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Buying on the Internet within the EU

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When buying goods in another EU country you can rule out customs duty entirely. Remember, however, that there are some exceptions.

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The Faroe Islands, Greenland, the Canaries (Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro and Fuerteventura), The British Channel Islands (Alderney, Guernsey and Jersey) and the Aland Islands do not belong to the EU customs area and are therefore treated as non EU-countries.

What determines whether customs duty is to be charged on a product is the place from where it was sent. It may therefore be a good idea to ask the seller about this unless it is clearly stated on the website.

However, you still have to pay VAT within the EU. Normally you will pay VAT direct to the seller and at the rate applicable in the seller’s home country.

If, however, the seller is registered for VAT purposes in Denmark he will charge Danish VAT at the rate of 25% and the Danish excise duty, if any. A trader who is resident in another EU country, must, for example, be registered in Denmark for VAT purposes if, in the preceding calendar year, he has sold goods for more than DKK 280,000 kroner to Denmark.

The VAT will usually be included in the total price and it is normally the seller who is to collect it.

If you buy spirits, wine, beer, tobacco or mineral oils over the Internet it is the seller who must pay Danish VAT and excise duty. If, however, it appears from the seller’s advertising or other information that the price of the advertised goods is exclusive of VAT and excise duty, you must report the purchase to the taxation authorities, SKAT, yourself before the seller ships the goods, and you must provide security for the excise duties.

The same applies if you arrange for the dispatch or collection (by a road carrier or acquaintance) of the above goods from the seller.

If you buy other goods subject to excise duty than the above ones you must always report the purchase to SKAT before the goods are shipped and pay Danish excise duty if the value of the goods exclusive of excise duty exceeds DKK 80.

Excise duty is levied on, among other things, alcoholic beverages, mineral water, chocolate, cocoa, sweets, liquorice, tobacco including cigarette paper, chewing tobacco and snuff, coffee and tea, nuts, batteries and mineral oil products.

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About European Consumer Centre Denmark

European Consumer Centre Denmark offers free advice for the consumers regarding purchases in other EU-countries.
The centre is funded by the Danish Competition and Consumer Authority and the European Commission.

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