What products will be charged VAT tax?
You always pay VAT on the products, however depending on its value, you'll settle this with either Shapeways at checkout or UPS upon delivery.
With the UK no longer being part of the EU, VAT is no longer applied at the point of sale for orders exceeding a certain threshold, in this case, £135. Instead, customers are responsible for paying VAT, as well as any other duties or taxes, upon importation of the goods into the UK.
For orders below the threshold of £135, VAT is still applied at the point of sale by Shapeways. Customers will see the VAT included in the total price they pay during checkout. This ensures a smooth transaction process, with taxes and duties settled upfront by the customer, without any additional fees upon importation into the UK.
How will import duties be charged on orders from Shapeways?
On orders with a total value (product+service+shipping) of 135GBP or under, no import duties will apply. On orders above 135GBP the logistics carriers will collect any import duties.
What materials are the most likely to get flagged for additional taxation?
Import duties vary per product and can range from 0% to 6% depending on the purchased material.
Do we have the charges that the logistics carriers will be charging additionally to assist with customs clearance?
A 2.5% or 11.50 GBP minimum disbursement fee (AKA brokerage fee) will be charged. In case the customer has a VAT deferment account a Border Entry Fee - GBP 5.62 will be charged instead of the Disbursement Fee.
Any other charges?
When a customer does not pay the due charges (VAT, Import Duties, Disbursement) within 3 business days, a Storage Fee of 13 GBP per day/per package will be added to the carrier invoice.
What happens if both Shapeways and British Customs charges me for the VAT tax?
Our systems should cover these cases, but if this situation arises, please contact Shapeways customer service.
If I am not able to pay the VAT tax will my item be returned? Will I receive a refund?
Yes, your item will be returned to sender and you will not receive a refund from Shapeways.
Why is the price different on the product page versus the checkout screen?
Product pages are currently not showing any VAT if you have UK selected as the shipping country.
Due to Brexit we've had to make changes to the way we process orders.
Since we don't know on the product page what the total amount of your order is, we only apply the 20% VAT when you enter the cart if the total of the order is below this threshold.
Above 135 Pound Sterling we are not applying 20% VAT, in which case you're seen as the importer and will be required to pay import duties to the carrier.