendor off if they do this. Or also your gift sender is getting clobbered
Item purchased paying VAT.
Shipped not duty/tax prepaid.
VAT paid again on cost of item and techncally; also on cost of shipping, at firat landing point in EU at their local rates. So VAT paid twice needlessly.
Monster admin charge 9 - 22 eueos min. And increasing, also charged to you for handling or whatever, witbout which they won’t hand you the parcel.
Welcome to tne world of desperate Western governments taxing everything as their economies are running out of productivity to support their populations.
And welcome fo tbe world of toll charges where every greasy pair of hands something passes through adds their own ‘tax’ for doing not a lot. Like the highwaymen charged road tolls fo pass at certain points before motorway folls were even invented.
