A UK furniture find, delivered to the Netherlands: work out the landed cost

Ask for the invoice you will actually pay

Do not automatically subtract 20% from a British dealer’s displayed price. The seller’s VAT position, any margin scheme and the export arrangement matter. HMRC explains that an export may qualify for zero rating when the conditions and evidence requirements are met; that does not promise a particular discount to your order.^[2]

Ask for a written invoice or quotation showing the furniture price, currency, tax treatment and any packing charge. Establish whether the seller or an agent is arranging the export. If the price is in pounds, use your payment provider’s actual conversion and fee when budgeting, not a search-result exchange rate.

Also ask whether the furniture is physically in Great Britain. A British website can advertise an object held elsewhere, which changes the route and the questions.

Import VAT, duty and handling are different lines

Dutch Customs states that extra costs for purchases outside the EU also apply to second-hand goods. Its consumer guidance calculates VAT over the product price plus shipping, relevant insurance and import duty. Clearance or handling charges are separate costs to establish with the provider.^[1]

Have the carrier or customs representative confirm classification, origin and the applicable rate for your object. Shipping from Britain does not by itself prove British origin or entitlement to preferential duty. A mid-century chair should not simply be declared an antique because it is old; specific customs classifications have their own conditions.

Rosewood or another controlled material may require additional documents. Resolve that before dispatch with the appropriate authority. A transport quote that omits the question does not remove the requirement.^[3]

An illustrative €1,330 furniture-and-freight base

Assume the accepted seller invoice converts to €900, packing is €80 and the relevant transport and insurance total €350. For this worked example only, assume the customs representative confirms no duty and 21% import VAT for this ordinary, non-antique furniture. The calculation is not an actual invoice or a classification ruling.

If duty applies, add it before calculating the VAT base. If the provider charges further tax on a service or the invoice uses a different accepted conversion, update the total. Do not add import VAT a second time when it has already been collected under the agreed arrangement. Ask for a breakdown that lets you see what is included.

Specify the last twenty metres

Confirm the collection and delivery addresses, floors, stairs, lifts, parking and the number of people required. Ask whether the service is curbside, inside the building or into the chosen room. Agree who packs the object and whether any disassembly is permitted by the construction.

Check the timetable, storage charges if clearance is delayed and the process for damage. A cheap quote can become expensive if it assumes ground-floor access or leaves you to move a heavy cabinet from the pavement. Keep packing photographs and the condition record together.

Rules and official guidance checked on 10 September 2026. Choose the piece when the complete route and cost remain attractive beside a realistic EU alternative. The crossing should be a priced part of the purchase, not a surprise after it has left the shop.