Free calculator · UK · checked 4 November 2026

UK import duty and VAT calculator

Buying something from outside the UK, or sending stock in? Enter the price and what it is to see the customs duty, the import VAT, and whether you'll pay at checkout or at the door.

Price of the goods (£)

Shipping (£)

Insurance (£, if any)

What is it?

Duty rate (%) (optional, from the Trade Tariff)

It's a gift from one private person to another

Made in the EU (or another country with a UK trade deal) and the seller gives proof of origin

How UK import charges work

Parcel value (goods only)	What you pay
£135 or less, bought from a business	20% VAT, added by the seller or marketplace at checkout. No customs duty.
Over £135	Customs duty on the goods plus shipping and insurance, then 20% import VAT on everything including the duty. Usually collected by the courier before delivery, plus their fee.
Gift, £39 or less	Nothing.
Gift, £39 to £135	Import VAT only.
Gift, £135 to £630	Duty at a flat 2.5% (or less), plus VAT.

Courier fees on top: Royal Mail charges £8 to collect import charges, and DHL, FedEx, UPS and Parcelforce charge their own handling fee, often £10 to £15 or a percentage. Duty under £1 is not collected.

Typical duty rates

The duty rate depends on the commodity code. Common rates under the UK Global Tariff: clothing 12%, shoes about 8% (4.5% to 16.9%), bicycles 14%, gold and silver jewellery 2%, and 0% on phones, laptops, toys, cosmetics, furniture and books. Find the exact code and rate on the UK Trade Tariff and type it into the calculator.

Trade deals can remove the duty

Goods made in the EU, Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and other partner countries can come in at 0% duty, if the seller states the origin on the invoice. Goods only shipped through the EU but made in China don't qualify. VAT is still due.

Changes to watch

The government has said it will end the £135 customs duty relief for low-value parcels, by March 2029 at the latest, so cheap parcels from overseas sites will start paying duty too. We'll update this calculator when the date is set.

Selling online in the UK? Check the side-hustle tax rules

Import duty calculators for other countries

Sources: HMRC "Tax and customs for goods sent from abroad" and "VAT and overseas goods sold directly to customers in the UK"; UK Global Tariff; Royal Mail and courier fee pages; HM Treasury Budget November 2025. Estimates, not tax advice.