Foreword

This notice cancels and replaces Notice 143 (May 2016). Details of any changes to the previous version can be found in section 1.2 of this notice.

1. Introduction

1.1 What this notice is about

This notice explains what happens when you import or export goods by post through Royal Mail or Parcelforce Worldwide. It also applies to gifts received through the post. Unless specified otherwise, all further references to Royal Mail within the text of this notice also applies to Parcelforce Worldwide, who are part of Royal Mail Group Ltd.

The arrangements set out in this notice do not apply when a full declaration on a single administrative document (SAD) (form C88) is required. That is for:

• imports of goods with a value exceeding £900 declared to home use and free circulation
• imports of goods for which relief from Customs Duty and Import VAT is being claimed, for example, inward processing relief, outward processing relief and temporary importation
• certain exports including all goods for export with a value exceeding £900

You can find more information on the procedures you should use in Notice 144 Trade imports by post: how to complete customs documents.

The notice is not the law and does not change the law – extracts of which can be found in section 6.

The carriage of dangerous goods in post, including (but not limited to) alcohol and perfume, is regulated by Universal Postal Union rules and Royal Mail Group conditions of carriage. Nothing in this notice should be construed as legitimising movement of any goods by post.

You can find information about exporting or importing by post on the Royal Mail website or by phoning Royal Mail Customer Services on Telephone: 03457 740 740. You can also go to the Parcelforce Worldwide website or phone Parcelforce Worldwide Customer Services on Telephone: 0344 800 4466.

1.2 What’s changed

This latest version has been amended to show the increase in the level for which a formal customs declaration is required from £873 to £900. The Gift Aid allowance remains at £39.

2. Postal packages imported (arriving) from countries outside the UK

2.1 How the sender should declare the goods

Under international postal agreements, the sender must complete a customs declaration (form CN22 or CN23), which will be fixed to the package in most cases. The declaration includes a description of the goods, their value and if they’re gifts or commercial items. Any Post Office abroad should be able to give advice to the sender.

Under customs law, you (as the importer) are legally responsible for the information on the declaration. Therefore, it’s in your own interest to make sure, wherever possible, that the sender abroad completes the declaration accurately and in full.

If no declaration is made, or the information is inaccurate, the package may be delayed while the Border Force make further enquiries, or in some cases the package and its contents may be returned to the sender or seized by the Border Force.

2.2 Paying taxes on goods sent to you

Most goods arriving in the UK are liable to any or all of the following taxes:

• Customs Duty
• Excise Duty
• Import VAT

These taxes must still be paid if:

• you purchase the goods or receive them as a gift
• the goods are new or used (including antiques)
• the goods are for your private use or for re-sale

2.3 Limits for Customs Duty and Import VAT

The limits for Customs Duty and Import VAT are:

• commercial consignments (goods you’ve purchased) of £135 or less are free from Customs Duty and not subject to Import VAT – this does not include alcohol, tobacco products, perfume or toilet waters as these items are excluded from the relief of Customs Duty and VAT at import is payable
• commercial consignments sent to the UK from the Channel Islands do not benefit from any relief of Import VAT
• if you’re sent a gift with a value of £39 or less, which complies with the rules shown in section 2.4, it will be free from Customs Duty and Import VAT (gifts of alcohol and tobacco are subject to the limits shown in section 2.5 and gifts of perfumes and toilet waters are subject to the limits in section 2.6)
• Customs Duty becomes payable if the value of the goods is over £135

In summary:

Goods value	Customs charges applicable
£0.01 to £135	No Customs Duty No Import VAT
£135.01 and greater	Customs Duty due, Import VAT due

There are a number of other circumstances where relief from some or all customs charges may be available. If you think your goods may be eligible for a relief, you can find more information on Imports and exports: general enquiries.

You can also contact HMRC for general advice and information on imports and find more information on GOV.UK.

2.4 Gifts

Goods sent as a gift that are over £39 in value are liable to Import VAT. Customs Duty also becomes payable if the value of the goods is over £135.

To qualify as a gift:

• the customs declaration must be completed correctly
• the gift must be sent from a private person outside the UK to a private person(s) in the UK
• there is no commercial or trade element and the gift has not been paid for either directly or indirectly by anyone in the UK
• the gift is of an occasional nature only, for example, for a birthday or anniversary

2.5 Gifts of alcohol and tobacco products

Gifts of alcohol and tobacco products, with a value not exceeding £39, qualify for relief from import duties and Import VAT, subject to the following limits against each of the goods described below:

(1) Tobacco products	Quantity
cigarettes	50
or
cigarillos (cigars with a maximum weight each of 3 grammes)	25
or
cigars	10
or
smoking tobacco	50 grammes

(2) Alcohol and alcoholic beverages
distilled beverages and spirits of an alcoholic strength exceeding 22% by volume, undenatured ethyl alcohol of 80% by volume and over	1 litre
or
distilled beverages and spirits, and aperitifs with a wine or alcohol base, tafia, saké or similar beverages of an alcoholic strength of 22% by volume or less, sparkling wines and fortified wines	1 litre
or
still wines	2 litres

If gifts of alcohol and tobacco are sent in excess of the quantities shown in the above table, relief from Import Duty will only apply up to the limits shown above, and the consignment will not benefit from any relief of Import VAT.

Relief to the limits in the table above only apply to gifts and do not apply to commercial consignments.

In addition, Excise Duty is payable on all alcohol and tobacco products, even if they are a gift.

Undenatured ethyl alcohol and alcoholic beverages containing more than 24% alcohol by volume (abv) are prohibited in international mail. If you’re in doubt, you can check with the Royal Mail Group before sending.

2.6 Gifts of perfumes and toilet waters

Customs Duty and Excise Duty are not chargeable on gifts of perfumes and toilet waters. However, Import VAT is chargeable if the allowances detailed below are exceeded, or the goods’ value exceeds £39.

Item	Quantity
Perfumes	50 grammes of perfume
Toilet waters	0.25 litres of toilet water

Relief to the limits in the table above only apply to gifts and do not apply to commercial consignments.

Perfumes with a flashpoint of less than 60°C is prohibited in international mail. If you’re in doubt, you can check with the Royal Mail Group before sending.

2.7 Multi-gift packages

Multi-gift packages containing more than one gift and clearly intended for several people, the £39 VAT relief applies to each individual person, provided the goods are:

• individually wrapped
• specifically addressed to them
• declared separately on the customs declaration
• within the allowances specified
• marked with the price for each individual item on the declaration

If more than one individual package is addressed to a particular person, the value of the goods will be added together. If the total value exceeds £39, Import VAT will be charged and, if the value exceeds £135, Customs Duty may also be due.

If a package contains a number of different types of goods intended for more than one person, and these are separately described and given a value on the customs declaration, the waiver of Customs Duty will apply to each item. For Import VAT, only as many items that add up to the value of the Import VAT threshold (£39) will be granted relief – for example, if a package contains 5 items each with a value of £8, only 4 items will be entitled to relief (4 × £8 = £32) with charges payable on the fifth item.

When one item is sent to 2 people and its value exceeds £39, it’s not possible to aggregate each person’s gift relief, and the value of an individual item itself cannot be divided – for example, one item with a value of £50 sent to 2 individuals cannot benefit from the gift relief.

Goods sent as gifts	Relief given
One item valued at £39 or below	Free of Customs Duty and Import VAT.
One item valued at £39.01	Import VAT is chargeable on the full value.
Five of the same items valued at £8 each	Four items are relieved of Import VAT leaving Import VAT chargeable on the remaining one item.
Five different items valued at £120 each	Import VAT is chargeable on the full value.
One item valued at £300	Customs Duty is charged. Import VAT is chargeable on the full value.

2.8 How and why the Border Force examine packages

The Border Force examine postal packages arriving in the UK for prohibited or restricted goods, such as:

• drugs
• indecent or obscene material
• weapons
• endangered species
• counterfeit goods

They examine packages to confirm the description and value stated on the declaration are correct and also check the customs declaration to determine if Customs Duty, Excise Duty and Import VAT is chargeable.

The Border Force will sometimes need to examine the contents of a package, particularly when the sender has not completed the declaration correctly. In such cases, the opening, repacking and resealing of the package is carried out, under Border Force instruction, by Royal Mail staff.

3. Charges

3.1 The calculation of import charges

Charges are calculated by Border Force officers at the postal depots, where the packages are received. In some cases, special arrangements are in place for goods purchased on the internet or by mail order (for more information, see section 3.4).

Customs Duty becomes payable if the goods are more than £135 in value.

The amount of Customs Duty charged will depend on the type of goods imported and the value stated on the customs declaration CN22/CN23 (converted to pound sterling using the rates of exchange for the month of importation as shown on the HMRC website).

The percentage varies depending on the type of goods and their country of origin. Duty is charged on:

• the price paid for the goods
• any local sales taxes
• postage, packing and insurance

However, the cost of postage is excluded from the calculation for Customs Duty on gifts except where the sender has used the Express Mail Service (EMS) as opposed to a standard mail service.

Where the value of gifts is below £630 per consignment, a flat rate of duty of 2.5% will be applied, but only if it’s to your advantage.

Excise Duty is charged on alcohol and tobacco products, and is additional to Customs Duty. The Excise Duty on alcohol products (such as wines and spirits) depends on the alcohol content and volume. In the case of wine and cider, it depends on if they’re sparkling or still. Duty on cigarettes is based on a percentage of the recommended retail selling price, plus a flat rate amount per 1,000 cigarettes. On other tobacco products (such as cigars or hand rolling tobacco) Excise Duty is charged at a flat rate per kilogram.

Import VAT is charged at the same rate that applies to similar goods sold in the UK and applies to commercial goods over £135 in value, and on gifts that are over £39 in value. However, commercial consignments sent to the UK from the Channel Islands do not benefit from any relief of Import VAT. The value of the goods for Import VAT is based on the:

• basic value of goods
• postage, packing and insurance
• any import (Customs or Excise) duties charged

As with Customs Duty, the cost of postage is excluded from the calculation for VAT on gifts except where the sender has used the Express Mail Service (EMS) as opposed to a standard mail service.

3.2 Duty charged on used goods

Used goods are still liable to the same duty and VAT charges as new goods. However, this may vary depending on their age and condition.

3.3 Paying customs charges

Royal Mail provides several options for payment and they’ll inform you of the options and the amounts payable when they contact you. A postcard or letter is usually delivered to your address, detailing the amount due and the options available for payment. Once payment has been made, the package may be collected from the post office, or (if you’ve paid online or by phone) you can arrange for it to be delivered. Details of the charges, including the Royal Mail or Parcelforce Worldwide handling fee, will be shown separately on a label affixed to the package.

If the value of the package is over £900 (for Great Britain) and £873 (for Northern Ireland), or it’s for a particular customs regime (including all special procedures), you’ll need to complete a customs declaration. You’ll be sent a customs declaration form (C88 or C160) which you must complete and return to the Border Force at the Postal Depot, before your package can be delivered. You should not send any payment with this form unless asked to do – however, if there are any charges due, you’ll be required to pay them to the Border Force before your goods can be released.

3.4 Prepayment of Import VAT on goods purchased over the internet or by mail order

HMRC has special arrangements that allow some overseas traders to charge, collect and pay over to us the Import VAT for goods purchased by mail order, that would normally be chargeable at the time the goods are imported. These arrangements operate under Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) signed with certain overseas customs and postal authorities. The countries that have a MoU with HMRC are:

• the Channel Islands
• Hong Kong
• Singapore
• New Zealand.

Overseas traders wanting to use this procedure must be authorised to do so by their authorities.

Once authorised, foreign businesses are issued with a unique authorisation number, which they must show on the customs declaration or packaging. They’ll include the statement ‘Import VAT Prepaid’.

Where these arrangements are used you’ll not be charged a Royal Mail handling fee when you receive your package.

If you’re a VAT registered business and purchase goods for use in your business, you should keep the outer wrapper and invoice from the supplier to support your claim to input tax.

3.5 Paying a handling fee to Royal Mail

If customs charges are payable upon importation, Royal Mail will charge a handling fee to cover the costs for carrying out customs procedures, which includes paying any Customs Duty or VAT due and collecting it from you. If customs examination is required, or if information is missing from the declaration, Royal Mail open, repack and reseal the package. All international courier and postal operators charge fees for their services and HMRC and Border Force does not have any authority over the level of charges they apply.

The customs charges and handling fee will be itemised separately on the charge label. Royal Mail will tell you how much you need to pay and the available payment methods. Once payment is received, you can request delivery of your package or pick it up from your local delivery office or depot. You can read more about how to pay charges on either the Royal Mail or Parcelforce Worldwide websites.

As they’re completely separate from any customs charges, any queries about the handling fee should be raised with Royal Mail or Parcelforce Worldwide, as appropriate. Royal Mail does not answer queries about customs charges. If you have any queries about the charges raised on your specific parcel you should contact Border Force – for more information, see section 3.6. General queries on customs charges should be made to the HMRC Customs International Trade and Excise enquiries service – for more information, see section 2.3.

3.6 Where can I ask about or query a customs charge?

If you have any questions about a particular customs charge you should contact the Border Force as soon as possible using form BOR286.

When you write to the Border Force, you should include as much detail as you can, including the customs charge label, the customs declaration and the part of the wrapper with your address on it. If your claim is about overcharged tax because the declared value of the goods was incorrect you’ll need to supply evidence – for example, an invoice or receipt of purchase to support your claim.

The Border Force deal with thousands of packages every day and without this information they may not be able to trace your particular package in their records. In the event of a claim, you should retain copies of all wrappings and documents until your claim is settled.

3.7 If your query has not been answered or you have more information

If you think that your query has not been answered satisfactorily, or you have some additional information that may affect an earlier decision, contact the Border Force at the postal depot again to try to resolve the matter.

3.8 Disagreeing with a Border Force decision

If you do not agree with any decision issued to you, there are 3 options available. Within 30 days of the date of the decision you can either:

• send new information or arguments to the decision maker
• request a review of the decision by someone not involved in making the disputed decision
• appeal direct to the Tribunal who are independent of HMRC

Your request for a review of the decision must be in writing and should set out the reasons why you do not agree with the decision. Write to:

If you opt to have your case reviewed, you’ll still be able to appeal to the tribunal if you disagree with the outcome.

More information about reviews and appeals is contained in factsheet HMRC1 Decisions – what to do if you disagree.

4. Exports

4.1 Sending a package abroad

When you send a package to any country outside UK, you must complete and affix a customs declaration (CN22, CN23 or a Parcelforce Worldwide Despatch Pack incorporating the CN23), which you can get from the Post Office. Any necessary preference certificate or licence should be attached to the outside of the package and clearly identified before handing it over for post.

For commercial items that require an export licence or are being exported under a suspensive regime (outward processing relief), a commercial invoice should accompany the package. A sticky label C and E83A named ‘Exported by post under HMRC Control’ should be attached which directs post office staff to present the parcel to the Border Force at the Office of Exchange for checks to be made prior to export.

You do not need a customs declaration for packages sent to a country within the EU.

4.2 Evidence of posting

For private persons, there’s no legal requirement to obtain evidence of posting. However, if you’re in business and registered for VAT, you’ll need to obtain and retain a certificate of posting (C&E132) to support the VAT zero-rating of your supply, and to discharge your liability to customs charges on goods temporarily imported into the UK. In addition, if you’re a business exporting UK duty paid excise goods, you’ll need a certificate of posting on form C&E132 to support a claim for reimbursement of the UK Excise Duty.

You can find more information of the procedures to be followed in Notices 200, 221, 235, 275 and VAT Notice 703.

4.3 Customs controls on goods exported from the UK

The Border Force carry out selective examinations to make sure no prohibited or restricted goods or items relating to the proceeds of crime are being improperly exported.

4.4 Other restrictions on what goods can be sent abroad

Customs and postal administrations throughout the world set certain restrictions on what type of goods can be sent by post. If you have any concerns about sending your goods by post, contact Royal Mail to discuss them.

5. Quality of service

5.1 Delays or damage to a package

Although the Border Force can examine the contents of a package, the responsibility for opening, repacking and resealing it is carried out by Royal Mail, who also deliver it. Therefore, if you have a complaint about delay or damage to your package, you should contact the appropriate Royal Mail or Parcelforce Worldwide Customer Service Centre.

In cases where the Border Force have damaged the contents, an acknowledgement will be provided by enclosing a letter within the package.

6. Extracts from the law

Opening of postal packages

Regulation 21 of the The Postal Packets (Revenue and Customs) Regulations 2011 gives authority for an Officer of Customs to require Royal Mail to open for examination any postal packet being imported or exported.

Relief from Import VAT on commercial consignments

Legislation was introduced under section 77 of the Finance Act 2011 to reduce the relief from Import VAT on commercial consignments, excluding alcohol, tobacco, perfumes and toilet waters, from £18 to £15. This came into effect on 1 November 2011.

Legislation was introduced in Finance Act 2012 to remove the application of the relief on commercial goods sent to the UK from the Channel Islands.

Relief from Import VAT on gifts of goods with a value not exceeding £39

The VAT (Non-Commercial Consignments) Relief Order 1986:939 (as amended), Article 3, provides that no tax is payable on the importation of goods forming part of a small consignment of a non-commercial character sent from a third country by a private person to another private person if the value of the goods does not exceed £39, subject to specified limits for alcohol, tobacco, perfumes and toilet waters as listed in the Schedule to the order (detailed in sections 2.6 and 2.7 of this notice).

Inclusion of postage charges in customs value

Article 139 of the Implementing regulation 2015/2447 requires all postal charges levied up to the place of destination in respect of goods sent by post to be included in the customs value of the goods. However, this does no apply to gifts other than those sent by Express Mail Services.

The limit before the rate of duty taken from the Common Customs Tariff

Consignments of gifts with a value less than £630 for which the rate of duty of the Common Customs Tariff is other than ‘free’ attract a flat rate of duty of 2.5% Council Regulation (EC) No 275/2008.

7. Glossary of terms

Term	Description
CN22 and CN23	Customs declaration forms to be used for import and export of postal packets.
Customs Duty	Tax charged on imported goods under the Combined Nomenclature of the Community.
Datapost	The Parcelforce Worldwide Express Mail Service.
EC	European Community.
EU and member states	EU consisting of 27 member states listed in paragraph 4.2.
Euro	Unit of currency used by some member states of the EU.
Excise Duty	Tax charged on certain goods particularly alcohol and tobacco.
Gifts	Goods of a non-commercial character sent by a private person to another private person without payment of any kind and intended for personal use only.
Intrinsic value	Means the price paid or payable for the goods excluding postage and packing and insurance costs.
Import VAT	VAT chargeable on importation.
Package	Includes a letter, parcel, packet or other article transmissible by post.
SAD	Single Administrative Document (C88).

Your rights and obligations

Read Your Charter to find out what you can expect from HMRC and what we expect from you.