PickGlobe
You are about to order from a store in another country and want to know roughly what will be added at the door. This guide is for shoppers in the UK, the EU or Canada. It shows worked examples at three order values, with the rules from the official pages and a stated sample duty rate, so you can see how the total builds up. It is an illustration, not a quote: the real figures depend on the product's tariff code, where it was made and the carrier.
This guide has no store links. It is general information, not tax or legal advice, and we have not tested any carrier or service.
Assumptions (read these first)
- Sample duty rate: 12% on the goods, a round number for clothing and similar goods. Your product's real rate comes from the official tariff, and many goods are lower or zero.
- Shipping: £11.25 into the UK, EUR 13 into the EU. Canada examples use the goods value only, because the value for duty in Canada excludes international transport.
- Carrier fees are not included. Royal Mail, DHL, UPS, FedEx and national posts add their own fee when they collect tax for you. We could not read every carrier's fee page, so we leave the fees out rather than guess; add them yourself from your carrier's page.
- EU VAT is shown at an illustrative 20%. Real standard rates differ by country, so use your country's rate.
- Currency conversions are not applied: each table is in the buyer's currency.
United Kingdom
Rules used (GOV.UK, "Tax and duty on goods sent from abroad", last checked 15 October 2026): VAT is 20% of goods plus postage, packaging, insurance and any duty. Up to £135, the seller normally charges VAT at checkout and there is no duty on non-excise goods. Over £135, duty is charged on price plus postage and insurance, and the carrier collects duty and VAT before delivery.
| Goods | Postage | Duty (12% sample) | VAT (20%) | Total | Who collects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £37.50 | £11.25 | £0.00 | £9.75 | £58.50 | The seller, at checkout |
| £150.00 | £11.25 | £19.35 | £36.12 | £216.72 | The carrier, before delivery (plus its fee) |
| £375.00 | £11.25 | £46.35 | £86.52 | £519.12 | The carrier, before delivery (plus its fee) |
The £135 duty relief is to be removed. A GOV.UK policy paper published on 13 July 2026 says the change starts on a date the Treasury sets, "by October 2028 at the latest". Until then the £135 threshold above applies.
European Union
Rules used (European Commission, temporary flat fee for low-value imports, last checked 15 October 2026): from 1 July 2026 until 1 July 2028 a flat EUR 3 duty applies per item on consignments up to EUR 150; above that, normal tariff rates apply. Import VAT applies to all imports. If the seller charges VAT at checkout through the EU's one-stop shop, nothing more is collected at the door for VAT.
| Goods | Shipping | Duty | VAT (illustrative 20%) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EUR 43 | EUR 13 | EUR 3.00 (flat) | EUR 11.80 | EUR 70.80 |
| EUR 172 | EUR 13 | EUR 22.20 (12% sample) | EUR 41.44 | EUR 248.64 |
| EUR 430 | EUR 13 | EUR 53.16 (12% sample) | EUR 99.23 | EUR 595.39 |
Postal operators add a handling fee when they collect VAT for you, and the amount differs by country, so it is not included.
Canada
Rules used (CBSA, "Duty and taxes on postal imports", last checked 15 October 2026; CBSA memorandum D8-2-16, "Courier Imports Remission", 15 November 2024, read 21 October 2026): mail imports of CAD 20 or less are not charged GST; above that, GST (5%) or HST applies, with duty depending on the goods and their origin. For courier shipments from the US or Mexico, duty can be remitted at CAD 150 or less and taxes at CAD 40 or less. The table uses Ontario's 13% HST.
| Goods | Duty (12% sample) | HST (13%) | Total | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAD 68.50, mail | CAD 8.22 | CAD 9.97 | CAD 86.69 | Duty applies unless the goods are duty-free by origin; Canada Post adds a fee |
| CAD 68.50, courier from the US | CAD 0.00 | CAD 8.91 | CAD 77.41 | Duty remitted at CAD 150 or less; tax applies above CAD 40 |
| CAD 274, duty-free origin | CAD 0.00 | CAD 35.62 | CAD 309.62 | Goods made in a CUSMA country can be duty-free |
| CAD 274, 12% sample duty | CAD 32.88 | CAD 39.89 | CAD 346.77 | Foreign-made goods shipped from the US pay normal duty |
| CAD 685, duty-free origin | CAD 0.00 | CAD 89.05 | CAD 774.05 | |
| CAD 685, 12% sample duty | CAD 82.20 | CAD 99.74 | CAD 866.94 |
Courier brokerage fees are not included.
United States: why we cannot give a number
Source: US Customs and Border Protection, "CBP modernizes low-value shipment processing", 24 June 2026.
CBP says its rules "indefinitely suspend duty-free de minimis treatment for low-value imports valued at $800 or less". So low-value orders can be subject to duty, but the rate depends on the product's tariff classification and on its country of origin, and neither is on the CBP page. The commercial-shipment de minimis exception is also repealed by statute from 1 July 2027 (Public Law 119-21, section 70531(b), enrolled text on govinfo.gov, read 21 October 2026). Without the origin tariff, any single figure would be a guess, so we do not publish one. Ask the seller whether the checkout price includes duties ("delivered duty paid").
What to check before you order: how to use this
- Find the product's tariff code and origin on the seller's page, or ask the seller.
- Look up the duty rate on your country's official tariff (for the UK, the Trade Tariff service named on GOV.UK).
- Add the tax in the tables above, then add the carrier's fee from its own page.
- Compare with the local price. Our customs and importing guide has the full rules and sources for each place, and the international shipping guide is the short walk-through.
What this page does not cover
Australia and New Zealand, carrier fees, state or provincial rates other than Ontario HST, excise goods (alcohol, tobacco, vapes), and gifts. Rates change: confirm every figure on the official page before relying on it. If you think a figure here is wrong, email us and we will check it against the source (see our corrections page).
