How Much VAT/Customs Duties is Payable When Receiving a Parcel in France?

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How Much VAT/Customs Duties is Payable When Receiving a Parcel in France?

If you’re receiving letters or parcels in France from outside the EU – which, of course, now includes the UK post-Brexit – you might find that you are liable to pay customs duties or VAT. Here’s what you need to know.

When are customs duties and VAT payable on parcels sent to France?

When sending an item to France from outside the EU, the sender will need to fill in a customs form at the time of sending, stating the type of goods that are being sent and the value of the goods. Parcels marked as a “gift” with a value of under €45 (or equivalent in the local currency) should not incur additional VAT or customs duties on arrival in France.

For letters containing correspondence, invoices, or documents, there should be no customs duties or VAT charged. No customs form is required for such letters.

Commercial items, such as purchases made online, or items over the gift threshold, will be subject to customs duties and French VAT.

How much will you have to pay?

If you’ve purchased items from overseas or are receiving a gift valued over €45, you should expect to have to pay additional customs duties and VAT when receiving the item in France. Typically these fees will be charged to the recipient prior to the item being delivered and the item will be held until they have been paid in full.

Note that the previous rule, which allowed a VAT exemption on low-value goods (up to €20) purchased outside the EU, has now been abolished, meaning you will now be liable for French VAT on all commercial items.

Costs vary depending on the item and value, but typically this will be a minimum of 20% in French VAT and potential customs duties of between 0-22%. You can find out more about the costs here.

What happens if I’ve been incorrectly charged VAT/customs duties on a gift?

There have been several reports over the last year of French residents being incorrectly charged VAT and customs fees for items sent as a gift that falls under the tax-free threshold. If this happens to you, the best way to deal with it is to challenge the fee directly before paying it – point out the error and indicate that the parcel has been clearly marked as a gift under the value of €45.

However, in some circumstances, this may not be possible, and you may find yourself forced to pay the VAT/customs charges to avoid the item being returned to the sender. In this case, insist upon receiving a receipt for the charges paid (you can do this by entering the details here or getting the postman/woman to do so) and keep hold of the packaging, including the customs form where it is marked as a gift. To claim back the fees, contact La Poste via their helpline on 3631 or via their website contact page here.

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From shopping at the supermarket to sending a parcel at Post Office, finding your local dechetterie to who to call in an emergency—FrenchEntrée is here to help with every aspect of day-to-day living in France. Read our Essential Reading guides for advice on living in France, visit our Shopping zone or Pets zone, or brush up your language skills with our handy learning French resources.

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Comments

  • Edward  Sawney
    2024-12-15 09:56:04
    Edward Sawney
    Just had to pay €12 douane fora calendar value £10.99. It was not labelled gift and I do not know who sent it. I am pleased to have taken dual nationality in 2010.

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  • ALAN WALTON
    2024-11-17 05:47:12
    ALAN WALTON
    The French bank asked my mother for a copy of her marriage certificate and her late husband’s death certificate in order to deal with her joint account which she had for over 25 years. My mother posted these documents to the bank from the UK. The bank was allegedly asked for a fee by La Poste which they refused to pay and the documents were never returned to my mother. Her monies are now being dealt with by Ciclade on behalf of the French government. I was charged 20 euro’s by La Poste in a similar situation when my mother sent me a copy of the death certificate and I will not use La Poste now (outside of an emergency situation if there can be such a thing). They also did not provide any explanation in French or English as to why these charges were being made and the legal basis of their requests for monies. I realise that La Poste are in the middle but they are facilitating this unfortunate practice.

    REPLY

  •  KANSKA-HATCH Ilana
    2024-10-30 11:35:24
    KANSKA-HATCH Ilana
    I received from the USA an envelope containing documents . On 29 Oct. 2024 I went to claim it from the Hesperides Post Office in Cannes 06400. The clerck would not release the envelope, unless EU 13 was paid, claiming that French Customs demanded the payment. This is the second time that upon receipt of an envelope with documents the French Post Office claimed same. I had the expediteur check the law in the USA and was assured that no such payments should be due. I have a proof of payment and copies of all the necessary documents. Kindly advise how to recover the payment and make the Cannes Hesperides Post Office aware of their unlawful practice. Thank you and kind regards, Ilana KANSKA-HATCH Kindly advise

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  •  Andrew
    2024-06-26 04:15:11
    Andrew
    It seems that claiming back customs duty is a lottery. I received a present from my son at Christmas, went to the post office to pick it up, claimed that it was incorrectly declared on the customs form, and was given the parcel without having to pay the duty. I received a small parcel from my son this week, correctly labelled "gift" "14,94€" and was charged 12€ duty by the facteur. Asked for a Justificatif de Paiement, took that, with the packaging to the post office and was politely told that there was nothing that they could do about it.

    REPLY

  •  Steve Boul
    2024-04-30 05:40:52
    Steve Boul
    My wife and I are going to England to see family and have our 25th wedding anniversary. Our daughter has bought us a gift. When we bring this back into France do we need to declare it and pay customs tax on it. Regards Steve

    REPLY

  •  Graham White
    2024-01-27 12:21:08
    Graham White
    Bought an item in the UK which cost £8 + £10 to ship but was then charged an additional €12! when it arrived. How does that work??? I have tried to calculate it but cannot get it to that figure. I dislike buying stuff from China but it never costs me this much.

    REPLY

  • Tony Casey
    2023-12-29 11:31:24
    Tony Casey
    I was charged 9 euro import duty on receipt of a Christmas card from the UK! I only paid it because I didn't know what was in the envelope - it was just marked "Documents" on the Customs Declaration sticker. Surely this is ridiculous? Can I claim this back? It's really a matter of principle, rather than the money itself.

    REPLY