No idea what all those deals and nonsense actually mean. But that is an aside to VAT. The free trade aspect might just mean no duty on a small number of specific items ?

Before everyone just paid VAT at the point of sale, and that was that. Now each country will want their own VAT. Load of balls really.

If you think it's bad there....it's even worse over here, were we have been pretty much fucked from all sides. Most places claim they will not ship outside UK, even though we are in the UK, and some won't ship here because we're Northern Ireland and the new sea border is just a total and utter clusterfuck.