EU VAT & Duty guide

How much will I pay for the products I want to receive?

When you purchase from our website for export and then import those into the EU (or any other Non – UK Country/State), the final cost of your products can be calculated as:

  • Item Price (UK VAT Free)
    +
  • Shipping charges (if applicable)
    +
  • Customs administration fee (variable from 0, but typically around £5)
    +
  • Duty (variable based on the commodity code, Country of Origin and the destination.)
    +
  • VAT (charged at your local Country VAT rate.)

VAT Free prices for Export retail customers

When we export products outside of the UK the UK VAT amount is not due, therefore the price does not include UK VAT and only reflects the price of the goods alone.

Additional Charges for Exports/Imports

When goods pass from the UK to other countries as imports, then the local government will apply their own tax rates to those items. There are two main tax types to be considered: Duty and VAT. Additional administration charges may also be added by carriers for handling customs entry. The total cost of VAT and duty will be collected by freight carriers before delivery

EU Duty rates – a quick approximate guide:

For the majority of the Genetic products that we currently supply, the typical EU Duty charge for most items is around 5%. A few exceptions do exist (such as clothing at 12%), so if in doubt, please check before purchasing.

Duty and VAT in more detail:

Duty (Import Tax)

Customs duty is a Customs import tax charged extra upon the product value by Customs on import. The amount of duty charged is variable dependent on the combined effects of two main issues:

  1. The ‘Commodity Code’ (HS Code = 8-10 digits).
    (Each type of product is assigned an Internationally recognised code – the HS code).
  2. The Country of Origin of the product (COO code = 2 letters – e.g. GB or DE etc).
    (COO indicates the place where the product is recognised as being ‘Made’).

Note: The HS Code and the COO of each product is shown in our website order basket for your easy reference to check the duty payable.

EU Duty Rates

You can find the duty rates applicable to a product upon import to the EU by checking both the product’s commodity code (HS Code) and country of origin (COO) here

VAT (Sales Tax)

VAT = Value Added Tax.
This is the local (country) government tax that is added to the price of products that are purchased by retail consumers. Rates vary country to country. VAT is added on imports into a country by Customs.

EU VAT Rates

VAT rates will be charged at your local VAT rates, which vary between EU Countries.

Business to Business

For business to business transactions between the UK and an EU member states, companies are required to use their EORI numbers for Customs reporting.

Note: Northern Ireland has a special status and requires both parties to use XI-EORI numbers for Customs and government reporting.

Detailed Invoice descriptions, HS codes, COO codes and product weights are also required for Customs reporting on each product line shipped.

If in doubt, please check before purchasing.