The Christmas holidays are nearly upon us, and many people are preparing to send off their cards and parcels to loved ones.
But those receiving parcels from abroad may get a bill from custom charges. According to An Post, gifts below the value of €45 from non-EU countries require valid electronic customs data, but don't require any customs or VAT to be paid.
However, gifts that over €45 are charged a customs fee, which must be paid by the person receiving the gift. A spokeswoman said: "If customs charges are due on your item, you will receive a postcard in the post with details of the charges. We will also attempt to send an email and/or an SMS if these details have been provided to us by the sender (this could be a retailer or someone you know)."
