Finnish Customs has warned consumers to expect the price of goods ordered from the United Kingdom after 1 January 2021 to rise by up to 30 percent thanks to added taxes and customs duties.
The UK’s transition period for leaving the EU ends on 31 December, and therefore orders made after this date worth more than 22 euros must undergo customs clearance and may be subject to value added tax, Customs said.
In a press release, the office said that goods delivered from the UK after the turn of the new year must be declared in the same way as products from any other country outside the EU, such as the United States and China.
"A rule of thumb is that customs clearance adds about 30 percent to the price of your purchase. This price includes the purchase price of the product, the transport costs as well as any customs duty and VAT," the statement read.
The office added that customs duty and VAT are based on the country from where the goods are delivered, and that the location of the online store is not a determining factor.
"If your goods are delivered from an EU member state and have been manufactured or declared in the EU, then your goods do not undergo customs clearance, and you do not pay customs duty or VAT to Finnish Customs," the statement said.
The amount of customs duty and VAT consumers can expect to pay can be determined by using the Customs office’s Customs Calculator, which also provides information on what to do when goods arrive in Finland.