The Revenue Commissioners has warned customers to check whether the prices of goods include all taxes and duty costs in advance of the typical surge in online shopping around Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
The tax authority noted that additional charges such as VAT and Customs Duty may need to be paid when items arrive in Ireland with the customer liable to pay the fees.
The head of Revenue’s southeast frontier management branch, Maureen Dalton warned “when buying goods online from outside the European Union, including from the United Kingdom – excluding Northern Ireland- additional costs can arise before your goods are delivered.”
“Customs formalities apply, and VAT is chargeable on all goods imported into Ireland, regardless of their value.” Ms Dalton noted, explaining that should the purchase price of goods exceed €150, both Customs Duty and VAT may apply.
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Revenue has urged consumers that they can avoid these charges by checking if the price of the goods they are buying online include Irish VAT and relevant customs duties.
If a website states “taxes and duties included” or shows import charges at the checkout, then no additional charges, should arise on delivery,” Ms Dalton said.
“However, if this is not the case, you will be required to pay the relevant charges to the postal service or courier before your goods are released.”
Revenue also stated that it is working with rights holders against the sale of sale of counterfeit goods noting items “suspected of infringing intellectual property rights” will be detained by Revenue.
Consumers were further urged to be “cautious of prices that appear too good to be true” amid a rise in online scams and fraudulent selling around the busy shopping period.
A similar consumer warning has been issued by Bank of Ireland.
Analysis by the bank’s fraud team found that so-called purchase scam cases increased by nearly half, up 47 per cent in the first half of 2025 against the previous six months.
The value of losses increased by 16 per cent, as customers were duped while buying cosmetics, electronics, and concert tickets among other items.
The rise in fraud cases “underlines the need for people to stay vigilant, to buy from trusted outlets and websites, and to avoid complacency when shopping online or in person,” Nicola Sadlier, the head of fraud at Bank of Ireland said.
The bank advised customers to be wary of advertisements on social media and on online marketplaces, encouraged the public to avoid clicking on links in unsolicited emails or on social media, and to read reviews of sites before making purchases.
Bank of Ireland also urged consumers to use debit or credit cards for their purchases noting “this could give you additional protection such as chargeback claims”.
