Online shopping this Christmas will continue to be just as popular as last year thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic.
But since Brexit, a whole host of new charges and taxes have been introduced you have to consider when shopping from websites that are based in the UK.
One massive change happened in July of this year which could catch a lot of shoppers out.
New rules on non-EU goods came into effect on July 1, which means VAT and customs charges now apply to all goods coming into Ireland from a third country, such as the UK.
And because of this, An Post has issued a handy guide to help people avoid the pitfalls of customs charges and VAT.
Shopping local or in the EU is the main message of An Post this Christmas, because ordering from Ireland or any other country in the EU is completely free of customs charges.
Certain online retailers such as Amazon, Boots, M&S, and River Island apply customs charges at checkout, so you won't have any nasty surprises before delivery.
For a full list of retailers that do this, head over to anpost.com/customs.
The most important phrase to look out for when shopping online is "deliver duty paid". This will be seen in the online basket.
Shoppers should also check where the retailer is based before confirming a purchase.
Just because a website has a .ie address, does not mean that it's based in Ireland or the EU.
Look at the "about us" section or reviews online to get more information on the website.
Online scams are everywhere these days, and An Post has a section on its website that gives examples of what fraudulent messages look like.
When it comes to receiving presents, gifts from families or friends in non-EU countries up to the value of €45 (including postage) will need to have valid electronic customs data, but do not need to have any customs or VAT duty paid.
These need to be clearly labelled as a "gift" as well as clearly explaining what's inside.
If the gift is over €45, a customs fee will have to be paid by the receiver.
An Post has a service called Addresspal for parcels coming from the UK or US which simplifies the entire customs process.
Prices start from €6.50 per delivery.
All deliveries from An Post from non-EU countries will incur a fee of €3.50 for the receiver, and you can head over to AnPost.com for more information.
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