Post-Brexit wine delivery from EU

Just had an email from idealwine...

I can either a) pay 20% VAT and have them delivered b) they’ll transfer to a bonded UK warehouse for me to pay when I take delivery or c) keep them in France for me to collect when I’d like to.

Rather a sting in the tail on this one...
 
This is what they said, in full....


For orders equal to or above £135 or €150

You have three options:

  1. Proceed with delivery, UK VAT is payable.
Your order will be subject to UK VAT of 20% which you will pay upon receipt of goods.

Unfortunately this charge is now a legal requirement, and there is no way to avoid it (however much we tried to find a way!)

The good news is, your French VAT will be refunded and credited to your iDealwine account. The charge depends on the goods purchased (auction, fixed-price, spirits etc.) but can easily be checked in your original email confirmation of payment, where the breakdown of charges is displayed.



  1. Proceed with delivery under bond, the new “click and collect”
Wines that are ‘under bond’ are those which have not had VAT or Duty paid on them. As such they cannot be delivered for consumption without paying the relevant duty and taxes. You need to have an under bond account before choosing this option, then UK VAT is payable when you pick your wines up from your local under bond warehouse. As above, French VAT will be refunded and credited to your iDealwine account.



  1. Postpone delivery to the UK, pick up in France
If you prefer to postpone delivery and VAT charges, iDealwine is happy to offer wine storage in France, free of charge. This may be suitable for many of our clients who travel regularly to France (Covid-19 permitting) or for returning French residents. Storage facilities are optimal, and wines can be collected with 48 hours’ notice. Offer valid until 31st December 2021. We can also reroute your purchases to another EU country if required.
 
Although if the VAT is always refunded to your Idealwine account rather than in cash, you'll always be floating an amount of credit there won't you?
 
How does it work for auction wine, since I assume quite a lot of wine under auction has the France VAT paid ages ago and possibly cannot be traced?
 
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The issue is that French VAT wasn’t charged on the wine invoices, only on the delivery fee. So, I’ll get £5 of credit on a site I can’t really use any more cos it’s so damned expensive. So it’s just a casual 20% uplift. Ho hum! It better be nice...
 
So the actual wine price on Idealwine doesn't include French VAT? Interesting, but as you say if that's the case there's not much point using the site any more given auction prices usually seem to end up around UK IB - so you are trading additional selection for a higher delivery price and the risk of getting stuck in customs.
 
You're all very dedicated. It seems like far too much bother now, at least until new procedures have been streamlined and had time to bed in.
 
Fixed price too. I wanted to pay for an order prior to Christmas but their system wasn’t 3D secure so my card issuer wouldn’t allow it, then this. I know people have ordered from and received orders from tannico and vinissimus with no extras. After today’s message I’ve said they need to cancel my fixed price purchase as it’s now cheaper to buy it here.

on another note there are places to buy bottles rather than cases of stuff at auction here in the uk you know...
 
It’s been a while since I brought from idealwine, but it seems very odd that there was no French vat payable on the wine, I can’t quite see how that works, I’m not doubting what you’re seeing Russell, just wondering aloud
 
I also have my doubt, not on Russell but on Idealwine about how they do 'fixed price' wine sale. I understand they might source their auction wine from collectors who have paid VAT, but if they put stuffs under fixed price wine ... theoritically they still can, just in that case they can probably only do internationaly sale to countries without VAT such as US.
 
I've ordered a case direct from an Italian producer. She seemed not to know what to expect with charges, but if I pay UK VAT and she reclaims Italian VAT, hopefully she'll somehow get that back to me. Presumably these charges are nothing to do with it being wine - and would be the same even if it were, say, olive oil.
 
Except that there is VAT on olive oil in Italy and none here, though it's only something like 4%. Does anyone know a good supplier of salumi etc who will still send to the UK? there isn't a duty or vat issue though I guess they will be prohibited entirely from April and no one seems keen.
 
Looks like iDealwine run some kind of margin scheme on most of their stuff. They now make it clear in each listing whether or not there is refundable VAT.
 
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