REVENUE HAS ISSUED a reminder to shoppers ahead of Black Friday to be cautious over online deals that “seem attractively low”.

In a statement today, Revenue said that in cases “where the price of goods advertised online seems attractively low, this may be because tax and duty has not been included in the price, or because the goods may be counterfeit”.

Customs duties and import VAT charges do not apply to online shoppers when ordering goods from Ireland or other EU countries.

However, almost all goods arriving from non-EU countries will be liable to import tax and duties.  

Revenue has also reminded consumers that parcel operators usually charge a separate administration fee.

Where the price advertised does not include these costs, additional charges may apply once the goods arrive in Ireland.

Maureen Dalton, Head of Revenue’s South East Frontier Management Branch, explained more about these additional charges that could arise when buying goods online from non-EU countries.

Dalton said that all goods will be liable to VAT, while goods with a customs value of more than €150 will be liable to both Customs Duty and VAT.

She explained: “This means, for example, that an item of clothing bought online from the US or UK, at an equivalent cost of €250, could cost in the region of €97 extra for Customs Duty, VAT, insurance, and handling fees.”

She advised shoppers to check whether the advertised price includes any taxes, duties or administrative fees before deciding to buy goods online.

Dalton said this will ensure that shoppers are not faced with unexpected charges on delivery.

Consumers should also note that a ‘.ie’ domain name does not always mean that the seller is based in Ireland.

Shoppers can check where a business is based by reading through the ‘About’, ‘Contact us’ and ‘Terms and Conditions’ sections of its website.

Revenue also today reminded consumers that counterfeit goods are seized at the point of importation.  

Last year, Revenue seized counterfeit goods worth almost €5.8 million.

Dalton said that imitation brand clothing, runners, handbags and mobile devices are among the counterfeit goods most commonly seized by Revenue.

She added: “Some of these goods are not subject to regulation in the country where they are made and are often of a poor quality, which fails to conform with accepted safety standards.”

She advised shoppers to take care when purchasing goods online “both from a health and safety perspective, and from the perspective of making sure that they don’t suffer a financial loss when the goods they purchase are seized because they are counterfeit”.

“When shopping online, shoppers should be mindful that some deals are too good to be true, and what looks like a good decision to buy can ultimately be an expensive, or even dangerous one,” said Dalton.

Further information on tax and duty charges that may arise on goods bought online can be found on the Revenue website.

Revenue also reminded the public and businesses that if they have any information regarding the smuggling or sale of counterfeit goods, they can contact Revenue in confidence on free phone number 1800 295 295.