Moving items from the UK

You will find some removal firms classifieds Sur in English many will take items as a part load, paperwork critical now UK not part of the Customs Union and Single market. UK does have a trade deal, however, customs try to impose VAT on the value. People who do shipping will advise. 

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Unfortunatly it works both ways too. Taken from an article recently...............

A disgruntled Spanish resident, journalist Eugene Costello experienced similar issues when sending an item to his daughter back in the UK. He tweeted: “I live in Valencia and recently sent an old laptop to my daughter. ParcelForce are withholding it until the bill of £146 is paid. Can this be right? An old laptop sent by a Dad to his daughter, so she can work online since her school is shut?”

Dear @HMRCgovuk @HMRCpressoffice I live in Valencia and recently sent an old laptop to my daughter. ParcelForce are withholding it until your bill of £146 is paid. Can this be right? An old laptop sent by a dad to a daughter so she can work online since her school is shut #Covid! pic.twitter.com/qyqmoPwtmw

— Eugene Costello (@eugenecostello) January 27, 2021

Sound like they over valued the laptop, perhaps customs documents not correct, either way life was much more simpler before Brexit. 

Is that right that they charge VAT on your own possessions?  I can sort of see the argument when someone sends a ‘gift’ to somebody else, but surely if they are your possessions and staying in your ownership you have already paid the VAT when you purchased them??  That’s double taxation surely?? 😱

When moving to a new country anywhere in the world, you are moving your residence, and therefore your furniture and possessions are changing residency with you. But you are effectively exporting and importing goods, because the UK is now independent and what is called a ‘third country’. To take goods out of a country, you need to export them. To bring them into another country, you must import them. This is the essence of customs clearance. The process entails the value of your goods being assessed, and then they would be subjected to duty and VAT upon entry to the new country.

No longer can anybody just load a van with furniture and head off across the channel.  Now, customs clearance will be required for the load, even if it is all your own stuff.  From now all removals to and from the EU will require in-depth inventories and packing lists. Each client will have to provide proof of identity,  residency and destination, and also provide monetary values. Every removal firm has to be registered with HMRC as an economic operator with an EORI number. They also need to register with the relevant European authorities, or use outside agencies to act on their behalf for the client.

The consequences of things not being done correctly are enormous. Without customs clearance the removal will not even leave the country of export. Trying to enter the EU with undeclared, or wrongly declared goods, will result in delays, fines, and goods being stranded.  If the transporter doesn’t have the correct licensing, insurance, and documentation, the vehicle will be impounded.

The above is correct, but there is a provision under EU law for those moving residence to within the bloc, where you do not have to pay any duty. 

 RELIEF FROM IMPORT DUTY
CHAPTER I
Personal property belonging to natural persons transferring
their normal place of residence from a third country to the
Community.

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:324:0023:0057:EN:PDF

I posted below earlier & the link below from the Finland site has all the details, 'I used this and raised the correct paper work and had no problems, but it's not simple. 

Now UK no longer in the SM and CU a 'third country' you need all the 'correct paper work' or will face paying customs, UK has a trade deal but 'local VAT is payable on the value of belongings'. For people moving to an EU country who can prove they have 'resided outside an EU/EEA  country for 12 months' can transport your personal belongings to your new residence without Duty/VAT. You need a mountain of paper work to prove this & might be a little more complex if not traveling direct to Spain, 'VAT is due in the country where you are moving to'. Most removal companies should now be up to speed on the paperwork. 

'This a very good page which will help, with 'link for paperwork', although it's for Finland 'the very same rules apply Spain.'

https://tulli.fi/en/private-persons/moving/moving-to-finland-from-a-non-eu-country