Can't buy laptop in Ireland with website set to Ireland

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FinnK

Member
I was trying to buy a laptop today but after entering payment details it gives a message about the website being set to UK VAT rate, even though the top of the page says set to Republic of Ireland (on firefox). Looks like a bug. I tried again with Chrome incognito but the same message pops up right at the end. Does anyone know of a workaround?
 

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
I was trying to buy a laptop today but after entering payment details it gives a message about the website being set to UK VAT rate, even though the top of the page says set to Republic of Ireland (on firefox). Looks like a bug. I tried again with Chrome incognito but the same message pops up right at the end. Does anyone know of a workaround?
At the bottom of the configurator there’s the delivery option, you need to set that to Ireland rather than UK mainland.
 

FinnK

Member
The delivery option has been set in both attempts to:
Delivery
2 - 3 DAY DELIVERY TO REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

and the only other option in the delivery dropdown is a EU wide delivery, nothing about the UK.

and I did a ctr-f for UK on the checkout page, only thing it shows up is the power cable and keyboard.
 

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
The delivery option has been set in both attempts to:
Delivery
2 - 3 DAY DELIVERY TO REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

and the only other option in the delivery dropdown is a EU wide delivery, nothing about the UK.

and I did a ctr-f for UK on the checkout page, only thing it shows up is the power cable and keyboard.
Hmmmm, works fine on mine, perhaps it's a bug on a specific configurator.... which configurator are you on, which specific laptop?
 

steaky360

Moderator
Moderator
I was trying to buy a laptop today but after entering payment details it gives a message about the website being set to UK VAT rate, even though the top of the page says set to Republic of Ireland (on firefox). Looks like a bug. I tried again with Chrome incognito but the same message pops up right at the end. Does anyone know of a workaround?

The delivery option has been set in both attempts to:
Delivery
2 - 3 DAY DELIVERY TO REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

and the only other option in the delivery dropdown is a EU wide delivery, nothing about the UK.

and I did a ctr-f for UK on the checkout page, only thing it shows up is the power cable and keyboard.
Is the issue that you can't purchase? Or is it just that you're being charged UK VAT? Do you not need to pay UK VAT because PCS are a UK company and ultimately you're buying from the UK? If you've got a regsistered VAT number you can put that in to pay VAT free.

Sorry if I've totally got the wrong end of the stick here!
 

steaky360

Moderator
Moderator
Bug is that I can't buy the laptop, error pops up during payment, and the vat rate being applied is 23%, seems correct for Ireland.

It is the 17.3' Optimus X V2 : https://www.pcspecialist.ie/notebooks/optimusx-v2-17/

I'm not going to try and buy the laptop to see if I get the error... If you've tried once or twice, I'd suggest waiting till Monday and getting in touch with PCS. You can email them if you'd prefer but they might take a little while longer to get back to you. Someone may see this thread and respond here but I wouldn't rely on it.

[@moosEh 'might' see it - but perhaps not!]
 

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
Bug is that I can't buy the laptop, error pops up during payment, and the vat rate being applied is 23%, seems correct for Ireland.

It is the 17.3' Optimus X V2 : https://www.pcspecialist.ie/notebooks/optimusx-v2-17/
Ah, gotcha, totally missed that it's cropping up during payment! As @steaky360 says, it's going to be quickest to phone them first thing on Monday morning. I'll raise this with their support team in the meantime but they won't get it until Monday Morning anyway.
 

Shaq

New member
Is the issue that you can't purchase? Or is it just that you're being charged UK VAT? Do you not need to pay UK VAT because PCS are a UK company and ultimately you're buying from the UK? If you've got a regsistered VAT number you can put that in to pay VAT free.

Sorry if I've totally got the wrong end of the stick here!
Forgive me for intruding; I was wondering where can I put the registered Irish VAT number as I would like to purchase a computer for my company. I can't seem to find it.

Thanks.
 

Bhuna50

Author Level
Forgive me for intruding; I was wondering where can I put the registered Irish VAT number as I would like to purchase a computer for my company. I can't seem to find it.

Thanks.

The forums are not run but PCS staff but volunteers and whilst some may pop in from time to time, you will be better off contacting them directly through the website - either online chat, email or give them a call to ask about this.
 

Shaq

New member
The forums are not run but PCS staff but volunteers and whilst some may pop in from time to time, you will be better off contacting them directly through the website - either online chat, email or give them a call to ask about this.

Hi
I tried contacting them either by phone, email and live chat. Queues on the phone lines are very long, I tried emailing more than a week ago and didn't receive an answer yet, and live chat doesn't seem to work (during working hours). I thought I could try my luck here.
 

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
Forgive me for intruding; I was wondering where can I put the registered Irish VAT number as I would like to purchase a computer for my company. I can't seem to find it.

Thanks.
This wouldn't be relevant anymore as UK is now outside of EU. So you wouldn't pay VAT anyway as you're not UK resident.
 

Citrus_9

Expert
Is the issue that you can't purchase? Or is it just that you're being charged UK VAT? Do you not need to pay UK VAT because PCS are a UK company and ultimately you're buying from the UK? If you've got a regsistered VAT number you can put that in to pay VAT free.

Sorry if I've totally got the wrong end of the stick here!
Things have changed after Brexit. Online purchases from the Uk which will be delivered to Ireland now should be with applied Irish VAT (21% until March 2021 and later standard 23%). If seller apply UK VAT for these purchases, a customer will have to pay Irish VAT (not tarriffs) in addition to that at the customs. PCS, to the best of my knowledge, is registered with Irish Revenue and is a VAT payable. If that's the case, then PCS must apply Irish Vat for deliveries in Ireland and apply zero UK VAT. Only UK VAT applicable to deliveries in UK or if a seller is not registered for Irish Vat and doesn't have an Irish Vat number from the Irish Revenue (tax office).
 
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Citrus_9

Expert
This wouldn't be relevant anymore as UK is now outside of EU. So you wouldn't pay VAT anyway as you're not UK resident.
It depends on if PCS is registered for Irish Vat and if they apply Irish Vat for purchases, or not. As far as I know, they're. In that case PCS must apply Irish Vat after Brexit and a buyer may apply their Vat return. Your answer is based on where purchaser is registered and trading in, but that wouldn't apply if a seller is registered in same country where purchaser is based. I believe PCS hits 75000 Euro anual threshold. In that case purchaser must be registered with the government's tax office for Vat returns, to which the goods are being imported.

  • The loss of Distance Selling thresholds for UK e-commerce sellers of goods to EU consumers. Goods are now be subject to import VAT, and UK sellers will have to consider VAT registering in Europe immediately. Similarly, EU e-commerce sellers may now need to register immediately for UK VAT if they have been selling to UK consumers under the £70,000 threshold.
  • Any UK business with a foreign VAT registration in the EU may now face the obligation to appoint a special VAT fiscal representative. This applies in 19 of the 27 EU states. These agents hold direct liablity for any unpaid VAT, and therefore require cash deposits or bank guarantees in exchange.

Generally VAT (=value added tax) is a consumers tax and it's applied there where the consumer is, with certain exceptions (mainly for consumable goods: fuel, food etc, but these also have certain exceptions, depending on the situation and product code on the clasificator).

Before Brexit it didn't matter as the UK was in the open EU market where VAT had lots of open space to work around and different agreements where in place, mainly VAT was applied in country where services provided or from which goods purchased. But now the UK is in a closed market and must follow international, not the UK, rules. It means that the UK will now lose VAT from certain purchases to Ireland and possibly other countries, unfortunately, and countries, to which goods go to, will get VAT in their budget. This applies if thresholds reached and seller is registered for other country's VAT. So seller collect Irish VAT and return to Irish Tax office (not keep to the UK Tax office as previously). In this case buyer can also provide their VAT for invoice reference.
 
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ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
Nobody on here will be able to help @Shaq with this because none of us work for PCS. Live Chat would be your best option.

I'm going to lock this thread now, it's almost a year old in any case and this isn't the place for a lecture on VAT issues post Brexit.
 
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