15 June 2022 3:44

How to minimize customs handling fees while buying online

How do you avoid customs fees?

Tell the seller explicitly that the item is for personal use. Import duties typically apply to items imported for commercial use (business or resale)—not personal or retail sales. If you’re importing something for your own personal use or as a gift for someone else, you don’t have to pay them.

How do I reduce custom duty?

There are opportunities to reduce the impact of customs duties by analyzing areas such as:

  1. Free Trade Agreements and special trade programs.
  2. “Substantial Transformation”
  3. Deduction of certain costs (ocean freight, containerization, international insurance)
  4. “First Sale” rule (price from manufacturer)


How can we avoid custom charges in India?

Two popular duty exemption schemes in India are: Advance Authorisation (AA) Scheme: Raw materials and inputs for export production attract zero percent import duty, provided a minimum 15 percent value addition is made to the final product.

How do I avoid customs fees UK?

Currently, you can send a parcel to any destination in the UK and throughout Europe without any additional customs charges or documentation being required. However, if you are sending a parcel outside of the European Union, such as to China, USA, India or Australia, you will need to complete customs documentation.

Why are customs charges so high?

Why are imports taxed heavily? Tax on imports in India are high because of India’s policy of encouraging local/homegrown industries. This is called import substitution industrialisation (ISI), a trade policy that is all about substituting imports with domestic manufacturing and production.

How can I avoid DHL fees?

Summary of How to Avoid Paying Custom Fees



Don’t pay taxes/duties and if they try to deliver, refuse the package. Wait for the package to arrive in Canada. Call the courier and let them know you’d like to self-clear. Wait for the required documents via e-mail.

Can I claim back import fees?

You apply for repayment or remission of import duties using form C285. You can claim repayment or remission of charges on rejected imports and CAP goods using form C&E1179.

How do I reduce import?

How to Decrease Imports/Increase Exports

  1. Taxes and quotas. Governments decrease excessive import activity by imposing tariffs and quotas on imports. …
  2. Subsidies. Governments provide subsidies to domestic businesses in order to reduce their business costs. …
  3. Trade agreements. …
  4. Currency devaluation.


What happens if I refuse to pay customs charges?

I do not want to pay customs charges. How do I do this? You may reject the item via the online payment channel, or at a Post Office (you will need your Customs Reference number – detailed on the Postcard/SMS/Email). The item will be returned to the sender if unpaid.

Which goods are exempted from customs duty?

Exemption to goods from Customs duty only when imported against an Advance Licence (without Actual user condition) – Notification No. 107/95-Cus dated 2.6.1995. 12. Exemption to inputs for leather and textile garments when imported against a Value Based Advance Licence issued on or after 19.9.1995 – Notification No.

Do I have to pay duty on items shipped to UK?

Before receiving your goods, you may have to pay VAT , Customs Duty or Excise Duty if they were sent to: Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland) from outside the UK.

How much will customs charge me UK?

Customs Duty

Type and value of goods Customs Duty
Non-excise goods worth £135 or less No charge
Gifts above £135 and up to £630 2.5%, but rates are lower for some goods – call the helpline
Gifts above £630 and other goods above £135 The rate depends on the type of goods and where they came from – call the helpline


How do I pay my customs duty online?

IceGate ePayment



The New e-Payment Gateway provides facility of payment of multiple challans in single transaction. Any person having net banking facility in the designated bank can proceed for the payment of custom duty. Click here for process demo. : Users can now generate Transaction Report in new ePayment Gateway.

How do I know if I need to pay customs?

Either the seller or the buyer of a shipment must pay customs duties, fees or taxes. Generally, the party responsible for payment is prearranged in the shipper and receiver’s terms of sale. (Check your terms of sale to learn whether you’re responsible.) Terms will typically require the buyer to pay.

Why do I have to pay customs on a parcel?

You are being asked to pay the relevant customs duty, excise duty and import VAT on your parcel. When an item is received from outside of the UK, it is automatically inspected by Border Force on behalf of HMRC for prohibited or restricted goods.

Why is DHL asking me to pay import duty?

To ensure the DHL courier can deliver your goods in shortest possible transit time, when we enter your country, DHL pays the customs authority immediately on your behalf for any duties and taxes that are due on the goods.

Does DHL make you pay customs?

DHL processes any customs paperwork, said Valencia, “so recipients are charged a nominal fee” for the service. “We believe this is a service that facilitates the transaction of clearance with Customs, saves recipients the trouble of processing paperwork,” wrote Valencia.

Can sender pay customs charges DHL?

Duties and taxes are charged by Customs in the destination country and the receiver is responsible for paying them. To make it simpler, DHL will pay the charges on the receiver’s behalf and collect payment from the receiver prior to or on delivery.

Who pays custom duty sender or receiver?

If you’re a recipient of a gift(s) mailed from abroad, you will have to pay duty owed on the item before you can receive it. Duty is not pre-paid by the sender. The duty can’t be paid until the duty rate is assessed by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officer.

How do I pay DHL duty tax?

We offer three convenient payment options for DHL Express servics:

  1. Online via DHL MyBill. You can choose to pay with a credit card or transfer bank funds for all of your DHL Express export or import accounts. …
  2. By Phone with a Credit Card. 1 800-722-0081. …
  3. By Mail. DHL Express (U.S.A.), Inc.


How are duty fees calculated?

To calculate the estimated duty fee for a shipment where the fee is determined by percentage value, simply multiply the total value of the goods by the percentage that applies to their HTS code, and then divide this figure by 100. For example: You wish to import an order of chopsticks with a value of $10,000.

How can I check my customs duty online?

You can go to www.customs.gov.ng, find the Quick Search CET Tariff panel on the left and find the tariff that interests you. You can search the custom duty tariff database by CET code (if you know it) or by a keyword.

How is customs duty paid in India?

Custom duty can be paid online by following the steps given below:

  1. Access the ICEGATE e-payment portal.
  2. Enter Import/Export code or login credential supplied by ICEGATE.
  3. Click on e-payment.
  4. You can now see all the unpaid challans in your name.
  5. Select the challan you want to pay and select a bank or payment method.

What is custom clearance fee?

The first is the customs clearance fee. This is the cost of preparing and submitting the customs entry. The fee has to be paid to the customs broker—or freight forwarder if the brokerage services are part of the service.

Who pays the clearance fee?

The customs clearance fee is paid directly to the customs broker or customs clearance agent to cover the cost of submitting documentation and processing duties payment. This can be charged as a flat for per service, as one price for a bundle of services, or as a percentage of the shipment value.

Do I pay customs on Alibaba?

That means the seller has goods available in the country of import and pays all costs including import duties, taxes, and other charges related to delivery, cleared for import.