Please see below sections for an overview of how things have changed since Brexit, and a comparison of ordering before and after Brexit.
Ever since we started back in 2009 Rothko and Frost have been an international company, with customers from all corners of the globe. Europe has always been close to us, both personally and in terms of our customers. In spite of Brexit, we at R&F remain committed to continuing to serve our valued and long-standing European customer base.
Here are some common questions we get asked about what shopping with us will be like after Brexit.
YES
We will still be able to supply European customers, just as we have been for the last 11 years.
YES
There is no change in the items we can sell and ship to you. Nitrocellulose paints, wood dyes, decals, mother of pearl, acrylic - large, small, liquid.. our complete range will still be available to you.
YES
We charge VAT and Duty at checkout. VAT is shown separately, and any applicable Duty is part of the shipping cost.
All parcels are then sent "DDP", i.e. Delivery Duty Paid. This means that we pay all of the VAT and Duty charges on the shipment. The price you pay at checkout is the final price you pay - there are no further charges upon receipt of your shipment.
Import fees are split in to three types:
VAT is also known as sales tax, and is usually a flat % rate for most products. In many European countries this rate is 19%. In the UK it is 20%. Prior to Brexit we would have had to charge 20% VAT on all orders to the EU. Please consult your tax advisor for instructions on how and if you can reclaim this tax.
Duty is an Import Duty that usually ranges from 3%-8% of the order value and varies depending on what the product is. As part of the trade agreement between the UK and EU any items made in the UK are exempt from Duty. The majority of our products, including all of our paints, lacquers and liquid dyes, are made here in the UK so should be exempt from any Duty.
Processing Fee is charged by the courier or postal service for processing your order through Customs. This usually ranges from £5-£15 depending on the courier or postal service used.
We ship all orders DDP, so we pay the customs VAT and Duty on your behalf. These are charged during checkout. Crucially, this means that:
A little bit, probably
Let's take a look at charges before and after Brexit.
| Charge Type | Before Brexit | After Brexit |
| Goods | Our standard product pricing | No change due to Brexit - any price adjustments are due to our annual price reviews and are the same for all customers. |
| VAT on Goods | UK VAT charged at 20% if the customer isn't EU VAT registered No UK VAT if the customer is EU VAT registered and has provided a valid VAT ID | VAT charged on all orders at UK rate of 20% |
| Import Duty | Customs Union means there are no import duties for shipments between UK and EU | Duty applies to some orders and items, and typically ranges from 3-8%. Whether or not Duty is due depends on multiple factors including order value, country of origin of the goods, and the product tariff codes. |
| Shipping Fee | Shipping charged at cost based on parcel size, weight and contents. | Shipping charged at cost based on parcel size, weight and contents. Where the courier charges a customs processing fee, this is included in the shipping price. Where import duty will be payable, this is included in the shipping price. |
| Customs Processing | Customs Union means there are no customs taxes or duties to pay, and hence no customs processing fee is charged by the couriers. | All items need to pass through customs and a customs fee is payable. We ship all items Delivery Duty Paid, so any applicable fees are charged at checkout and included in the shipping price. You will not need to pay anything more or separately to receive your order. UPS is the most expensive at £12.50 / shipment. FedEx does not charge us anything, and postal service is £0.50. |
MAYBE
We have been selling internationally for over 10 years and haven't ever seen such widespread disruption to shipping services as we have with Brexit.
At the time of writing (December 1st) services are stable, particularly DDP shipments with UPS and FedEx, with typically shipping time to most of Europe now 3-5 days. Postal services take longer, typically 5-10 days.
We supply tracking on all UPS, FedEx and Tracked Mail services - please check on this regularly so that any issues or queries from the courier can be resolved as quickly as possible.
