Returns on goods sent DDP

Hello, I have sent goods to the EU to a customer. Tax and duties were charged separately (not included in the product price) during checkout. Order was then sent DDP via DHL. The customer has no returned the goods. As the exporter are we responsible to refund the tax and duties paid and then claim back through our courier or is it the customers responsibility to claim tax and duties from their own country's border? I am not VAT registered in this EU country so not sure whether we can claim back tax and duty. Thanks

A claim for overseas duties cannot be made to HMRC and it’s unlikely HMRC can provide any advice. Any reclaim must be made to the customs in the country of import. The EU does allow for reclaims on returned e commerce goods , however only the person named on the customs declaration can make a reclaim. It is highly probable that will be your customer. The exact process will depend on the individual country but they would need details of the original import declaration which they are unlikely to have access to. Whether you are responsible for refunding your customers will depend on on your terms and conditions.

Hi naokike14,
The party who has paid the custom charges has to request the refund from the customs authority of the country whom the charges were paid to.
It also depends on the type of representation the parties have, you may have contact DHL for more information.
Thank you.