Duties and import taxes

We are located in Japan. Our customers may be charged additional duties and import taxes when they receive their packages. It is the customer (importer)'s responsibility to pay duties and taxes. 

UK / EU customers: Please check this page.

We are VAT registered in the UK and Germany, so we take VAT in advance from the UK and EU customers for the orders up to 135 GBP/150 EUR.

Minimum order value before duties and import taxes are applied

Not all orders are subject to duties and import taxes. Many countries and regions have a minimum order value, called a de minimis, before duties and import taxes apply.

Only pre-tax values are counted toward the de minimis threshold. Order and product discounts are not counted toward the de minimis threshold.

The following table provides some examples of de minimis values.
*Caution* This table is provided as an example, and doesn’t constitute tax advice. To confirm the de minimis value for your country or regions, refer to that country’s tax authority or a local tax expert.

▼Country: Duty de minimis value / Tax de minimis value
United States:800 USD / 800 USD
Canada: 20 CAD / 20 CAD
Mexico: 50 USD / 117 USD
Australia: 1000 AUD / 0 AUD
China: 50 CNY / 50 CNY
Hong Kong: 0 HKD / 0 HKD
Ireland: 150 EUR / 22 EUR
Japan: 10,000 JPY / 10,000 JPY
Sweden: 1,600 SEK / 300 SEK
Switzerland: 5 CHF / 5 CHF

The de minimis is different for each country or region, and some have specific rules that affect the de minimis value depending on where the shipment originates. 

If you're not sure what the de minimis value is for your country or region , then check the website of that country or region's tax authority, or consult a local tax expert.

Customs fees

Fees that might be charged when importing goods come from a variety of sources, including the following:
  • Low-value goods tax
  • Import tax
  • Customs duty
  • Brokerage and disbursement fees

Customs fees that apply to a shipment depend on its destination, value, and the carrier that transports the goods.
Low-value goods tax and import tax

The tax portion of the customs fees is either a low-value goods tax or an import tax, depending on the de minimis, a value threshold which varies between different countries and regions.

Low-value goods tax

A low-value goods tax is applied to shipments in some countries and regions for shipments that are below the de minimis if you're registered to collect tax in that country or region. For example, The European Union has a low-value tax threshold where VAT is collected on cross-border orders that are equal to or less than 150 EUR, while the United Kingdom has a low-value tax threshold where VAT is collected on cross-border orders that are equal to or less than 135 GBP.

Low-value goods taxes apply in the following countries:
  • Australia
  • New Zealand
  • Switzerland
  • Norway
  • the European Union
  • the United Kingdom

Import tax

Import taxes are charged by a country or region's customs authority for shipments that are above the de minimis. In most cases, this tax is equivalent to the local sales tax, such as VAT or GST. 

Customs duty

Customs duty is a charge applied to shipments by the receiving country or region's customs authority for shipments that are above the de minimis. Customs duty is calculated based on the following factors:
  • the product’s declared value and shipping costs
  • the product category as determined by the HS code (Harmonized Item Description and Coding System)
  • the country or region of origin
  • the destination country's tariff rates
  • applicable trade treaties

Duties and import tax based on the product's declared value might be affected by discounts or free items.

Brokerage and disbursement fees

Carriers might charge a brokerage and disbursement fee for their services. This charge is not included when charging duties and import taxes at checkout is enabled.