Customs Duty on WW1 Medals

[kadman]

Looking for some advice here on possible import duties into Ireland.

I am currently researching my grandfathers history. He served in the great war 1914-1919, was wounded 3 times and awarded 3 medals.
Unfortunately there are no signs of where the medals have ended up, so I have decided to replace them with replicas for something to go with all the records I am currently working on.

The mint that will be making the replacement medals is based in the UK.
So my question for the knowledgeable is, are ww1 war medals exempt from any charges, which I doubt....or what am I looking at cost wise.

Ant assistance would be greatly appreciated.

K.

[CelticRambler]

As they are replicas, made by request, I would imagine they would be deemed to have no inherent historical value and as such would be treated as decorative items and subject to the usual threshold for any commercial vendor (150€) plus VAT @ whatever the going rate is in Ireland plus courrier's handling fee. If you're lucky, the company will be signed up for the EU's VAT system already, they'll collect that at the point of sale and it'll be a simple delivery with no courrier's handling fee.

[Cobham]

this threat of VAT certainly puts me off ordering any thing from UK. Medals often come up for sale ... how about adopting one from some other poor solider whose family have no interest in the medals? So many young boys who would have no direct descendants.

[kadman]

I agree that as they are replicas, its just another modern day medal. I know that, and thats no problem as I want to have his historical record and achievements memorialised with a record of what he did, and how he was decorated , for my sons in the future.
My main problem is not knowing what a typical charge would be on the items. Its not easily found out. I found my grandfathers war record quicker that the location of revenue customs charges on different items.

As for adopting another soldiers medals for whatever reason, would not sit well with me as i feel they would have a personal contact with whatever family remains, whether they think so or not.

[kadman]

Apparently if the item is below 150E then no Irish customs duty is due, but vat is. I suppose it would be classed as Jewellery but not sure. Of ccourse I could fly over and collect them, or a NI address would sort me out. But as the items are low in price it makes very little difference either way, as I think they would be nice to have with his records.

[CelticRambler]

My main problem is not knowing what a typical charge would be on the items. Its not easily found out.

Up to 150€ per parcel, there are no duties, only VAT. Either the vendor sells it to you with EU VAT declared and you pay nothing extra, or they sell it VAT free and you pay Irish VAT on entry (+/- courrier's handling fee).

Over 150€, as the medals would be genuinely made-in-Britain, and acquire all of their re-sale value from the fabrication process, the TCA allows for their import without additional customs fees provided the vendor completes the necessary declarations, including using the correct export/import designation.(see below) Most of the horror stories you'll hear about are due to senders not filling in declarations properly, or because the buyer is buying something of uncertain origin (i.e. not substantially Made-in-GB).

If the mint you're dealing with is sufficiently competent - should be easy enough to find out if they have other EU customers - then in principle you'd only be looking at (cost-of-item + transport) x Irish standard rate VAT + courrier's handling fee. From what I've read, An Post are the cheapest of a generally dodgy lot, so if you have the choice, get the vendor to send them by regular Royal Mail/Post Office services.

The commodity code you'd be using is 7118100000, zero-rated for import from GB (source)

[kadman]

Good man CR, you are a mine of information

[Del.Monte]

I did consider throwing in my tuppence worth but knew somebody else would do better!

My most recent experience in getting a painting, won at auction in Northern Ireland, delivered to Enniscorthy was a marathon. Two couriers were involved and my painting was delivered to a random stranger in Castleknock, and the frame broken in transit, while her goods were delivered to me. Fortunately she had the gumption to ring me to say that she had received my painting and made arrangements to have friends deliver it to me. In the meantime the courier delivered her package to me and I took it in as agreed with her to prevent the courier losing it or worse. Both packages were clearly addressed to their rightful owners but some bright spark had taken it upon himself to cross out the clear instructions - including addresses, phone numbers and a note to knock loudly - and re-address the consignments....Two months on and I've just received a cheque to repay the courier charges.

If you were able to understand all that you will see why I refrained from offering any advice.

[JayZeus]

A cheque?

Did they seriously send you a cheque?

If someone sent me a cheque I’d want shove it in their mouth and rub their neck to make them swallow it, before forcing them to make a bank transfer to me under threat of my feeding them a pair of my well-worn underpants if they refused.

It’s TWENTY twenty three, not NINETEEN twenty three, FFS.

[CelticRambler]

Good man CR, you are a mine of information

Sitting bored out of my mind, surrounded by out-of-work former miners, along the former WW1 front-line and not far from the Anglo-French Brexit border ... can't help soaking up at least some useful trivia.

[Del.Monte]

A cheque?

Did they seriously send you a cheque?

If someone sent me a cheque I’d want shove it in their mouth and rub their neck to make them swallow it, before forcing them to make a bank transfer to me under threat of my feeding them a pair of my well-worn underpants if they refused.

It’s TWENTY twenty three, not NINETEEN twenty three, FFS.

They tried a bank transfer - they say - but it came back. Sure, it will be alright when the cheque clears my account in 2+ weeks time!

[kadman]

I just checked on An Post here

https://www.anpost.com/Commerce/SME/Int ... odity-code

And it tells me medals come under a jewellery classification.
https://www.anpost.com/Commerce/SME/Int ... odity-code

And europa tax classification tells me the classification for duty means the medals are 0%
https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/d ... 02-02-2023

Happy days, unless some customs muppet thinks otherwise.
At least now I have the details that should be on the customs declaration, which may minimise the hassle.

[kadman]

Just found out the company I intend to use in the UK charges zero vat, and lets you sort it all when you get a request for the vat amount in Ireland.

I suppose the best I can do is make sure the proper Tarif code is on the customs declaration that An Post expects to see there, and deal with it then..

[nlgbbbblth]

Just found out the company I intend to use in the UK charges zero vat, and lets you sort it all when you get a request for the vat amount in Ireland.

I suppose the best I can do is make sure the proper Tarif code is on the customs declaration that An Post expects to see there, and deal with it then..

The VAT is the least of your worries.

An Post are rejecting numerous packages due to "FAILED ELECTRONIC CUSTOMS CLEARANCE" so make sure the sender gets everything correct when sending. Otherwise they send it back.

Shipping via Fedex is dearer (handling fee 15 euro vs An Post's 3.50 euro) but you'll actually get the package if you go that route.

Don't like mentioning Boards but they have a thread titled "An Post returning packages from outside the EU" and it's got close on 2,000 posts in the last 18 months (all this crap started 01/07/2021) so it's not just me.

[kadman]

I have been advised by the company of the Taric code they use for the medals shipping to ireland, and it appears to be the correct one. I have been offered the choice of parcelforce or dpd courier, but not really sure which is the better option.

[kadman]

I suppose I could use these, it seems that it may fit the bill

https://www.parcelcollectiondepot.com/our-services

[CelticRambler]

Don't like mentioning Boards but they have a thread titled "An Post returning packages from outside the EU" and it's got close on 2,000 posts in the last 18 months (all this crap started 01/07/2021) so it's not just me.

No, it's not just you, but the date is very very relevant: it's Brexit, and stubborn refusal of both sellers and buyers to accept that GB is now a "third country" and things are not like they were before.

Now, if you are an Irish customer buying in GB, you are the importer and 100% responsible for making sure that all the import documentation is correct. If you're buying from a seller in GB who's had their head in the sand for the last seven years and believed all the tripe about how leaving the EU wouldn't change anything, then it's even more important that you take charge of the import process.

In other words, doing exactly what kadman is doing. All the relevant declarations are available on-line; what's usually missing (see An Post's recently widely circulated interview on the subject) is the correct tarif code and even more necessary from this year, certificates of origin for every constituent part of the consignment.

If kadman's supplier is already clued-in enough to know that they should sell at zero vat, then chances are they have someone intelligent enough to fill in the import declaration correctly.

[KHD]

Tariff codes is very important if shipping via AnPost as CR has pointed out. Most shipping companies clearing the goods on entry will, if the tariff code is missing, either contact the receiver or input a general code that roughly represents the goods being imported. An Post however won't go to this trouble and they just return it to the sender, which is frustrating as I ordered a load of parts some time ago for my 20 year old strimner and the shipper had no tarrif codes listed on the invoice as they were only getting used to exporting to a non EU country. Which meant I had to get a new Strimmer as I couldn't find the parts I needed anywhere else.

[kadman]

No, it's not just you, but the date is very very relevant: it's Brexit, and stubborn refusal of both sellers and buyers to accept that GB is now a "third country" and things are not like they were before.

Now, if you are an Irish customer buying in GB, you are the importer and 100% responsible for making sure that all the import documentation is correct. If you're buying from a seller in GB who's had their head in the sand for the last seven years and believed all the tripe about how leaving the EU wouldn't change anything, then it's even more important that you take charge of the import process.

In other words, doing exactly what kadman is doing. All the relevant declarations are available on-line; what's usually missing (see An Post's recently widely circulated interview on the subject) is the correct tarif code and even more necessary from this year, certificates of origin for every constituent part of the consignment.

If kadman's supplier is already clued-in enough to know that they should sell at zero vat, then chances are they have someone intelligent enough to fill in the import declaration correctly.

Funnily enough even though the medals have a Tariff code of their own, the display box that they are in, is an entirely seperate code which they informed me yesterday that they also put on the declaration cert. So sounds like they are up to speed anyway.

I know from vintage car parts that there are thousands of returned packages that people here wont pay the vat on, probably in a field somewhere. Might be an interesting storage place to browse

[CelticRambler]

Funnily enough even though the medals have a Tariff code of their own, the display box that they are in, is an entirely seperate code which they informed me yesterday that they also put on the declaration cert. So sounds like they are up to speed anyway.

This is one of those things that non-professional importers/exporters struggle to get their heads around. It was all brushed off in the early Brexit days with "oh, we used to get on fine before there was ever an EU" and besides, sure it's only across the water ..."

Bah, non, as we say in France. Things were not that simple back then (ask anyone who tried to move a truck load of personal possessions to France in the 70s) - it was that we simply didn't buy as much stuff from anywhere other than our nearest stockist, so the question of tarifs, trade agreements, added value, rules of origin didn't arise for most of us older folk; and the young'uns have never known life outside the EU.

Certificates/proof of origin will be the next thing to catch people out, because from some time this year it's not enough to just say "made in England" on the label, you have to be able to prove that whatever it is was made in England with a formal certificate (valid for 12 months). And that for every component that makes up the item or package that you're sending.

(Tangent: I was impressed to find that an engine I received from China last year had three different certificates of origin and certificates of conformity included in the paperwork, issued by authorities in Ireland, Germany and Austria for the main engine block, the fuel pump and carburettor, and one other bit, can't remember which. The Chinese know how to live within the rules. )

[kadman]

Its no wonder shitloads of stuff is being sent back with incorrect or missing Taric codes on the parcels.
I have just had an e mail from a substantial medal supplier in the UK who informs me they use Royal Mail and just put "Medal" and nothing else on the declaration form. I asked him about the proof of origin cert to prove they were made in the UK....and I suspect he is looking into his computer with "a rabbit in the headlamps glare".

Its sort of putting me off now spending 100's of euros and not knowing if its a lottery type gamble that I may, or may not get them. Grrrhh..
I am looking at medal makers based in europe now and see how that goes.

I received another suppliers e mail this morning, who doesn't have an online shop, but will cobble together a parcel for me.....AAAAAAhhhhh.....
God only knows what that would be. I could get a hit man and 3 tons of coke quicker from the dark web

[CelticRambler]

Of course you always have the option of scooting over to England in your best blazer, pinning the medals to your chest and walking them home yourself.

Maybe hang on till the 11th November for maximum funny looks.

[kadman]

Just checked Royal Mail website to see what codes they are using for customs declaration to Ireland.

Recent Royal Mail Cyber Attack affecting services...............NOOOOoooooooo........
Aww I give upp..

[nlgbbbblth]

Just checked Royal Mail website to see what codes they are using for customs declaration to Ireland.

Recent Royal Mail Cyber Attack affecting services...............NOOOOoooooooo........
Aww I give upp..

They started shipping again in last few days.

[nlgbbbblth]

No, it's not just you, but the date is very very relevant: it's Brexit, and stubborn refusal of both sellers and buyers to accept that GB is now a "third country" and things are not like they were before.

Now, if you are an Irish customer buying in GB, you are the importer and 100% responsible for making sure that all the import documentation is correct. If you're buying from a seller in GB who's had their head in the sand for the last seven years and believed all the tripe about how leaving the EU wouldn't change anything, then it's even more important that you take charge of the import process.

In other words, doing exactly what kadman is doing. All the relevant declarations are available on-line; what's usually missing (see An Post's recently widely circulated interview on the subject) is the correct tarif code and even more necessary from this year, certificates of origin for every constituent part of the consignment.

If kadman's supplier is already clued-in enough to know that they should sell at zero vat, then chances are they have someone intelligent enough to fill in the import declaration correctly.

I'm not running a business. All I do is buy physical media (BDs, LPs, CDs) from UK sellers. It's not just TARIC codes that they need to get right. I had a CD returned to sender for the (unconfirmed but most likely reason) being that the weight (200g) was not included on the electronic customs declaration. Harsh.

Another interesting experience with An Post was the following:
UK package - cost £200
Was expecting to pay VAT of about €50 plus the handling fee so about €55 all-in. Not an issue once I got the item.
Package rejected - the usual "failed electronic customs clearance". Arrives back with seller. He sends me a photo of the package with the value clearly marked on it along with with TARIC code etc.

I ask seller for refund as An Post won't provide proper explanation why and it's not clear why it was rejected.
He says "Let me try again first. I'll read their website before I send again."

About a week later the item arrives in new packaging. Value marked down to £20 and the word "Gift" written on it. Delivered without an issue.

Meanwhile Japan Post were forced to publish extremely detailed instructions on their page for shipping to Ireland.
In late 2021, most Australian sellers stopped shipping here because of the volume of returned packages.

An Post are blaming all returns on sender, not on failures of their automated rejection process. Unseen by a human, the packet and the evidence in your favour is returned. You can't query it, see what the system scanned, or look at the data as the packet has already gone into the abyss of returns.