Customs duties on a parcel: how they're calculated, and who pays them

A parcel leaving the European Union becomes an import for the territory receiving it. And an import, almost everywhere in the world, gets taxed. It's neither a penalty nor a whim of the carrier: it's the tax system of the arrival country, applied to your parcel like to any goods coming in.

This guide explains what you may have to pay, on what basis, to whom, and when. It gives no rate and no numeric threshold: they change often, and the only reliable figure is your own customs', on the day you order.

Three lines on the bill, three different things

Customs duties. A percentage of the value of the goods, at a rate that depends on the kind of item — a garment, a shoe, a cosmetic, an electronic device don't share the same one. Many countries exempt shipments below a certain value; others, like the United States since 2025, tax from the first euro. On secondhand goods, some countries apply the same rate as on new ones: customs looks at the object, not its history.

The consumption tax. VAT, GST, sales tax, consumption tax: the name changes, the principle is the same. It's the tax you'd pay buying the item in a shop in your country, applied at import. It's usually calculated on the value of the goods plus the duties, and sometimes the transport. In the French overseas departments, the octroi de mer plays a comparable role, on top of local VAT.

The carrier's handling fee. This is the line people discover. The carrier advances the duties and taxes to customs so your parcel isn't held, then claims them back from you — and charges for that service. Those fees are set by each carrier; they're independent of us, and often independent of the parcel's value.

What all of that is calculated on

On the declared value of the goods — the one on the customs declaration we fill in for every shipment. Depending on the country, that base is the value of the items alone, or the value plus transport and insurance. The declaration also states the nature of each item, with a tariff code that determines the duty rate.

We declare the real value, from your invoices. Not the value you'd like, not a low estimate, not "gift". Three reasons:

• It's the law, in the departure country as in the arrival one, and it's our name on the declaration.
• It's what makes the insurance pay out: it covers the declared value. A parcel declared at a tenth of its value is insured for a tenth of its value.
• A customs office that doubts a value opens the parcel, values it itself, taxes on its own estimate, and can hold or seize it. An honestly declared parcel goes through.

Who pays, and when

The recipient — you — at delivery or just before. Express carriers usually send you a payment link as soon as the parcel is cleared; the postal network sometimes asks for the sum at handover, or at the post office. Until it's settled, the parcel waits. After a certain time without payment, it goes back or is destroyed: don't let it drag on.

Why not include it in our price? Because nobody honestly can. The amount depends on your country's customs, the nature of your items, the day's calculation base and the fees of the carrier delivering to you — four things we don't set and that are only known on arrival. A "taxes included" price on an international shipment is either an estimate or a margin taken blind. We'd rather tell you, before you pay, what our price covers — transport, packaging, insurance — and what it doesn't.

What lowers the bill, legally

• Consolidate. The carrier's handling fee is paid per shipment. Three parcels, three times that fee; one box, once. See parcel consolidation.
• Know your country's threshold. Many countries exempt low-value shipments. If yours has one, a box just under it passes duty-free; just over, everything is taxed. Check the current threshold with your customs, not on a forum.
• Pick the right carrier. Handling fees vary from one carrier to another, and the postal network is often gentler than express on that line. Our offers show price and delivery time; look up each carrier's clearance fees in your country.
• Don't under-declare. It doesn't lower the bill; it replaces it with a hold, a reassessment, or a seizure.

Secondhand: a special case?

A purchase between private people on Vinted or Leboncoin carries no French VAT at the origin: so you don't pay twice. But on arrival, customs treats the item as imported goods, at the value you paid for it. Some countries give used goods special treatment, most don't. The Vinted invoice or the Leboncoin receipt serves as proof of value: keep them, you'll be asked for them.

Frequently asked questions