# Duty on Postal Items



## Mattskii (Oct 28, 2009)

I know this has been discussed before, but I am confused.

Do you have to pay import on anything from outside the EU, regardless of price, or description of the goods? 

I ordered a shower head from Asia, it has been stopped at customs. A €70 shower head! Really?!?!? It will likely cost me another €70 just to drive to Lisbon and collect it, with tolls and petrol prices!! 

This is stupid!


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## JohnBoy (Oct 25, 2009)

Certainly not everything gets stopped Matt as mentioned in the previous discussion where I spoke of a small pack of batteries that came straight through. I have no idea how they determine what makes it past the Customs without stopping. It is certainly not declared value though. The friend that I mentioned previously had a customs declaration sticker on the outside of his parcel that clearly stated the contents were a toy valued at $6 rather than the true value of $60. That was held up for around 3 months.

What I don't understand is why you have to travel to Lisbon to collect your package. Surely once the extortionate bill for duty and IVA has been paid, the package is released from Customs to continue through the normal delivery process. That has always been my experience anyway.


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## Mattskii (Oct 28, 2009)

JohnBoy said:


> Certainly not everything gets stopped Matt as mentioned in the previous discussion where I spoke of a small pack of batteries that came straight through. I have no idea how they determine what makes it past the Customs without stopping. It is certainly not declared value though. The friend that I mentioned previously had a customs declaration sticker on the outside of his parcel that clearly stated the contents were a toy valued at $6 rather than the true value of $60. That was held up for around 3 months.
> 
> What I don't understand is why you have to travel to Lisbon to collect your package. Surely once the extortionate bill for duty and IVA has been paid, the package is released from Customs to continue through the normal delivery process. That has always been my experience anyway.


I thought you had to go there to pay and collect? That is what I did last time. 

Is it possible to pay some other way then?


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## JohnBoy (Oct 25, 2009)

As I understand it Matt, they bill you for the charge and you can pay that like most other bills either online or through an ATM. Their bill should show an "Entidade" (identity number of the business), "Refèrencia" (reference number) and "Montante" (amount). These are the only pieces of info that you need to pay any bill online or at an ATM.

If you need anymore help drop me a PM with your mobile number and I'll give you a call. About time we played catch up anyway!

Colin


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## Mattskii (Oct 28, 2009)

Hmmm,

They didn't send me a bill. Just a notification that my article is held at customs. It says I have to bring ID and Original bill of sales with description and value to their office in Lisbon. 

Was the same last time. They worked out what was owed once I arrived with the details.

(Yes, should catch up soon!)


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## Mattskii (Oct 28, 2009)

Interesting:

Under Observations it says "descricao detalhada da mercadoria n de valor dos portes de envio" Which google tells me means "Detailed description of the value of n merchandise delivery" whatever that means!?!

It doesn't say I owe them anything, just that it is held by customs. 

I wonder if there is a customs label problem or value problem or something?


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## JohnBoy (Oct 25, 2009)

The actual translation is more or less, "You have to provide a detailed description of the goods and value."

Are you able to scan that document to me Matt?


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

FWIW, I have to import car spares from the US occasionally and pretty much always get hit with ultra ridiculous taxes but the postman or courier always delivers to the door and collects the taxes on delivery.


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## JohnBoy (Oct 25, 2009)

TM, am I correct in thinking that you can email your invoice to Customs. Then they notify you of the charge?


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## JohnBoy (Oct 25, 2009)

I've just found this online Matt. Duty is not charged on goods with a value of less than €150. IVA is not charged on goods with a value less than €22.

Source :Import duty & taxes when importing into Portugal - DutyCalculator Help Center


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

Johnboy

I've always just paid whatever they've told me to pay and have never been asked to provide an invoice or other proof of payment....... Most of the items I've imported have been considerably more than the €150 or €22 you mention and in every case, they've charged me taxes/IVA not only on the cost of the item but also on the cost of post AND packaging. 

Not uncommon for the total taxes to be more than the cost of the item.


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## Mattskii (Oct 28, 2009)

This is all very odd.

I had a delivery from Australia and the same thing happened. They stopped it and wrote to me telling me it can be collected from this place in Lisbon. I had to take my ID and the Invoice etc. Same with this item.

I wonder why there is a difference? Or if it has just changed recently - when was your last delivery TM? 

There is nothing on this letter about value, or even having to pay anything, just that it is stopped by customs.

I will scan it and send it to you an email John-boy!


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

Matt

Last delivery was about 3 or 4 weeks ago and IIRC, valued at about US$200. I can't remember the tax but thing it was about the same again. 

The good news is the delivery meant the old Jeep is now back on the road.


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## Mattskii (Oct 28, 2009)

travelling-man said:


> Matt
> 
> Last delivery was about 3 or 4 weeks ago and IIRC, valued at about US$200. I can't remember the tax but thing it was about the same again.
> 
> The good news is the delivery meant the old Jeep is now back on the road.


Good news about the Jeep! 

I wonder why our goods are treated differently? Could it be a US thing? Different agreements?


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

Mattskii said:


> Good news about the Jeep!
> 
> I wonder why our goods are treated differently? Could it be a US thing? Different agreements?


Ja, I'm delighted to have the old girl back on the road........ and you won't miss if you see or hear it coming. 

Mate, I've no idea why I get one kind of treatment and you get another........ but guess that's Portuguese bureaucracy for you!


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## JohnBoy (Oct 25, 2009)

Could the difference be the method of posting. Any packages via a courier coming direct to the house and those via the normal postal system being the ones getting trapped in Lisbon.

Somewhere on another forum there is an interesting thread about this very problem. I just need to remember which forum!


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