Customs clearance costs in cross-border e-commerce

Swiss Post eliminates your competitive disadvantage

As a Swiss e-commerce entrepreneur, are customs clearance costs giving you a headache? Are you worried you’ll annoy your customers with customs clearance costs and that this will be reflected in your repurchase rates? Contact Swiss Post – we have the perfect solution for every customs clearance problem. You alone get to decide what this will look like.

Swiss Post helps you manage the problem of unexpected import costs. This gives you the same competitive conditions as your EU competitors. With customs clearance solutions from Swiss Post, it is clear right from the start what import costs a consignment will incur – and you alone decide who will bear which costs.

Swiss Post gives you flexibility when distributing customs clearance costs and state levies between exporter and importer You decide who pays which costs. Depending on your needs, you can do this for each individual shipment, for all consignments to a specific country or generally for all consignments abroad.

Depending on your business model, Swiss Post offers you various customs clearance solutions. Read on to find out!

Would you like to discover your savings potential?

Sales to private recipients in the EU from EUR 150 per order

Tyres, bags, helmets: imagine you are a bicycle accessories dealer selling your goods to customers in the EU. You don’t want your customers to incur import costs for their orders. And you don’t have a business importer based in the EU to whom you can declare your consignments.

This is the solution from Swiss Post:

1. You register for tax in Germany.
2. You sell your consignments with the delivery condition DDP (delivery duty paid) using the national VAT rates.
3. You clear customs for each recipient using your own tax registration.Registration is required for each destination country.
4. The parcels are delivered to your customers within the EU without incurring any import costs.
5. Customs clearance services, customs duties and (deductible) taxes will be billed to you.
6. Swiss Post offers manual or electronic options for this customs clearance solution.

You can find out more on this page.

Sales to private recipients in the EU up to EUR 150 per order

Key rings, hats, giveaways: imagine you are a dealer in promotional products selling your goods to customers in the EU. You don’t want your customers to incur import costs for their orders. And you don’t have a business importer based in the EU to whom you can declare your shipments.

This is the solution from Swiss Post:

1. You register for tax for Import One Stop Shop (IOSS). You will need an intermediary based in the EU for this.
2. You sell your consignments with the delivery condition DDP (delivery duty paid) using the national VAT rates.
3. You pay customs duties for each recipient using the IOSS registration in an EU country.
4. The parcels are delivered to your customers within the EU without incurring any import costs.
5. You will be billed for the customs clearance service.
6. You report your monthly sales to the intermediary in the EU for payment of tax duties to the tax authorities.

Want to know more? Find more information here.

Sales to business recipients in the EU with many sales per day

Tyres, bags, helmets: let’s say you’re a bicycle accessories dealer selling your goods to customers in the EU. You don’t want them to incur import costs for their orders and you want them to be able to shop like they would within the EU. You also want to optimize your customs clearance costs. And you don’t have a business importer based in the EU to whom you can declare your shipments.

This is the solution from Swiss Post:

1. You register for tax in Germany. You will need a fiscal representative in the EU for this. Registration is carried out via the tax office in Konstanz. 
2. You sell your consignments with the delivery condition DDP (delivery duty paid). You use the national VAT rate for consignments to Germany. For all other countries in the EU, intra-community deliveries for B2B sales are carried out tax-free.
3. You prepare the customs clearance data for each sale and then communicate it. This data can be used to perform customs clearance on much more favourable terms. 
4. The parcels are delivered to your customers within the EU without incurring any import costs.
5. You will be billed for the customs clearance service and duties.
6. You report your monthly sales in the EU using the Intrastat and summary declaration. 

More information on this page.

Do you have any questions regarding taxes and customs duties for shipping within Europe? Then take advantage of our free basic advice.