Transglobal Express - Worldwide Parcel Delivery
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    Saturday, 09:00 - 13:00. Calls recorded.

EU Shipping Options

The pros and cons of DDU shipping terms

  • No additional administration
  • No additional charges for the sender
  • Shipments likely to experience delays in customs
  • The receiver will face extra charges (VAT) on delivery
  • An admin/clearance fee will apply
  • Additional costs incurred if the receiver does not pay and the shipment is returned
  • Some services are restricted (e.g. DPD)

The pros and cons of DTP/DDP shipping terms

  • The receiver does not have to pay any additional charges on delivery
  • Faster customs clearance
  • No additional administration as duty and tax billed at the time of booking
  • Reversal fee will apply
  • Some DTP services, such as Landmark Global, are available for IOSS-registered shippers only.

The pros and cons of the Import One Stop Shop (IOSS) – B2C only

  • Full transparency of total cost for the receiver
  • Faster customs clearance
  • Full service availability, including our most economical services (Landmark, DPD)
  • One single monthly VAT return
  • Additional costs to appoint an EU-based intermediary to manage VAT return
  • Can only be used for low value shipments (less than €150)

The pros and cons of EU Fulfilment

  • Less paperwork as stock will be imported in bulk avoiding the need for multiple customs invoices
  • Faster transit times across Europe
  • Better rates to most EU destinations which offset cost of sending stock to Germany
  • Receiver pays VAT at the point of sale
  • Not limited to low value shipments
  • Additional administration (German VAT, UOSS* registration)
  • May require professional tax services, adding to cost
  • Goods still subject to the same distance sales VAT rules as sending from UK (no threshold for VAT obligations)**
*Or VAT registration in each EU country in which goods are sold. **If trading as a German entity and goods are sold through the German business, the intra-EU distance sales threshold would then apply. This would mean that VAT is only payable at the destination country if total cross-border sales to the EU exceed €10,000 per year. If sales are below this threshold, German VAT would apply and would need to be accounted for through a German VAT return. It is unlikely that businesses choosing EU fulfilment would be selling below the threshold, however.
 
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