BREXIT : Implications on mail after the UK's exit from the EU :Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est

From 1st January the rules for sending and receiving items to and from the EU will change. The UK will treat EU imports the same as it does non-EU imports. The EU will treat UK imports the same as it does non-EU imports.

Sending items to the EU now.

When sending goods abroad, customers will need to complete and attach a customs declaration (CN22 or CN23), available from the Post Office® or Royal Mail's Click&Drop. This does not apply to customers sending items from Northern Ireland to the EU. Letters, postcards and documents are usually exempt.

The recipient 'may' then have to pay customs or VAT charges and a handling fee in the receiving country before they can claim the parcel. These charges will depend on the country they are sending to, the value of the item and whether it is a gift or commercial goods.

Receiving items from abroad

When receiving goods from abroad, recipients 'may' have to pay VAT and duties. The VAT and duties will be applied depending on the type and value of the goods. For gifts over £39 and goods over £135, Royal Mail may collect the VAT and customs duties on behalf of HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). from the recipient prior to delivery. Letters, postcards and documents are usually exempt.

For more details and everything you need to know about Royal Mail and Brexit, please see >>>royalmail.com/brexit<<<

Customs declaration forms, as well as help and guidance, can be found online tips for small businesses who are posting goods abroad:

1. You can complete your customs declarations form before arriving in branch to make your visit as easy as possible. Just pick up some forms next time you are in your local branch or download them via the Post Office website.

2. Before preparing any goods for sending, remember to check whether or not the item is prohibited or restricted. There are certain restrictions on what you can send to certain individuals, organisations or countries so it’s best check before you arrive in branch. Letters or large letters containing only correspondence, commercial invoices or shipping documentation do not require a customs declaration form.

3. There are different variations of the customs declaration form, dependent on service being used and the value of the item being sent. More information is available in branch or on our website.

4. If completing the form by hand, remember to write legibly and in block capitals. The forms are scanned by optical character recognition, so this is important to avoid delays.

5. Make sure you complete all the relevant fields, including senders details, an accurate description of the contents, weight and value, plus VAT registered businesses need to include their GB EORI or VAT registered number and HS tariff numbers – missing or incomplete forms are likely to result in the item being returned to you.

6. Once completed, attach your customs form on the front of the item being posted, where possible and ensure the destination address isn’t covered

More info here...

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