INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS! VAT/GST or duties NOT included! Read!

IMPORTANT NOTE about VAT/GST and DUTIES:

The rules and regulations regarding VAT/GST (value-added tax or goods & services tax) and duties have recently changed for many countries. For example, most countries in the EU now have a 0 EURO threshold for VAT, meaning that VAT should be collected on everything in the order. In addition, in most countries, VAT and duties are collected on the full value of the order including shipping costs, as the shipping costs are considered part of the total purchase. The duty threshold for many countries in the EU is 150 EURO so if your order (including shipping) is below that, duties should not apply. VAT is a separate fee and likely will still apply. Other countries have different rules, too many to list. Almost all countries are requiring that these VAT/GST taxes and any applicable duties be paid BEFORE packages can be delivered.

Unfortunately, the Astronomical League currently does not have the resources to collect these VAT/GST taxes or duties from you when you place your order. Therefore, shipping costs on your order do NOT include VAT/GST and duty tax, and you will be responsible for paying these taxes to your country's postal service or customs department prior to your package being delivered. Your country may also add an additional surcharge to cover their handling and processing fees for collecting your VAT and duty taxes. We apologize for the inconvenience. We are working toward finding a solution, but the solution may be months away.

If you place your order, you are agreeing to the terms that you will be responsible for the VAT/GST tax and duties if/when contacted by your postal carrier or customs department. The email address and phone number that you provide on your order will be included on the customs paperwork. After your package ships, we will email you a copy of the commercial invoice that will also be placed in a pouch on the outside of your package.

This applies to ALL international orders, including non-USA Membership-at-Large (MAL) orders. While our non-USA MAL customers do not pay shipping costs for their membership packet and can choose to receive a free book, the customs paperwork (commercial invoice) must reflect the retail value of the book, so that retail value and the shipping costs will be known to the carrier. Therefore, it is our current understanding that VAT/GST and duties will need to be collected on the value of the book plus shipping costs prior to the package being delivered, and that the customer will be responsible for paying these VAT/GST taxes and any applicable duties to their country's postal carrier or customs department.

Again, we are sorry for this inconvenience. Thank you for your patience as we continue to learn about this and work to find a way for you to prepay these VAT/GST taxes and duties at the time you place your order. For now, shipping does NOT include these VAT/GST taxes and duties, and you will likely be contacted by your postal carrier or customs department to pay these taxes before or upon delivery of your package.