Buying from the EU - the freaking VAT question

[bartleby929]

If a business has been doing...business...for 7 years, they charge for US shipping, should reasonably know that the customer is based in the United States, can they charge VAT anyway with a single term/clause? Moreover, my actual invoice doesn't have the VAT charge but my price purchased online has the VAT charge.

I'm asking about Caliroots. I emailed them and they emailed me. Then I spent all day at work looking at EU VAT laws and it was like reading a puzzle. From my nightmarish reading, I figured: this is distance shipping and if seller should have reason to know buyer is an individual in a place that doesn't do VAT and the thing can be done within 3 months, they can't charge VAT.

It would seem weird that they can circumvent this regulation/memo whatever it is with a single sentence. Obviously I'm making a BFD out of it but I just think it's messed up.

 

[JamesX]

FAIK you are not suppose to be charged VAT if you are shipping to an non-EU country.

You however might [will] get hit with import charges.

Though sometimes they will charge you VAT and there is a process to get it recouped - it has never happened to me, so I have never done this. Nor do I remember which department you have to contact. I just remember someone complaining about it while back and said it took him months to get it back.

 

[bartleby929]

yeah it was like a huge hassle but i'm bored enough to do it. taking it too personally