How Are Customs Duties Calculated? A Full Guide on Duties & Taxes Calculation

Customs agents collect duties and taxes on items entering and leaving a country. Here, you will learn the difference between duties and taxes, what they’re based on, and how to calculate customs duties.

Regarding shipping, the phrases ‘duties’ and ‘taxes’ can be frequently confused.

It’s essential to consider what these two mean and understand their differences. 

What exactly are customs duties? Customs duties are a tax on cross-border products collected by customs to generate government revenue and protect that country’s domestic market. 

Anti-dumping taxes, trade tariffs, export, and excise duties are all different types of duties. Import duties, which apply to goods entering a country, are the most common type of duties; be aware of the difference between these duty types before you want to calculate customs duties.

The importer is in charge of paying most customs duties. The exporter is responsible for paying the export duties.

They’re taxes levied by the government on goods imported into the country. Even though the goods were purchased outside the country, the consumption tax remains in place and must be collected by customs when the commodities enter the country.

Although sales tax, value-added tax (VAT), and goods and services tax (GST) is the same, the names and rates differ per country. Depending on the country and product, tax rates might be as low as 0%, 10%, or as high as 20%.

Remember that to calculate customs duties; several variables influence the amount of customs duties and taxes you must pay for a shipment:

• The product type is classified using the HS code. Customs officials use this commodity code to quickly determine what is being exported and apply the taxes, duties, and regulations specific to that product. 

• Customs use the value of the goods, including freight and insurance costs, to calculate customs duties and taxes and clear your shipment. As a result, it’s critical to provide the correct value of goods on the business invoice.

• The product description in the commercial invoice includes the product’s end-use and manufacturing country. The HS code and the product description should match to ensure that the goods are accurately classified.

• The amount of taxes and duties on a cargo might be influenced by international trade agreements between countries. If you’re shipping goods between countries that have a trade agreement, you might be able to get them duty-free or at a discounted rate.

• The Incoterms on the commercial invoice define the agreement between the sender and receiver regarding who pays for shipping charges, including taxes and duties.

Customs officials use the information on your commercial invoice and other relevant documents to calculate duties and taxes. That’s why it’s critical to include information on your commercial invoices, like the HS code and the exact value of the goods.

Remember that if you leave out information, customs will calculate the duties and taxes on your cargo, which might result in you paying more than you should.

To begin, calculate the customs duties percentage rate on the goods you’re shipping. This rate changes based on the destination country. You can calculate customs duties manually, and some calculators are available online for free.

To find it, go to the government website of your destination country’s customs or trade tariff page. You can typically find duty rates using an HS code or a product description. For example, a woman’s T-shirt entering the UK from the US has a duty percentage or trade tariff of 12 percent.

You can calculate customs duties on your cargo once you’ve found the rate. To do so, sum the value of the goods, freight expenses, insurance, and other costs together, then multiply by the duty rate. The amount of duty you’ll have to pay customs for your cargo is the result.

Some countries have various procedures for calculating tariffs, so double-check on the government’s website or with your carrier.

First, you must determine the sales tax (VAT) rates in the country you are exporting. In the United Kingdom, for example, there are three VAT rates: 0%, 5%, and 20%, which is the typical rate for most products and services. Because apparel for adults falls under the usual VAT rate, the cost of shipping a woman’s T-shirt to the UK is 20%.

Add the goods’ value, freight expenses, insurance, import duty, and other fees to determine the VAT on your shipment. Then multiply the sum by the relevant VAT rate in the destination country. The amount of VAT you’ll have to pay customs for your shipment is the result.

Before your products are cleared from customs in the destination country, you must pay them. Your carrier may be able to pay on your behalf to speed up the release of your goods, and they will bill you for the expenses. It’s worth double-checking before shipping if they can do this.

The Final Word

To receive a comprehensive guide on how to calculate customs duties and taxes, you can contact our team of experts at DFreight. We are available 24/7 to answer any freight and shipping industry questions.