VAT in the context of eBay international transactions outside the EEC since 2021
Summary: alba2021 describes problems with VAT on purchases on eBay in the United States, where they have to pay VAT twice despite having already paid it. PIAC Roissy adds extra fees without recognizing previous payments. lingma85 and felin12 suggest contacting customer service and checking the IOSS number to resolve VAT errors. alba2021 explores options to solve the problem and expresses concerns about the lack of clarity in eBay's system, while explaining their constraints on communicating by phone.
Hello,
When transactions are made with sellers based in the USA, eBay’s system automatically deducts VAT and adds it to the sale price + shipping costs. For my latest purchases in the USA over the last 2 years, PIAC Roissy has systematically requested the commercial invoices from me by mail. They are easy to find on the transaction tracking page. Sent by email to PIAC Roissy. These invoices clearly state that VAT was paid at the time of transaction payment. And every time, I had to pay, in addition to the "customs clearance fees payable to the carrier", the VAT again. This time, calculated on the total amount of the transaction (VAT calculated the PIAC Roissy way = 20% of the total pre-tax purchase price + VAT (already paid) on purchase price + shipping costs + VAT on shipping costs) to which are added customs clearance fees set by the carrier.
VAT calculated on VAT, on top of the fact that it is also paid twice for the same item... You said "racket?" No discussion is possible with PIAC Roissy, the only and unique response being: "Either you pay and we clear the parcel through customs, or you refuse to pay, and we send the parcel back to the sender."
Under these conditions, what is the point of the VAT payment module put in place by eBay on international transactions, which was intended to comply with European tax law and is not taken into account at all by French customs, at least at PIAC Roissy? Owing customs fees, fine. But paying the entire VAT again and also VAT on VAT, no. Am I the only sucker in this case?
alba2021
OP2 years agoThank you felin12 and lingma85, I have nothing to lose by trying these steps and I will do it, but not by phone, unfortunately I have a hearing disability. I have several leads for reaching the Post Office customs clearance service. This will allow me to deal with the 3 or 4 similar cases to the one reported in my first messages all at once with them. I now know what an IOSS number is.
But I’m tackling the issue from both ends, La Poste and eBay, and the systematic error on the VAT rate and the tax base is just as serious. Despite a lot of searching, I haven’t found any "customer service" to contact by email or postal mail on eBay’s site, once the parcel has been received and the transaction completed.
Is there one?
I can contact "Francois d'eBay", but for that I have to sign up for the social networks in question.
That requires some thought on my part, as much as I hate them (the social networks, not eBay 😉 )
I only buy on eBay, and I don’t sell anywhere. I realize that I posted my question on a page reserved for sellers, but thanks to both of you I still got the beginning of a solution to this problem.
Kind regards
felin12
·2 years agoHello
@alba2021
You can chat with ebay customer service (office hours)
https://www.ebay.fr/help/contact_us?id=4128&st=10
best regards
alba2021
OP2 years agoit may be due to the lack of the IOSS number on the parcel (?)
What is this IOSS number that seems to be missing from all shipments from the USA? Where can it be found and where should it be put, so I can tell the sellers? In case I’m masochistic enough to buy anything else from the USA through this site.
What’s the point of the commercial invoice available on the eBay site if La Poste/PIAC Roissy doesn’t take it into account at all? They just take the total paid and voilà, 20% VAT.
No consideration at all for the nature of the goods, nor for the elements used to calculate the price paid.
And what recourse is there with eBay? I’m sorry to have serious ear problems that prevent me from communicating by phone. I need another way.
felin12
·2 years agoGood evening
@alba2021
Read this link, François from ebay explains it (highlighted post)
https://communaute.ebay.fr/t5/Livraison/Double-TVA-prise-de-t%C3%AAtes/m-p/2928815#M16330
best regards
alba2021
OP2 years agoHello and thanks for the link. Along the way I learned that the VAT rate is wrong, both the one automatically calculated during the transaction by eBay, and the one claimed in full (and even more) by PIAC Roissy. So I’m doubly the sucker in this farce.
My question was more specifically about the fact that customs (or rather its intermediary PIAC Roissy) does not take into account the VAT paid during the transaction, even though it is clearly shown on the commercial invoice I sent them, and on which they base themselves to assess “their” own “import VAT” that they demand I pay without delay, otherwise the item is returned to the sender. Likewise, they do not take into account the nature of the item in the transaction, which is nevertheless clearly described (I even sent the scan showing the item in the photo).
To make myself better understood, I’m going to break down the above recent example with the figures (2 to 3 months)
Purchase of a Navajo bracelet in silver and turquoise dating from about fifty years ago, an age established on the basis of the quality, the style, and the turquoise. So, category “jewelry” and/or “antique”. The seller is listed as a professional seller in the USA.
On the eBay invoice:
OF WHICH VAT (20%): 0.33 EUR
TOTAL TO BE COLLECTED : 107.00 EUR
TOTAL PAID : 107.00 EUR
lingma85
·2 years agore... @alba2021
Get reimbursed for the =/- 94 € paid to eBay... since you have all the documents to do it
the only thing left will be the processing fees paid to customs..
Regards
felin12
·2 years agoHello
@alba2021
My question was more specifically about the fact that customs (or rather its intermediary PIAC Roissy) takes no account of the VAT paid during the transaction,
it may be due to the missing IOSS number on the parcel (?)
contact the post office for a refund of this double VAT (claims department)
kind regards
lingma85
·2 years agoHello @alba2021
You need to check this with Customer Service - contact them during office hours...
They're the only ones who can tell you what they do in this case of double payment and how to proceed with a possible refund.
See what's said on this subject here--> Solved: ebay Global shipping system and VAT at 20% on ... - eBay Community
Best regards