Sending myself things from the US to Europe: how do import taxes work?

Question

I'm relocating to Europe soon and have some things I want sent from the US (one big box of stuff).

I called a relocation company, who said that since my primary residence is not changing, I have to pay import taxes and VAT on those goods (I believe the import tax is like 10% of the value of the goods, and the VAT amounts to 20% of the (declared value + freight cost + insurance)). Ok, that's fine, I'll bite the bullet and just do it.

So- how will I actually pay those duties? I'm using USPS to ship to a residential address in Ireland. Will the package arrive, or do I have to go someplace and pay duties before I can claim my package?

Should I keep anything else in mind when packing / sending my box from the US? (a relative is taking care of this for me)

Answer 1

When your package arrives, the delivery shipping company will send you a note that there are charges to be paid. You will pay to the delivery company, and the delivery company will pay to the customs. After you have paid, they will release the parcel.

Depending on the delivery company, this may mean you need to physically go to a location to pay and pickup the parcel, or you will be provided with an option to pay online and schedule delivery on a later date. I have experienced both.