The items entering the United Kingdom from abroad are subject to paying customs duty and VAT. But, letters and postcards are exceptional.
VAT will be charged on the item depending on the worth and type of the goods. VAT on the items below £135 (except for the gift items) will now be collected at the sale point.
For items worth over £135 and gift items over £39, still, customs charges will be applied on behalf of HM.
Revenue and Customs (HMRC), royal mail will collect these charges from the recipient before delivery. But, letters, and postcards, are some of the exceptional cases.
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Why I have been charged?
Royal Mail is needed by law to present all the packages arriving in the UK to the Border force. They check the mail and apply customs charges on the item.
The charges on the items are applied on behalf of HMRC (HM Revenue & customs). These charges are not applied by the Royal Mail.
The charges depend on the worth and type of the item, from where it has come, and who send it.
But, letters, postcards, and parcels containing only documents are some of the exceptional cases.
For the items that are sent through the post, Royal Mail needs to pay HMRC the duty and customs charges on their behalf. This ensures that you will receive your content as earlier as possible.
Then they will send you a fee to pay card. This card will tell you how much money you need to pay before receiving the content.
This amount will be included with Royal Mail handling fees.
What does the Royal Mail handling fee cover?
The Royal Mail handling fee reflects the costs of clearing the content from customs and presenting them to the Border force.
The Royal Mail handles the customs on behalf of you, they will charge a little bit extra for their service along with delivery charges.
But not all the courier company charges the same. Typically, you will get an email with instructions on how you can pay back the import fees of your item to the courier company.
Generally, they will send you a link for paying online. You will get enough time for making your payment, and after that, you will receive your item from them.
This handling fee includes staff costs, storage, and administration fees with the handling of the content through customs. These handling costs also cover the storage and cash-handling process at the delivery office.
Why I have not been charged a Royal Mail handling fee before?
Before January 1, 2021, the items that came from the EU, were not subject to customs charges. The decision of raising the VAT or customs duty is a matter of HMRC.
How can I pay the royal Mail handling fees?
The easiest way to pay the Royal Mail handling fees is online. If you are paying online, you will get 21 days from the date you are receiving the fee to pay the card. If you make the payment on time then you will receive your content quicker otherwise they will send back the content to the sender.
If you are paying offline, then you will have 21 days from the date you are receiving the Fee to pay the card. You can contact me in person at the address that has been provided on top of the Fee to pay card. You can come and pay the cost of the office.
What costs the Royal Mail handling fee?
The royal mail handling fee costs £8. The handling fee is the cost that reflects the price of clearing an item from customs and appearing it to the Border force.
What should I do if I think the charges are wrong?
Royal Mail can’t hand over your item until you have paid all the applied charges. If you think they are applying the charges wrongly, then also you need to pay the charges to receive the content.
Royal Mail can’t involve in the matter of dispute. Because the charges are applied to the contents by the HMRC, not royal mail.
If you have any doubt regarding the charges then you need to contact the Border force directly.
But, we will strongly recommend you make the payment and take possession of your content first. Because you need to show a copy of the customs that have been applied to your item, including some other documents and evidence.
This will also ensure that your item will not be resent to the sender while your case is investigated.
How to avoid a royal mail handling fee?
You can’t avoid paying the Royal Mail handling fee. The Royal Mail will charge you the handling fee for handling customs on your behalf of you. The Royal Mail will only deliver your parcel to you only after you clear the bill.
Wrap Up:
How to avoid Royal mail handling fee?
Unfortunately, you can’t avoid paying the royal mail handling fee to the courier company. It is also not recommended too. You can’t receive your content until you are not paying the handling charges to the courier company.
So, if you want to receive your item then paying the handling fee is a must.
But, in case you want to return goods to EU businesses, you can reclaim most of the import fees. But, you can’t reclaim courier handling fees. Because this charge includes their service and delivery costs.
