Brexit

From the 1^st of January 2021, the United Kingdom has left the European Union. This affects the movement of goods between the UK and the EU. It is not quite as ‘frictionless’ as was claimed by the UK government after having struck a trade deal weeks before the 1^st of January.

Import VAT is now charged on antique goods both entering the UK and from the UK to EU countries. This will affect the costs of shipping items from the UK to an EU country. As import VAT rates vary per EU country, and the fact that as an antiques dealer I use the ‘margin’ scheme for VAT, it is impossible for me to calculate the extra costs beforehand on my stock. I therefore advise that if you are an EU customer and you are interested in an item on my website, you contact me so that we can work out the most efficient price possible.

Obviously, this is an unwelcome complication and requires more paperwork. However, neither should it prevent me from doing business with my EU clients. I’m here to help and as we get used to the new rules I am confident that we can resume trading smoothly.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me to discuss how to navigate the logistics of a potential purchase.

Allard van Halm