Customs, Duties & Taxes
By Volkan
By Volkan
DDP vs DDU, estimating duties, customs paperwork and duty questions.
DDP vs DDU: who pays duties, where DDP is available, and what to do if you're asked to pay again
Short answer: With DDP (Delivered Duty Paid), you pay import duties and taxes up front when you create your shipment. With DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid), the person receiving the package pays them to the carrier on arrival. Whether DDP is offered depends on your destination and the carrier, so check the duty calculator and the options shown at checkout. DDP vs DDU: who pays, and when DDP and DDU at a glance Import duties and taxes are charged by your destination country, not by us. DDP and DDU decide when and how they get paid. | | DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) | DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid) | |---|---|---| | Who pays duties and taxes | You, up front, with your shipment | The recipient, to the carrier | | When you pay | When you create the shipment | When the package arrives in your country | | At your door | No duty to pay on delivery | The carrier collects before releasing the package | | Availability | Depends on destination and carrier | Available when DDP isn't | "Door-to-door" delivery isn't the same thing as duties being paid. Only DDP covers duties and taxes before delivery. If you have shipping insurance, don't refuse a DDU package over the duty. If you refuse it, or just let it sit unclaimed, because you don't want to pay the duty, insurance no longer covers that shipment. How to choose You choose between DDP and DDU while you create your shipment in your account. The options you see depend on your destination and the carrier. If DDP isn't offered for that combination, you'll only see DDU. Your choice can also affect transit time. Express services usually take 1–5 business days, and DDP or DDU can make that a little shorter or longer. The delivery estimate shown at checkout is the one to go by. Where DDP is available DDP availability varies by country and carrier, and it can change. To check your destination: 1. Use our duty calculator to estimate the duties and taxes for your items and country. 2. Create your shipment and look at the options shown at checkout. If DDP is available for your destination and carrier, you'll see it there. Our shipping calculator shows shipping costs only. Duties and taxes are estimated separately in the duty calculator. See "How import duties and taxes are calculated" for how they're worked out. Asked to pay duties again on a DDP shipment? If you paid duties with DDP and the carrier or customs asks you to pay again, contact our support team. After the necessary checks, we'll refund you. When you write to us, it helps to include: - Your outbound tracking number - A copy or screenshot of the carrier's payment request, or the receipt if you've already paid Our team will let you know if anything else is needed. Common questions What does DDP mean, and why would I pay for it if I already paid for shipping? Shipping covers getting the package to you. Duties and taxes are separate charges set by your country. DDP lets you pay them in advance so nothing is due at your door. Why can't I see DDP for my country? DDP depends on the destination and the carrier, and it isn't offered everywhere. If you only see DDU at checkout, DDP isn't available for that combination right now. Do you have a list of countries where DDP is available? Not at the moment. Check the duty calculator and the options shown at checkout for your destination. The carrier is asking me to pay duty, but I chose DDP. What should I do? Contact our support team with your tracking number and the carrier's request. After our checks, we'll refund you. With DDU, how will I know what to pay? The carrier contacts you or your recipient to collect duties and taxes before releasing the package. You can estimate the amount in advance with our duty calculator. Still need help? Our support team is available on weekdays from 09:00 to 17:00 ET at [email protected].
Customs paperwork: declarations, invoices and high-value shipments
Short answer: You fill in the customs declaration while you create your shipment in your account, listing what's inside and what you paid in USD. If any single Schedule B line is worth more than $2,500, the shipment also needs an EEI filing, which costs $40. If customs holds your package for documents, contact our support team. Your customs declaration Every international shipment needs a customs declaration. It tells customs in your country what's in the package and what it's worth, so they can clear it and work out any duties and taxes. You don't fill in a separate form. The declaration is part of creating a shipment: 1. Select the package marked Action Required in your account. If you're combining packages, select all of them. 2. Choose your delivery address from your Address Book. 3. Fill in the declaration for each item: description, quantity, value in USD and country of origin. Put each type of item on its own line. 4. Choose DDP or DDU, if both are offered for your destination. See "DDP vs DDU: who pays duties, where DDP is available, and what to do if you're asked to pay again". 5. Review everything and mark the shipment Ready to Ship. Check your declaration carefully before you confirm. If you notice a mistake afterwards, contact our support team straight away. How to write a good description Vague descriptions are one of the most common causes of customs delays. A customs officer who has never seen your item should know what it is from your description alone. | Too vague | Better | |---|---| | Clothes | Women's cotton T-shirt | | Electronics | Wireless Bluetooth headphones | | Gift | Ceramic coffee mug | Declare the right value - Use USD. Enter the amount you paid in US dollars. Don't convert it to your local currency. - Declare what you paid. Undervaluing items can lead to holds, fines or seizure. - Don't mark purchases as a gift. Calling a purchase a gift doesn't guarantee it'll be duty-free, and it can cause problems at customs. - Your declared value matters for insurance. Optional shipping insurance is priced at $3 for every $100 of total declared value. High-value shipments and EEI US export rules require Electronic Export Information (EEI) when a single Schedule B line in your shipment is worth more than $2,500. A Schedule B line is one commodity classification, so the threshold applies per item type, not to the shipment total. When an EEI filing is needed, we handle it for a $40 fee. When customs asks for documents Sometimes customs or the carrier holds a package and asks for more information, such as an invoice or product details. For some items, we may ask you for a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS or SDS). If your package is held for documents, or you need a copy of your paperwork, contact our support team with your tracking number and the carrier's request. We'll tell you what's needed and help you get it sorted. Common questions Do I need to fill in a separate customs form? No. The customs declaration is part of creating your shipment in your account. I bought my items through Personal Shopper. Can you provide the documents customs is asking for? Contact our support team with your tracking number and the request you received, and we'll help. Can I get a copy of the invoice for my shipment? Contact our support team with your tracking number and tell us what you need. My shipment is over $2,500. Do I need an EEI? Only if a single Schedule B line is worth more than $2,500. If it is, we file the EEI for a $40 fee. Can I declare my items as a gift to avoid duties? No. Declare purchases at the value you paid. Marking them as a gift doesn't guarantee they'll be duty-free. Still need help? Our support team is available on weekdays from 09:00 to 17:00 ET at [email protected].
How import duties and taxes are calculated
Short answer: Import duties and taxes are set by your destination country, based mainly on what you're shipping and its declared value. You can estimate them for free with our duty calculator. Our shipping calculator shows shipping costs only, so duties and taxes are always estimated separately. Estimate your duties first Use our duty calculator before you ship. Enter your destination country, the type of product and its value, and you'll get an estimate of the duties and taxes. The final amount is decided by your destination country's customs authority when the package is imported, so it can differ from the estimate. What affects the amount Customs authorities look at the same main things: - What the item is. Each type of product has its own duty rate. - Declared value. The value you enter on your customs declaration, in USD. - Destination country. Every country sets its own rates, taxes and thresholds. - Country of origin. Where the item was made can affect the rate. That's why an accurate customs declaration matters. See "Customs paperwork: declarations, invoices and high-value shipments" for how to fill it in. How the calculation works Most countries charge two things on imports: a customs duty and a consumption tax such as VAT or GST. They're usually worked out in this order: 1. Customs duty = declared value × duty rate 2. VAT or GST = (declared value + customs duty) × tax rate 3. Total = customs duty + VAT or GST Not every country charges both. Some charge only a duty, and some only a tax. In some countries, the shipping cost is also included in the value that duty is calculated on. The duty calculator takes your destination's rules into account. De minimis: when you may pay nothing Many countries set a de minimis threshold. This is a value below which no duty, and sometimes no tax, is charged. Thresholds differ by country, and countries change them from time to time, so check the duty calculator or your country's customs authority for the current figure. Combining packages: when you consolidate several packages into one shipment, customs counts the total declared value of everything inside. A consolidated shipment can go over your country's threshold even if each item on its own would be below it. Who pays, and when You're responsible for any duties and taxes your country charges. How you pay depends on the option you choose when you create your shipment: - DDP (Delivered Duty Paid): you pay duties and taxes up front, with your shipment. - DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid): the carrier collects them from you or your recipient before releasing the package. DDP isn't available for every destination and carrier. See "DDP vs DDU: who pays duties, where DDP is available, and what to do if you're asked to pay again" for how to check. Common questions Is the duty calculator's amount final? It's an estimate. Your destination country's customs authority sets the final amount at import. Does the shipping calculator include duties and taxes? No. It shows shipping costs only. Use the duty calculator to estimate duties and taxes. Does the shipping cost affect the duty? In some countries, yes. They calculate duty on the item value plus shipping. Others use the item value only. Can I split an order into several shipments to stay under the de minimis threshold? Splitting a single order on purpose to avoid duties isn't allowed in most countries, and customs can combine shipments sent to the same address. Always declare the real value of your items. I chose DDP but I'm being asked to pay duty again. What should I do? Contact our support team with your tracking number and the carrier's request. After our checks, we'll refund you. Still need help? Our support team is available on weekdays from 09:00 to 17:00 ET at [email protected].
Import VAT, GST and recipient tax IDs
Short answer: If you choose DDP, import VAT or GST is collected at checkout together with duties. If you choose DDU, the courier contacts the recipient and collects all duties and taxes before delivery. If your country needs a tax ID for imports, you can save it with your address in your Address Book. What import VAT and GST are Many countries charge a sales tax on imported goods. Depending on the country it's called VAT (value-added tax), GST (goods and services tax) or something similar. It's set by your destination country, not by us, and it's usually charged on top of any import duty. How much you pay depends on your country's rules, what you're shipping and its declared value. We don't publish country-by-country rates, because they're set and changed by each country. To estimate what you'll pay, use our duty calculator. How VAT and GST get paid: DDP or DDU Whether you pay the tax up front or on arrival depends on the option you choose when you create your shipment. | | DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) | DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid) | |---|---|---| | VAT / GST and duties | Collected at checkout | Collected by the courier from the recipient | | When | When you create the shipment | Before the package is delivered | | At your door | Nothing more to pay | The courier contacts the recipient first | DDP isn't offered for every destination and carrier. If you only see DDU at checkout, DDP isn't available for that combination right now. For the full comparison, see "DDP vs DDU: who pays duties, where DDP is available, and what to do if you're asked to pay again". Our shipping calculator shows shipping costs only. Duties and taxes, including VAT and GST, are always estimated separately in the duty calculator. See "How import duties and taxes are calculated" for how the amount is worked out. Recipient tax IDs Some countries ask the person receiving an import for a personal or business tax identification number. Customs or the courier may need it to clear the package. Where to add it: you can save the tax ID with the delivery address in your Address Book. Add it before you create your shipment. Does my country need one? We don't keep a list of countries that require a tax ID, and the rules can change. The best source is the official customs website of your destination country. If you're not sure, check there before you ship. If customs or the courier asks for a tax ID after your package has left, contact our support team with your tracking number and we'll help. Common questions I chose DDP. Will I be asked to pay VAT again on delivery? You shouldn't be. VAT or GST collected at checkout covers the tax for that shipment. If the courier or customs asks you to pay again, contact our support team. See "DDP vs DDU: who pays duties, where DDP is available, and what to do if you're asked to pay again" for what to send us. I chose DDU. Who will contact me about the tax? The courier you selected contacts the recipient and collects all duties and taxes, including VAT or GST, before the package is released. Can you tell me the VAT rate for my country? We don't publish rates, because each country sets its own. Our duty calculator gives you an estimate for your items and destination. Where do I enter my tax ID? Save it with your delivery address in your Address Book, then choose that address when you create your shipment. Which countries require a tax ID? We don't maintain a list. Check the official customs website of your destination country. Still need help? Our support team is available on weekdays from 09:00 to 17:00 ET at [email protected].