Post-Brexit wine delivery from EU

Charles's justifiably frustrated correspondent reminds us in a salutary manner just how gratuitously offensive this whole business is at its very core, which is a far bigger problem than any regulatory aspect.
I don't read it as philosophically as you do, Tom. I can see that UK leaving EU will cause them financial hardship (especially the Germans, who will have to provide even more support) which would probably outweigh the emotional offense (IMHO)
 
Charles's justifiably frustrated correspondent reminds us in a salutary manner just how gratuitously offensive this whole business is at its very core, which is a far bigger problem than any regulatory aspect.
Having spent a reasonable amount of time reading the relevant pages of the German post and customs websites, it appears that dino0815 was talking complete rubbish - he would simply have had to attach and fill in a label, just like we would...
 
Well I risked a delivery from Cantina Comunale di La Morra, which was apparently dispatched today and will arrive tomorrow via FEDEX. Will wait and see if additional charges are applied. In all honesty, I am not too fussed if they are - my main reasons for the purchase were to get a few bottles now unavailable here (and a couple I haven’t tried) and also give them a bit of support. Although any excessive admin fees will certainly be unwelcome.
 
Having spent a reasonable amount of time reading the relevant pages of the German post and customs websites, it appears that dino0815 was talking complete rubbish - he would simply have had to attach and fill in a label, just like we would...
Almost certainly. I bought a bottle via Ebay from an individual in Germany. He sent it to me without any fuss or bother. Just attached a label. It arrived quickly and I have not been charged for VAT or excise duty.
 
Well I risked a delivery from Cantina Comunale di La Morra, which was apparently dispatched today and will arrive tomorrow via FEDEX. Will wait and see if additional charges are applied. In all honesty, I am not too fussed if they are - my main reasons for the purchase were to get a few bottles now unavailable here (and a couple I haven’t tried) and also give them a bit of support. Although any excessive admin fees will certainly be unwelcome.
Has it arrived?
 
It spend all of Friday at Charles de Gauille airport, coming into Stanstead early Saturday morning. Apparently due for delivery on Monday. I did think less than 18 hours door to door was ambitious!
Arrived this morning - not a bad delivery time overall (Thursday evening to Tuesday morning). Now to see whether I get a nasty invoice in the post for duty & VAT...
 
Now that I've had that explained to me (!) are you saying that being charged VAT twice (Italian and UK) is correct?
Depends on the merchant. Decantalo (for instance) claim back local VAT and pay for the UK VAT and duty prior to delivering it to you, this avoids double VAT. However most small merchants are not set-up to claim back the local VAT so double VAT can become due if HMRC decides to impose it (as they say they will) upon import, of it the delivery company also levies it and pays it on to HMRC. It's luck of the draw if your package gets through without paying UK VAT if it's due.
 
When you say that small merchants are not set-up to do it, you mean that their accounts package can't handle it? So there's money they could rightfully claim, but it's too much bother?
I suspect they will not bother as the local VAT would be included in the price you paid and they'd be unlikely to knock it off and refund you, if they were re-claiming it, as the right thing to do would be to have 2 prices structure - one for EU customers who pay the local VAT and don't get charged additional VAT if they are receiving the wine in another EU country and another price for non-EU customers that doesn't include the local VAT, on the basis that the customer would be charged VAT in their own country of residence.
 
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