How to avoid customer paying VAT twice.

[m.ice-tea]

Hi,

I'm selling items on the German ebay site, I just sold an item to Switzerland. eBay charged Swiss VAT on it, the eBay bill shows "USt-IdNr.: CHE454.123.953 Code:Paid". I will be shipping this through UPS. In the past, I've quite often had customers pay VAT a second time when the goods are imported. How do I avoid that?

Thanks!

[riogrande13]

Since eBay started charging VAT directly to Swiss customers for purchases, it has become very tedious. First requirement is that the sender provides required information with the shipment. In my experience, it depends mainly on the carrier (DHL, FedEx, Swiss Post, etc.) whether VAT is charged a second time upon import or not. DHL is very tedious. They simply do not care. Even though the information is available (probably not exactly as they would like it), there is a second charge. And then they still add expenses on top of that. Different experience with Swiss Post. I have received taxable shipments on which the required information was only provided in handwriting. And it worked. It is extremely frustrating for the recipient of the shipments. The recipients then have to deal with all the hassle.

[richard1rst]

I have had that problem in the past also.

So now for any international sale I print out a copy of the packing slip. It shows the sale price of the item, shipping and any taxes paid along with the appropriate tax code receipt number.

THEN I turn the paper over and print on one half of the sheet, in very large letters:

PACKING SLIP

TAX RECEIPT

THEN I use a self stick customs form envelope (available for free from the post office), fold the paper so the tax receipt words are visible and attach it to the outside of the box.

Since I started doing that I have not had a single problem.

Understand that tax and customs workers are bureaucrats. They will do only what that must do and only If they do not have to go looking for the information

[kalyoth]

You may want to see the answers on the ebay directly related to your region/country. The US ebay has no frame of reference to European country tax liabilities for its residents.