European Import VAT
If you're based in Europe, we now have to charge VAT at the point of purchase. The good news is a few European countries do not charge VAT for books, and in the case of the ones that do, the majority have a special low rate for printed matter. Additionally, books do not incur duty.
All EU parcels are sent using our unique IOSS (Import One Stop Shop) number. This means that any VAT your respective country charges to import books is paid at the point of purchase and no extra import fees are due after this. This also streamlines the customs process so you get your order quicker.
The below table shows the current rates of VAT added for each European country we currently ship to. This is under constant review and may change to reflect current legislation. Note that we cannot ship to business addresses in the EU.
If you are charged additional import fees, and believe this is an error, please contact Bitmap Books before paying so we can investigate, as we are unable to help once any fees are paid.
Destination | VAT rate added to order |
Andorra | 1% |
Austria | 10% |
Belgium | 6% |
Bulgaria | 20% |
Croatia | 5% |
Czech Republic | 10% |
Denmark | 25% |
Estonia | 9% |
Finland | 10% |
France | 5.5% |
Germany | 7% |
Greece | 6% |
Hungary | 5% |
Ireland | 0% |
Italy | 4% |
Latvia | 12% |
Liechtenstein | 2.5% |
Lithuania | 9% |
Luxembourg | 3% |
Netherlands | 9% |
Norway | 0% |
Poland | 8% |
Portugal | 6% |
Romania | 5% |
Slovakia | 10% |
Slovenia | 5% |
Spain | 4% |
Sweden | 6% |
Switzerland | 0% for orders under £125 / 145 CHF |
If you have any questions about VAT, please email us or speak to your local customs office.