Customs duties and taxes explained
Tiptrans ships duty unpaid (DDU) by default, so the recipient pays any import duties, taxes and customs fees to the carrier or customs. How to ask for prepaid duties (DDP) from any warehouse, and why we can't predict or waive charges.
Import duties, taxes and customs fees are set by the destination country and paid by the recipient. Tiptrans ships duty unpaid (DDU) by default, so what you pay us covers shipping and our fees only, and the carrier or the post usually collects any charges from the recipient. You can also ask us for a DDP quote and prepay them through us instead; from the Hong Kong warehouse to the USA, DDP is mandatory.
What DDU means for you
- Our shipping prices don't include import duty, import VAT or sales tax, customs clearance fees or the carrier's customs handling fees. Neither the shipping cost calculator nor the prices on your package's Shipping method tab include them.
- If charges apply, the carrier, the post or customs in the destination country asks the recipient to pay, before or at delivery. These charges are separate from what you paid us.
- If you get a payment request, follow the instructions of the carrier or customs. If it isn't clear what the charge is for, ask the carrier.
- If customs or the carrier asks for documents or details, see Customs asked for information: what to do.
Why we can't predict or waive the charges
Customs in the destination country decides whether a parcel is charged and how much, and it assesses each parcel on its own. The amount can depend on:
- the destination country and its rules,
- what the items are, their HS code and their country of manufacture,
- the declared value of the contents, and often the shipping cost too,
- the documents provided for clearance.
Unless you choose DDP (see below), we don't pay duties to any country, and we don't offer customs clearance at the destination. We can't waive charges set by customs, carriers or local authorities. Under our Terms, import taxes, duties and fees are your responsibility.
An accurate declaration avoids questions, delays and wrong charges. See Customs declarations and values explained.
Check possible charges before you ship
Customs websites and tariff tools give tariff rates, estimates or import rules. The final amount is always decided at the destination.
| Destination | Where to check |
|---|---|
| USA | USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule |
| European Union | Access2Markets or TARIC Consultation |
| United Kingdom | UK Trade Tariff |
| Japan | Japan Customs Tariff Schedule |
| Canada | CBSA duty and tax estimator |
| Australia | Australian Border Force importing information |
| Brazil | Receita Federal customs information |
| South Korea | Korea Customs Service |
| Singapore | Singapore Customs import procedures |
For other countries, check the website of the national customs authority. Some items also need permits or are restricted in the destination country. See Prohibited and restricted items. For the EU and the UK, see also Importing into the EU: a guide and Shipping to the UK: customs, VAT and gifts.
Prepaid duties and taxes (DDP)
To have the recipient pay nothing on delivery, you can prepay the duties and taxes through us, from any warehouse. See Prepaid duties and taxes (DDP).
Duties on packages coming into our warehouses
Taxes and duties are one of the few charges we can deduct from your balance without an order from you, for example customs charges on a package that reaches the Czech warehouse from outside the EU. See Importing into the EU: a guide.