I ordered something from Ebay which was shipped with DHL. The VAT was apparently ready paid through Ebay.
However, upon the package arriving I got I VAT bill of 40 Francs from DHL, despite it saying very clearly on the package that the VAT was ‘paid’. The explanation by thr DHL support made zero sense to me.
I have this issue all the time with Ebay. But never for instance with Amazon.de.
Are they trying the screw me over?
https://www.reddit.com/gallery/1qc04ab
Posted by Malganas
17 Comments
Its Always like that with DHL, unlike swiss post DHL gets the bill from the Douane and sends it to you with their overtax on top…..
A cash grab from them….
Someone has to pay for the Formula 1 Carroussel around the world
Same experience. I don’t know what DHL’s issue is but I despise them. If a companies shipping says they use DHL, I just forget it
Same here for package received last week. DHL claiming eBay sellers are not communicating the correct info for customs, which seems to be the case. Both DHL and eBay don’t want to refund the extra costs. Until us customers start complaining nothing will change!
the infuriating thing is when you have say 5.- of customs, and 25.- of “processing fees”. I am even surprised nobody blocked them from doing this, it’s racket.
The issue seems to be with eBay. Your screenshot shows the instructions DHL received from eBay:
For the period after March 2025, consignees / recipients of the goods will be responsible for paying DH invoices related to imports in Switzerland, including VAT and other associated fees (processing, customs duties etc.) They can raise a claim with eBay to obtain a VAT refund if they have paid VAT twice – once to DHL and once to eBay.
Assuming this is true, eBay should refund the VAT paid twice.
I actually had a very lengthy (email discussions about this with:
1. The ebay team.
2. The Border Tax people office thingy.
3. DHL.
4. The sellers.
**Bottom line:**
DHL will always charge VAT + fees when the invoice is not **CORRECTLY** transmitted through the ebay system, this is not always the case and **DHL WILL NOT** accept anything else other than correct VAT ID (of ebay) shown plus address on the invoice. Sellers should **ALWAYS** attach that invoice generated by ebay on the parcel. Some of them (falsely) claim that they have no control and this happens electronically (Japanese largely) but you should ignore that and **DEMAND** from them to always attach the ebay generated invoice with VAT ebay payment **WITH** the parcel.
I was able to recoup the VAT funds in some cases by ebay, some sellers and the fees too in one occasion but I did lose money.
Overall ebay has completely fucked up the enforcement and **consistent** transmittance of invoice data and DHL is partially taking advantage by refusing to refund after evidence being provided, to a degree (unfortunately) rightly so because administratively the money is in Swiss tax people now.
The border tax people know about the issue and apologized, but sided with DHL about correct transmittance of invoice data, i.e., more money in Swiss tax coffers.
**Next steps:**
Try to select sellers that don’t charge VAT or if they do **ENSURE** it is attached correctly beforehand.
Overall my experience with FedEx was better in those cases.
Apologies for the capitals, hope it helps people.
Happend today with FedEx and something ordered on Amazon. What I also will challenge is the fact they charged me import Vat for something less then 150 CHF
DHL is a fucking scam
This happens every single time!
Best solution : buy local 😉
Customs, fees and vta on customs is what happened and normal
DHL is a pita in this respect, seems systematic. Some would call is a scam.
same with Post. Ordering from Aliexpress means VAT is already paid, but Post insists on charging me 15CHF +3% of value even though they are not collecting VAT anymore
What is even worse with ebay is, that ebay charged me the EU customs fees when I was ordering from the UK to Switzerland upon ordering. I told them that one, the item is below the threshold for swiss VAT, two it is not into the EU, so its between UK and CH. They wrote me that the EU has reduced the amount to 0 for free import. I told them the EU is not involved its from the UK to CH, both not in the EU. Then they told me that this is for the Swiss VAT (mind you it was like 15% of the value). I told them the order is below the vlaue that you have to pay VAT in Switzerland. They stopped responding. Worst scammers on ebay is ebay itself.
Seller fucked up and did not provide the necessary documentation for a VAT free import. In particular it must state ebay as the seller address and the package must be accompanied by a proforma invoice. You can try to recoup the extra cost from the seller as they did not fulfill their obligations, did not send the package properly and as instructed by eBay.
eBay falls under the platform taxation clause which came inforce last year
[https://www.estv.admin.ch/estv/en/home/value-added-tax/vat-tax-liability/mail-order-trade.html](https://www.estv.admin.ch/estv/en/home/value-added-tax/vat-tax-liability/mail-order-trade.html)
The sender must full fill do minimal formalities, and if not met the shipping provider (Post, DHL, etc.) must collect VAT from the recipient.
>The parcel must be unambiguously labelled so that it is clear whether import tax has to be invoiced to the mail-order company or the recipient. It is essential for the name and VAT number of the mail-order company to be included on the address label. In addition, a VAT-compliant invoice or a pro forma invoice ([Art. 26 of the VATA](https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classified-compilation/20081110/index.html#a26)) stating the domestic tax must be affixed to the parcel.
>The customs declarant must know the name, address and VAT number of the mail-order company. The mail-order company must provide this information to the customs declarant with the address label and with the invoice to the buyer.
>On CN 22/23 postal consignments has to be affixed in addition an address label (name und VAT number of the mail-order company) and a pro forma invoice including Swiss VAT.
MWST-Praxispublikation says about double levied VAT:
(tl;dr: If VAT is levied by eBay and during import because of incomplete documentation by the seller, you have to sort it out with eBay or the seller.)
>4.4 Doppelte Belastung der Mehrwertsteuer
>Ist die Abwicklung und Überwälzung der Steuer nicht korrekt erfolgt und werden dem Käufer der Ware sowohl die Inlandsteuer als auch die Einfuhrsteuer in Rechnung gestellt, können weder die ESTV noch das BAZG eine Rückerstattung vornehmen, da sowohl die Inland- als auch die Einfuhrsteuer geschuldet ist. Denn einerseits hat die Plattformbetreiberin einen Verkauf im Inland durchgeführt, der korrekt versteuert wurde ([Art. 18 MWSTG](https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/cc/2009/615/de#art_18)). Andererseits wurde ein Gegenstand ins Inland eingeführt und der Empfänger des Gegenstands gehört zu den zur Entrichtung der Einfuhrsteuer verpflichteten Personen ([Art. 51 MWSTG](https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/cc/2009/615/de#art_51)).
>Erstattet eine steuerpflichtige Plattformbetreiberin dem Käufer jedoch die von ihm entrichtete Einfuhrsteuer und übermittelt dieser ihr die vom BAZG ausgestellte Einfuhr-Veranlagungsverfügung, so lässt die ESTV den Vorsteuerabzug dieser Einfuhrsteuer seitens der Plattformbetreiberin auch dann zu, wenn der Käufer in der Veranlagungsverfügung als Importeur aufgeführt ist ( [MWST-Info Vorsteuerabzug und Vorsteuerkorrekturen](https://www.gate.estv.admin.ch/mwst-webpublikationen/public/MI/09)).
>Die Modalitäten einer allfälligen Rückerstattung der vom Käufer bereits bezahlten Einfuhrsteuer sind rein zivilrechtlicher Natur.
[https://www.gate.estv.admin.ch/mwst-webpublikationen/public/pages/sectorInfos/cipherDisplay.xhtml?componentId=1784899&publicationId=1150270](https://www.gate.estv.admin.ch/mwst-webpublikationen/public/pages/sectorInfos/cipherDisplay.xhtml?componentId=1784899&publicationId=1150270)
Swisspost is doing exactly the same on shipment with paid VAT. They want to get their fee no matter what
If a site only offers DHL, I take my money elsewhere, awful in any country I’ve been in.