Import Duties
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Import duty (or customs duty) is a tax collected by customs authorities on all goods sold across borders. The aim of import duties is to raise income for local governments - but also to increase the end price of the goods for consumers, thus encouraging them to buy from the domestic market, which is not subject to this tax. Common examples of import duties are trade tariffs and excise duties.
What is import tax? Import tax is a flat tax rate charged by customs on imports. In many cases, the tax is equal to the local sales tax. Even when the goods have been purchased abroad, this consumption tax will still apply when they enter a different country. Examples include sales tax and value-added tax (VAT).
What is import tax? Duties and taxes will impact the total cost of your shipment, so it’s important you are aware of them early on.
The packages with a destination outside the EU will be shipped as DDU (Delivery Duty Unpaid).
As the recipient, you need to be aware for the (extra) costs for all import duties, customs and local sales taxes levied by the country you are shipping to. A payment of these is necessary to release your order from customs on arrival.
Many countries have a minimum threshold of order value that goods have to meet before taxes and duties apply - this is called a de minimis. The amount of tax and duties you’ll need to pay for a shipment are influenced by several factors, including: • The value of the goods (including insurance and shipping fees) • The goods description • The country or region of origin • The destination country’s tariff rates • The goods’ HS code(s)
For up to date information regarding import duties, please contact your local customs office.
Example: (US customers, take note: you can order up to $ 800 without having to pay any import duties).