Jasmine Harman was left surprised this week after having to pay a duty which she described as ‘a bit unfair.’
The A Place In The Sun star, who turns 50 today (November 15), took to her Instagram page after collecting a parcel that had been sent to her from the UK for her birthday.
Speaking to her 234,000 followers, she said: ‘I’ve just received a gift in the post, and sent international tracked, Royal Mail…
‘But it says it’s the value of £32.40, and I’ve just had to pay €16 to receive it, that is the duty on whatever it is, which seems a bit unfair, having to pay tax on birthday presents… thanks Brexit!’
Brits pay duties on deliveries into Spain after Brexit because the UK is no longer part of the EU and its customs union.
It means goods now cross a customs border that requires customs declarations and the payment of taxes like VAT.
As a result, shipments from the UK to Spain are subject to the same customs procedures as any other non-EU country
It’s not Jasmine’s first brush with bureaucracy in Spain, with her new show – Jasmine Harman’s Renovation In The Sun – revealing how she almost lost the purchase of her Estepona home due to a document error.
The show documents how Jasmine, her husband John and their two children manage the move to Estepona – most importantly, the total renovation of a villa on the New Golden Mile.
In the first episode, Jasmine and John were seen trying to close the purchase of the property, which came with a unique set of complications as it had been inherited by the vendor.
The Harmans faced a tight deadline to close the deal, with a signing of the final documents scheduled at the same time the mortgage deal they were offered was due to time out.
In typical Spanish style, Jasmine receives a call and is told that everything is signed and going ahead, only to be told minutes later that there is a ‘paperwork issue’.
Jasmine’s lawyer informed her that the deal could not be closed because one of the documents was missing a stamp from the local College of Architects.
A visibly frustrated Jasmine, who has been selling homes on the Costa del Sol for decades, put her face in her hands, before asking if the whole deal was now jeopardised.
Fortunately, after her lawyer spends ‘the whole day’ at the notary, they were able to conclude the deal, as long as the stamped document was handed in within the following few days.
