Greece introduces VAT on parcels of goods from non-EU countries from 1 July

Greece will impose a value-added tax on parcels of goods arriving from non-EU countries, the Independent State Revenue Authority said on Tuesday. The measure will be introduced on July 1, 2021.

VAT will be imposed on all parcels up to € 22, regardless of the time the order is placed. In addition, the post office will charge its own processing fee of 15 euros. This measure is taking into account the implementation of the new EU VAT structure for electronic transactions (e-commerce).

Citing sources from an independent agency, media report that the tax burden on goods will be as follows:

All imported goods sent by mail, up to € 22, ordered electronically and currently VAT exempt, are taxed from July 1st. Thus, consumers are charged the Greek VAT rate (24%, 13% or 6%), depending on the type of goods ordered. The value added tax of small packages depends on the time of their entry into the European Union and does not depend on the time of online ordering or when the seller starts shipping.

Consequently, individual importers or postal companies that import from 1.7.2021 small parcels to Greece, regardless of the amount, must comply with the prescribed customs procedure and pay – depending on the circumstances and type of goods – the applicable VAT.

In addition to value added tax, the Greek Post ELTA collects its own fee of 15 euros for the registration of parcels with goods worth more than 22 euros. And from July 1, respectively, from all goods, regardless of cost.

In February 2020, the Greek Post, on its own initiative, introduced a fee in in the amount of 15 euros from each parcel worth up to 22 euros… After the scandal and mass protests on the part of the population, a check by the tax authorities followed, and as a result the fee was canceledas illegal.

Now this collection becomes official. And buyers who previously purchased cheap goods via the Internet will either have to switch to European suppliers or purchase goods from Greek resellers.

It is worth noting that in recent years, the Greek Post (ELTA) has sharply worsened the speed of work, citing a lack of funding and the disadvantage of servicing parcels from China and other non-EU countries. On average, a parcel sent by the usual (economical) method from China reaches Greece in 5-7 days, and then hangs up for a month or two (or even more), first at customs, and then in warehouses and postal deliveries, getting to to the buyer in 2-9 months (unless, of course, it gets lost on the way, and this is a common occurrence for almost 10% of all parcels).

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