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Customer Notice 2.12.2016
Are you expecting a gift from abroad - do you have declare it and pay taxes on it?

Publication date 2.12.2016 16.25 | Published in English on 12.1.2017 at 9.38
Press release

A Christmas gift intended as a pleasant surprise can turn in to a costly affair for its recipient, if it is sent from outside the EU’s customs and fiscal territory. If you receive a gift from a private person from outside the EU and it is worth more than 45 euros, you must clear the gift through Customs and pay the import duties and taxes due on your own initiative.

If the gift is worth no more than 45 euros, you don’t have to clear it even though you’ve received it from outside the EU. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule, such as gifts containing alcohol and tobacco.

Did you receive a notice of arrival from Posti for an item requiring customs declaration?

You may receive a notice of arrival from Posti regarding a gift consignment that you don’t have to clear. You can ask for the consignment to be released via e-mail and now also online via Customs’ Web Import service. In order to have the gift released, you need to provide information about its content and value. Therefore, you need ask the sender for this information before requesting the gift’s release.

Also check that your gift does not contain products subject to exceptions

Exceptions apply to gifts sent from outside the EU that contain alcohol or tobacco, as such gifts must always be cleared through Customs and are always subject to payment of excise duty and VAT. If the gift contains perfumes, coffee or tea, please read our separate guidance on these products.

Remember that goods ordered online to be sent to another person or goods sent by a business are not regarded as gifts.

Read more

FAQ - Frequently asked questions about Christmas gifts  
Read more about import prohibitions and restrictions under the Tobacco Act
The postal service stores and also transports packages that are to be cleared by Customs – Customs helps with the customs clearance
Frequently asked questions about the Web Import service
Video on a notice of arrival of a postal consignment that must be cleared through Customs

Customer notice