Royal British Legion Closes Online Store To Europe, Due To Brexit Tariffs

The Royal British Legion (RBL) has closed its online store to customers in the EU – because of Brexit.

The UK's leading military charity is blaming new tariffs that have come into place since Britain left the EU, meaning customers in Europe would have to pay considerably more.

The RBL told Forces News: "EU customers will have to pay the cost of VAT and customs on top of the standard delivery charge of £14.

"These additional costs can, on many occasions, amount to a higher value than the value of the order itself."

The RBL's online Poppy Shop sells a range of merchandise, including jewellery and gifts, with all profits going to the charity.

The RBL customer base in the EU is relatively small, totalling 0.2% of all orders.

To remove the new tariffs for EU customers, the Poppy Shop would have to register for VAT and Importers One Stop Shop, in one of the EU countries and complete relevant VAT returns on a regular basis. 

The cost of this would be approximately £12,000 per year, roughly double the profit made in the EU each year. 

There is no change to the distribution of paper poppies to the EU, and deliveries will continue to take place so that remembrance activity can continue across Europe.