About Customs Duty and Tax

When you send a parcel internationally, Customs officials in the destination country will assess whether duties and taxes apply. These charges are set by the importing country’s customs authority — not by us — and are based on the details of your shipment.

Several factors affect how much duty or tax is payable, including:

• The country you’re sending to

• The reason for sending (e.g. gift, sale, or personal effects)

• The type of items you’re sending

• The declared value of those items

1. The reason you are sending the shipment

Different countries apply different rules depending on why a parcel is being sent.

• Gifts and personal effects:Some destinations offer duty-free or tax-free import allowances for gifts or personal items under a certain value, while others may charge duties regardless of value

• Commercial goods or sales:Items sent for business or resale usually attract duties and taxes, even at lower values

You can check the duty-free threshold and local import rules for your destination by visiting our Country Information pages, or by contacting the local customs office directly.

2. What you are sending

Each product being shipped is assigned a tariff or HS code (Harmonised System code), which determines the exact duty and tax rate for that item.

Most customs authorities provide online tools where you can look up the correct tariff code and see the applicable import duty and tax rates.You can learn more about tariff codes and how to find them on the UK Government Trade Tariff website.

3. Who pays the customs charges

All shipments are sent delivery duty unpaid (DDU) as standard, this means the recipient must pay any customs duties and taxes before the parcel can be delivered. This is called DDU, delivery duty unpaid. 

If the recipient refuses to pay:

• The shipment will be held by customs and delivery will be delayed until payment is made

• If payment is not received, the parcel may be returned to the sender

• In that case, return shipping charges may apply, and you (the sender) would be responsible for covering them

Important tips

To avoid unexpected delays or costs, we recommend:

• Clearly declaring the contents and value of your parcel

• Including accurate descriptions and tariff codes where possible

• Letting your recipient know they may need to pay import duties or taxes upon arrival