6 articles

Customs & import.

Traveler allowances, import duty, import VAT, parcel forwarding and the paperwork that decides what you owe when a purchase comes home.

Duty-free allowance: do you pay on the full amount?

£400 of goods against a £390 allowance does not mean tax on the £10 above it. Under the Great Britain rule, the 20% VAT applies to all £400, which is £80.

5 min read

How import duty and import VAT are calculated, step by step

Import VAT is charged on the duty as well as the goods, so the tax compounds. On a 200 purchase with 40 of freight and insurance, the border adds 89.80.

5 min read

Documents to keep for refunds and customs, step by step

A tourist refund and a customs declaration rely on the same invoice. Keep the itemized receipt and the export papers together, and you can answer both questions at the border.

5 min read

Country of origin vs place of purchase: which one sets the duty

A shop in one country can sell goods made in another, and duty can follow the manufacturing origin. Ask for origin on the invoice and declare only what the paperwork supports.

5 min read

Parcel forwarders: the true cost of buying abroad and shipping home

In the illustration below, a 1,000 item shipped home through a forwarder ends at 1,543.60 once freight, insurance, duty, import VAT and fees are added.

5 min read

Flying home with electronics: lithium battery carry-on rules and watt-hours

A 10 Ah battery at 3.7 V is 37 Wh, which is generally allowed in carry-on. The airline and the label decide what you can take, not the price you paid.

5 min read

Tools for this topic.

Traveler allowance checkerCheck a whole category of goods against a duty-free allowance without subtracting the allowance from the bill.Import duty calculatorWork out duty and import VAT on goods value plus freight and insurance, in the order customs applies them.Currency & card-fee checkConvert with dated reference rates, then add a card fee or compare a dynamic currency conversion offer.Tourist refund calculatorEstimate a tourist VAT or GST refund after the operator’s percentage, fixed fee and minimum spend.Trip break-even calculatorCompare the home price with the full overseas cost, then subtract the trip itself.