http://www.post.ch/en/index/uk_mm03_einfuhr_von.htm?viewId=722
(link updated)
http://www.post.ch/en/index/uk_ueber...infuhr_von.htm
or this one in case they change it again!!

Importing Parcels: Costs incurred by the recipient

If your parcel is delivered by a foreign postal service to the Swiss postal service, then:

If however, the parcel is handled by couriers such as DHL, it will be cleared privately:

The problem I see is that the German Post has outsourced any parcels sent from Germany to anywhere within the EU to DHL. Now in theory, DHL would fall under private clearance, which would mean any parcel, even say a 100gram parcel with a 10 CHF small item in it would incur 43 CHF in fees. Anyone had any experience with this lately? I am guessing Amazon books are exempt from this since books still fall under Deutsche Post.

for the zoll page on getting parcels sent to you see http://www.ezv.admin.ch/zollinfo_pri...x.html?lang=de
for the zoll page on taking goods with you into CH see http://www.ezv.admin.ch/zollinfo_pri...x.html?lang=de

Hello all.

I'd like to buy some DVDs from the US. The total amount is around 240 Francs.

Now, am I right that I will have to pay:

- 10 CHF for admin

- 7.6% VAT : 18.24

TOTAL: 28.24?

Is that the final price? I don't want to have a nasty surprise and have to pay like 100CHF.



Thanks,

You will also have to pay VAT on the shipping costs. The 10 franc admin fee only applies if it comes by post. If you have it delivered by other means it could be higher.

Suggest you check their website to find out how long they take to ship or ask them.

Hi,

Thanks for your quick reply.

Supposing they use traditional post service, I won't have to pay any more than the VAT + 10CHF admin, right?

Sorry, but I find it all so confusing...

Correct. Make sure the supplier deducts the VAT from the shipment since it is leaving the EU. Otherwise you'll effectively pay the VAT twice.

DHL is part of German Post and simply hands it to the Swiss postal service hence you pay SFr. 10. Got one on Friday...

How about these so-called double-tax treaties? Can they be exploited^Wutilised so as to not be hit for both foreign VAT and local MWSt? Or are they only relevant for income tax? Or is it more a case of "whatever - pay us anyway..."?

No there are three things to watch for.

1. Is the EU company VAT registered if no then you won't get the VAT back.
2. If Yes then do they do exports - seems like a silly question but although they might be registered and it is an export there is additional paperwork for VAT so not all companies will offer you the VAT back - this also does not mean they are pocketing it.
3. Yes and they will deduct the VAT - this is the optimal way because once the goods hit Switzerland there is no way of changing the VAT status...

If you are registered in CH for VAT then you need to ensure your Swiss VAT no is displayed clearly on the address part of the invoice AND ensure you complete some paperwork for Basel and Geneva which are the main entry points for freight into Switzerland.


And finally the system does work very well.

I ordered something from the UK a few years ago that had a value of no more than Sfr 150. I was charged Sfr 53 duty. There is no way you can work it out as they make it up as they go along!

My favourite was ordering a couple of DVD's from Play. They got shipped on different days but obviously arrived in Switzerland the same day. The bastards taped both together so that they were over the import threshold and chaged me tax.

Fortunately I have a house in France so now everything goes there




Nigel

It does not work for everything, but for movies and tv serials, ebay is great... also for many other items such as apparel or knickknacks.
Private Ebay sellers will label your package as "present", and you get off with no duty. Just ask for it! but most will do it automatically.
I even found a lady who ships groceries from the US, but it is bloody pricey for some granola - if you are desperate, that is a good trick though!
http://stores.ebay.com/I-Shop-4-You

For books, amazon.de will ship any book that amazon.us has, you can search for the book using the IP code, and that is fine - the charges are lots lower through germany than from the US (but the books slightly more expensive). However, I found that in Lausanne, FNAC carries a good selection and will custom order for me free of charge... that is way easier.

I need to check out the sky box. can you suggest a site?

I'm posting in this old thread instead of starting a new one because my question seems relevant, hope that's correct forum etiquette!

So, I would like to mail some boxes of books from myself in Denmark to myself in Berne (to my work address since I don't know where I'll live.)

I am trying to figure out what the situation will be with customs/duty ... I have read some information on the swisspost website (including that quoted above) and the EZV (swiss customs) as well.

I know that 65 CHF is the usual upper limit for parcels to go through without tax ... (provided they have the appropriate customs declaration stuck on the outside) but somewhere I think I saw a mention that for a box of books this figure was higher, maybe 205 CHF. Unfortunately I can't remember where I saw that now, and haven't been able to find it (I think it was somewhere on the swisspost website, maybe I have my Friday morning stupid head on but I can't find it now.) Since the value includes the transport costs, and a 20kg box costs about 100 CHF to mail from Denmark, the 65 CHF limit isn't very encouraging.

Anyone have a link to the rules? Or experience mailing books to themselves? (In, say, boxes of 10 or 20 kg).

(They are all used books, not worth much except to a bookworm with a hoarding habit.)

Thanks very much,
W

I have a dbox2 in the UK. Useful pieces of kit

Can they actually do that? I'm falling about laughing here. I think I'm going to take the bring it over myself from my address in the UK route. Declare everything is over 6 months old and cross my fingers!!

Saying that always write gift/present on all parcels sent abroad!!!

Hiya Wednesday, i think you should be able to send your used books without paying taxes on them. Mark your parcel clearly and add personal belongings. I cant back this up with anything concrete but maybe someone else can offer more specific information.
Good luck with your move.

OK, I get a little bit smarter through the day, so I did manage to find the swisspost link mentioning books:

http://www.post.ch/en/index/uk_priva..._zoll_mwst.htm

"All items containing goods worth more than CHF 65 (or CHF 209 in the case of books) are liable to VAT."

So it looks like I could get off VAT free as long as I put the value of my books at less than 100 CHF a box (given that postage will be around 100 CHF).

The other thing I am slightly confused about is that customs and VAT are two different charges, right? So my box of books could be liable for customs duty even if not for VAT?

(I did try contacting both Swisspost and EZV through contact forms on their websites to ask about this, but haven't heard anything back.)

Hmm, back to work.
W

Oh, but I wonder what exchange rate they use...
Because I've bought many dvd boxes on Amazon that come with a price of around £25 (good thing, they do deduct the VAT when you buy outside Switzerland ), and I still had to pay VAT plus the 10 CHF of "handling".

For those near to Schaffhausen you can always get it sent to the Post Office in Buesingen, which is Germany, but surrounded by Switzerland.

Buesingen on the High Rhine is German territory, even though it’s encapsulated by Swiss territory. Buesingen is part of the province of Baden-Wuerttemberg and it lies in the administrative district of Constance. There is no manned border if you travel from the Schaffhausen side. http://www.buesingen.de/englisch/index.html

I've never paid any sort of charge on stuff from amazon.co.uk and have had books worth way over 209 CHF in one delivery so I guess that the good old Zoll Lotto comes into play.

Wednesday, your situation should be different as you will move here. I remember that within 6 months of your arrival (and also in advance I presume), things that arrive in Switzerland as your pre-existing personal belongings can be imported duty free. (So no buying new electrical goods I mean).

What you should do is try and call someone in customs about how you would do this. Usually you need a packing list and to fill in a special custom form, which are all on the net, but the reason you might have to call is ask how it works if you are not there to clear goods through customs yourself. I know it is possible though. Would save you a lot of costs, as you can ship all books etc. together...