As of July 1, 2021, the previous duty-free limit of 22 euros for goods orders from non-EU countries has been lifted. This means that consumers must now also pay import VAT for smaller orders of goods from non-EU countries, and customs duties if the value of the goods exceeds 150 euros.
Depending on the goods, import turnover tax amounts to 7 or 19 percent of the value of the goods and is levied directly by the delivery service or customs. Customs charges may also apply, depending on the type of goods and whether they are subject to certain property rights.
The consumer advice center therefore recommends that before making a purchase from a non-EU country, you always check carefully what additional costs you can expect in order to avoid unpleasant surprises during delivery. This may mean that it is not worth making a particular purchase in another EU country in order to save costs. For example, the price of a cell phone case can quickly double when purchased outside the EU, as the consumer center illustrates with an example. A cell phone cover with a purchase price of 7 euros can actually cost 14.33 euros because of the import sales tax and the service fee of the parcel service.
For more information:
https://www.verbraucherzentrale.de/aktuelle-meldungen/digitale-welt/onlinehandel/ecommerce-ab-juli-keine-zollfreigrenze-fuer-kaeufe-aus-nichteulaendern-62109
and customs at:
https://www.zoll.de/DE/Privatpersonen/Postsendungen-Internetbestellungen/Sendungen-aus-einem-Nicht-EU-Staat/Zoll-und-Steuern/Fragen-Antworten/fragen-antworten.html
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Online-Bestellungen aus Drittstaaten landen häufig beim Zoll. Foto: tünews INTERNATIONAL / Oula Mahfouz.
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