When the United Kingdom left the European Union at the beginning of 2021, new rules came into force, meaning that VAT and duty would be charged on goods, including books and magazines, shipped from the UK to countries within the EU. There was an exemption for items with a value under 22 euros, which ended on June 30th. This means that shipments of both Air-Britain News and Aviation World are now subject to VAT at the relevant rate of the receiving country.

For the despatch of Air-Britain Magazines from July, we have made two changes – there is no longer a cover price, but the magazine is now shown as a “Subscription Magazine”. We have also switched to the same clear plastic envelope that has been used for UK magazines, to help the postal authorities to see the contents.

It is possible that you may be asked to pay VAT by your local postal authorities before you receive the magazine. This is a cost that Air-Britain cannot bear itself, but we are looking to see if there is an easier way to administer this process for future magazines. We are unable to send out replacement copies where non-delivery is due to non-payment of the VAT charge, nor to refund any administration charges imposed by your postal / delivery company.

If you have any comments on this, please contact steve.mitchell@air-britain.com