New customs clearance rules apply in the countries of the Union

From 1 July, new rules on customs clearance apply in all countries of the European Union. The e-commerce project came into force. Shipments from third countries must therefore be cleared through customs. The rules for customs do not change, the buyer pays it only from the value of the goods over 150 euros. However, the exemption from value added tax (VAT) is abolished, the tax must be paid for each consignment from a third country. This was stated in the press release by the spokeswoman of the financial administration Martina Rybanská. The e-commerce project aims to create fairer market conditions and eliminate distortions of competition between sellers / suppliers from the European Union and third countries. As of today, an electronic customs declaration is required for every product that buyers order from a third country. Buyers can do this themselves through a new e-commerce portal. "They no longer have to use the services of external transport companies," Rybanská said. Simplified customs clearance only applies to consignments where the internal value of the goods does not exceed 150 euros and the goods may not be subject to prohibitions and restrictions. However, the VAT exemption for shipments up to EUR 22 is abolished, so the buyer will have to pay VAT on each shipment from third countries. It can do so in two ways. Either VAT is paid directly when ordering the goods, or if the seller is not registered in one of the EU Member States, the client pays VAT directly to the customs authorities in the country of departure. The abolition of the VAT exemption for consignments should bring EUR 11 million into the state budget in the second half of this year, compared to EUR 23 million in 2022.