The procedure for shopping from abroad has changed, and costs have increased.

In August of last year, regulations were changed regarding limits and taxes for purchases made from abroad. According to the decision published in the Official Gazette, taxes on products ordered from abroad were increased by 66% to 100%, and the shopping limit was reduced from 150 euros to 30 euros.

TAXES HAVE BEEN REARRANGED

Items sent to a natural person via postal or express cargo transportation that do not constitute a commercial quantity and nature, with a value not exceeding 30 euros, and medicines with a value not exceeding 1500 euros are subject to the following taxes:

a) If coming directly from European Union countries, 30%

b) If coming from other countries, 60%

c) In the case of items listed in the (IV) list attached to the Special Consumption Tax Law No. 4760 dated 6/6/2002, an additional fixed tax of 20% will be collected on top of the above rates.

WHAT DOES THE NEW REGULATION BRING?

According to the decision published today in the Official Gazette, changes have been made to the Decision on the Implementation of Certain Articles of the Customs Law No. 4458.

Accordingly, an explanation was added to the third paragraph of Article 63 of the Decision on the Implementation of Certain Articles of the Customs Law No. 4458: "Transportation costs incurred up to the entry port or place in Turkey for the goods specified in the first, second, and third paragraphs of the same article will be added to the value of the goods. The Ministry is authorized to determine the procedures and principles regarding the implementation of this paragraph."

The regulation will come into effect 30 days later.

COSTS WILL INCREASE

With the regulation, in addition to the price of the product ordered from foreign e-commerce sites, shipping costs will also be added, and if it exceeds 30 euros, customs brokerage services will need to be obtained for customs procedures.

For example, if a pen worth 29 euros is purchased from site A operating abroad, and the shipping cost to Turkey is 2 euros, the product's price will be presented as 31 euros with the new regulation, thus exceeding the 30-euro shopping limit, requiring customs brokerage services. The foreign express cargo shopping limit was reduced from 150 euros to 30 euros last August.

REPRESENTATIVE WILL MONITOR

According to the law, all customs procedures, including customs declarations for goods that do not constitute a commercial quantity and nature exceeding 30 euros and not exceeding 1500 euros, need to be monitored and concluded. Companies engaged in express cargo transportation that meet the conditions set by the postal administration and the Ministry of Trade can be authorized as indirect representatives.

Express cargo companies that will use the authority employ customs brokers. The Ministry of Trade is authorized to increase the quantity or value limits for goods subject to the export regime up to ten times separately.

THERE IS A 30 KILOGRAM RULE

It is important to ensure that the purchased product does not exceed 30 kilograms. If the purchased products exceed 30 kilograms, they are subject to customs commercial laws. An additional customs duty of 48% is also applied when calculating products exceeding 30 kilograms.