posting parcel to portugal

CatW1

I want to send a parcel to my daughter in Portugal and it contains some jewellery, which is hers but she wants to sell it, and there are several items and other things e.g she forgot to take her toothbrush charger.  Will I or she have to pay tax on any of this - the guidance on gov.uk doesn't really help

unforeseen

Surely you need to look at what Portugal says about tax on incoming goods, not the UK. 

CatW1

Yes but it is really not clear and the gov.uk site is useless unless you are a business.  Having done more research ti seems you pay 23% on everything you send whether its old, new , a gift or a business export. 

martindow

23% is the Portuguese VAT tax rate which will normally be chargeable on the value of the goods.  Whether them being hers already makes any difference I don't know.

Maybe you could talk to a few parcel companies to find out what the charges would be including their customs clearance fee. 

It might be simpler if you could sell the jewellery on her behalf and it will probably be cheaper for her to buy a charger for the toothbrush there so she doesn't have import costs to deal with.

CatW1

Yes selling here might be an option - the problem with the charger is that the shops are all closed and she is in a very small town.  I've researched amazon and it is cheaper to buy her a new charger and get it send there, than pay the postage and the tax.  Such a shame as this is not sustainable living when you have  buy new when its not needed.  The parcel companies direct you to the gov.uk site and there is little help there as that just directs you to the royal mail page!

Savvy_Sue

Neither gov.uk nor Royal Mail can be expected to provide accurate information about what happens 'at the other end'.

But at least when she comes to visit you she can leave her charger in Portugal!

martindow

Savvy_Sue said:

Neither gov.uk nor Royal Mail can be expected to provide accurate information about what happens 'at the other end'.

But at least when she comes to visit you she can leave her charger in Portugal!

My suggestion to talk to carriers was more related to their charge for customs clearance.  Royal Mail is a different case because the Portuguese PO presumably will deal with that, but a company like UPS or Fedex should be able to provide the fees they would charge in the destination country.

Thrugelmir

A used toothbrush etc is going to have no commercial value. Declare the package as a gift - notional £5 value. 

With regards to the jewellery. It's catch 22.  If you insure the goods against loss then the package value will be visible to Portuguese customs. 

Agents are duty bound to levy the applicable import taxes and act as collection agents for the Government of the recipient country. 

martindow

Thrugelmir said:

A used toothbrush etc is going to have no commercial value. Declare the package as a gift - notional £5 value. 

With regards to the jewellery. It's catch 22.  If you insure the goods against loss then the package value will be visible to Portuguese customs. 

Agents are duty bound to levy the applicable import taxes and act as collection agents for the Government of the recipient country. 

That's a good idea Thrugelmir regarding the charger's value.  This will work up to July 1st when the exemption for low value items (presently around 20 Euros) comes to an end.  From then, like here now, everything will be liable for import charges.