New EU handling fee of €2 per distinct item, Revenue confirms

Revenue is advising online shoppers to be aware of a new EU handling fee of €2 per distinct item, effective November 1 for goods purchased from non-EU countries.

The new charge will apply to all purchases shipped from outside the EU to Ireland or any other EU state, regardless of the package’s value. It is important to note that this includes packages from Great Britain.

This new fee is non-refundable, even if the goods are returned and will also come in addition to the €3 Customs Duty per item, which was introduced in July.

Like the Customs Duty, some online sellers may collect the fee at checkout; otherwise, delivery couriers like An Post will collect it from the customer upon delivery.

Ray Ryan, Principal Officer at Revenue’s Customs Division, said: “This is the second change affecting eCommerce this year. It is important that online shoppers are aware of these changes so that they understand the total cost of their online purchases before making a decision to buy. We want to help people avoid unexpected costs either at checkout or when the goods are delivered to their doorstep.”

One of the main reasons for the introduction is to cover the expanding operational costs that have been incurred by Customs authorities due to a huge growth in low-value eCommerce imports.