There are no additional tax charges on sales to the United Kingdom and outside of the EU. The price you see is the price you pay. Any import duties or charges levied in the receiving country will be the responsibility of the customer.
Customers in the EU
Since the UK’s departure from the European Union, the way VAT (Value Added Tax) applies to book sales from the UK to the EU has changed. Here’s a breakdown:
Before Brexit:
- EU customers benefited from the UK’s zero-rating on books. This meant they paid no VAT when buying books from the UK.
After Brexit:
- The situation is now more complex.
- EU customers are generally responsible for paying import VAT at the rate set by their own country.
- This rate varies across EU countries, as shown in the table below.
What does this mean for you (EU customer) buying a book from us in the UK?
- We might have to charge you VAT at checkout, depending on your country’s tax policies.
- VAT will also be due on shipping.
- We will collect and pay the tax and your parcel should not be held up in customs.
- The total cost of the book, including import VAT and handling fees, might be higher than you initially anticipate.
EU rates for books (in many cases these are lower than standard VAT)
Please note that at the time of writing, the following exceptions are VAT exempt, and will not be charged taxes: the island of Heligoland, and Bussingen (Denmark); the Canary Islands, Cueta and Melila (Spain); Mount Athos (Greece); and the Italian waters of Lake Lugano, and Livigno (Italy).
| Country | Rate |
|---|---|
| Austria | 10% |
| Belgium | 6% |
| Bulgaria | 9% |
| Croatia | 5% |
| Cyprus | 3% |
| Czech Republic | 0% |
| Denmark | 25% |
| Estonia | 5% |
| Finland | 13.5% |
| France | 5.5% |
| Germany | 7% |
| Greece | 6% |
| Hungary | 5% |
| Ireland | 0% |
| Italy | 4% |
| Latvia | 5% |
| Lithuania | 5% |
| Luxembourg | 3% |
| Malta | 5% |
| Netherlands | 9% |
| Poland | 5% |
| Portugal | 6% |
| Romania | 11% |
| Slovakia | 5% |
| Slovenia | 5% |
| Spain | 4% |
| Sweden | 6% |
| United Kingdom (UK) | 0% |
Additional Resources:
A basic guide to VAT in the European Union: https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/taxation-1/value-added-tax-vat_en (This website is from the European Commission)
VAT rates in EU countries: https://www.avalara.com/vatlive/en/vat-rates/european-vat-rates.html (This website is from a private company)