Source: https://rivet.global/blog/ireland-paying-uk-suppliers-after-brexit
Published: 2026-08-26 · Updated: 2026-08-26 · By Alexia M.

# Irish companies paying UK suppliers after Brexit: sterling, VAT and customs

How Irish companies pay UK suppliers today: sterling payments and FX, VAT on services and goods from Great Britain, customs, and Northern Ireland's different rules.

## Key takeaways

- Goods from Great Britain are imports into Ireland since 1 January 2021, with customs declarations, possible duty and import VAT.
- Goods from Northern Ireland follow EU goods rules under the Windsor Framework.
- Services from UK businesses are generally reverse charged by the Irish company.
- Paying UK suppliers in sterling on Faster Payments avoids SWIFT fees and the supplier's conversion margin.

The UK is still one of Ireland's largest trading partners. Since Brexit, buying from a supplier in Great Britain means customs and import VAT on goods, and a sterling payment that many Irish companies route through SWIFT.

## Goods, services and Northern Ireland

| Supply | Rule |
|---|---|
| Goods from Great Britain | Import: customs declaration, possible duty, import VAT (postponed accounting available) |
| Goods from Northern Ireland | EU goods rules, no customs between NI and Ireland |
| B2B services from UK businesses | Reverse charge by the Irish company |

## Paying the supplier

A Dublin retailer pays a Leeds supplier £14,000. Sent from a euro account by SWIFT, it carries a fee and the bank's margin, and may lose an intermediary fee. Sent in sterling on Faster Payments, it arrives the same day in full.

## Holding sterling

Irish companies that also sell to the UK can hold sterling receipts and pay UK suppliers from them. Those that do not can convert in planned amounts at a known rate.

## Records

Keep the customs entry, the invoice and the payment together. Revenue may ask for all three to support the VAT treatment.

## Paying into Ireland: the local rail

| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| Local rail | SEPA Instant Credit Transfer |
| Run by | European Payments Council scheme, run by each bank |
| Settlement | Under ten seconds, 24/7 |
| Published fee | By the EU Instant Payments Regulation, no more than the bank charges for a standard SEPA transfer |

Source: [European Payments Council: SEPA Instant Credit Transfer](https://www.europeanpaymentscouncil.eu/what-we-do/sepa-instant-credit-transfer). Checked when this guide was last updated; the scheme's own page has the current figures.

## Where Rivet fits

Rivet gives Irish companies GBP details with a sort code and EUR details on Growth, plus USD on every plan, and pays UK suppliers on Faster Payments from a sterling balance. Rivet is not a bank; regulated partner institutions hold the funds. See [postponed VAT accounting](/blog/postponed-vat-accounting) and [pay EU suppliers from the UK](/blog/pay-eu-suppliers-from-uk).

## Questions

### Do I pay VAT on goods from the UK?

On goods from Great Britain, import VAT applies at import, and Irish companies can use postponed accounting where eligible. Goods from Northern Ireland follow EU rules.

### Do I pay VAT on UK services?

Generally the Irish company accounts for Irish VAT under the reverse charge on B2B services from UK businesses.

### Should I pay UK suppliers in sterling?

Usually yes. Paying in euros pushes conversion onto the supplier's bank, which often shows up in the price.

### What is postponed accounting?

A scheme that lets VAT-registered importers account for import VAT in their VAT return instead of paying at the border.