Parcelhero’s Christmas mailing tool includes a guide to Customs fees.
Sending a parcel to friends and family travelling abroad this year? The international delivery expert Parcelhero has released a new free-to-use tool that helps avoid Customs charges, potentially save £100s on international parcels.
LONDON, United Kingdom, 2024-Dec-13 — /Travel PR News/ — Many Brits are sending gifts to friends and family travelling overseas this month. Not everyone realises that, on top of the cost of an international delivery, there are often Customs duties and taxes to be paid when a package enters a country. These charges can be hefty, depending on the value of the shipment and what kind of items have been sent.
The good news is that the international shipping expert Parcelhero has introduced a new tool that reveals each country’s duty and tax-free allowances. Providing the sender ensures their parcel’s value doesn’t exceed this limit, there won’t be an unwelcome charge to be paid on the item before it is released from Customs.
Parcelhero’s Head of Consumer Research, David Jinks M.I.L.T., says: ‘No one wants to be paying a hefty, unexpected charge before Christmas. The problem is that many countries impose sometimes steep tariffs on goods entering from overseas. Unless the sender specifically pre-pays these fees, it will usually be the receiver who is left to foot the bill before the package can be released from Customs.
‘That could mean your loved ones picking up the tab for a nasty sum before they can receive their gift. Depending on the value of the item(s) you have sent, that could add up to the equivalent of tens, if not hundreds, of pounds.
‘Fortunately, many countries have a gift threshold limit and presents that are valued at less than this amount won’t be charged duties or taxes. Other countries may not have a specific gift limit, but they could have a “de minimis” limit (a value below which they won’t charge duties on) for relatively low-value items.
‘While regular senders know about these potential charges when sending items to countries such as the US or Australia, it’s also important to realise that, since Brexit, duties and taxes may also be payable on items sent to European Union countries.
‘That’s why Parcelhero’s new Christmas Gifts Delivery tool not only reveals the final date for a parcel collection, to ensure that your gifts arrive on time, but also lists the duty and tax-free threshold for every country, if they have one. Keep your package under this limit and there should be no unexpected fees for you or your loved ones to pay.
‘For example, what happens if you are planning to send a package to America? If you send an item worth less than $100 as a present then be sure to mark it “Gift” in the Customs description and include a description of the item. That’s because there’s no Customs duty to pay on gifts worth up to $100 (around £79) arriving in the US from the UK.
‘However, if the item you want to send is worth more than $100, you can still avoid making your friends or family pay import tax on the item if the item is clearly for personal use. That’s because, from 2016, the US increased its de minimis limit for low-value commercial goods from $200 to $800 (around £629). That means goods valued at $800 or less can enter the US duty-free.
‘Likewise, if you are sending a Christmas parcel to Australia, it’s important to know that the limit is 1,000 Australian Dollars (AUD). A look at our Christmas tool will show that the deadline for a parcel collection to Australia is 17 December and the duty and tax threshold is over £500.
‘Not all Customs de minimis limits are as generous. For example, a look at Canada on our tool currently shows a limit of just over £11. That’s because Canada’s threshold is a rather miserly 20 Canadian dollars (CAD).
‘At least Canada has a de minimis level. Other countries don’t have them at all. For example, a glance at our tool reveals that India’s Christmas collection deadline is 19 December and there is no duty and tax-free allowance whatsoever on goods arriving in the country. That’s bad news for anyone with friends and family in India who celebrate Christmas.
‘One word of caution: exchange rates change constantly. While our tool is a good guide, you should check full details on your destination country’s own Customs pages and against a real-time currency converter. Also, our tool lists the standard de minimis limits. Some countries have a separate gift threshold that may be less or more than its standard limit. However, these are not always rigorously adhered to and can’t always be relied upon.
‘Our advice is to always clearly mark your shipment as a gift and clearly list on the accompanying Customs form every item in the parcel. That way, your package is less likely to incur delays and extra charges.
‘If you are at all worried that your friends and family may end up paying unexpected charges to receive your gift, you can opt to have your package delivered duty paid (DDP).
‘To pay the Customs charges in advance, please contact our customer service team as soon as you have completed your booking as it must be arranged before your parcel is collected. There are additional charges for this service. These include a deposit of 25% of the value of the goods you are shipping. If the Customs charges are less, the balance will be refunded. There is also a £25 administration charge.
‘Once this is done, we will issue a new shipping label and Customs invoice. When your parcel arrives at Customs, Parcelhero will pay any duty and tax on your behalf and refund the difference on your deposit.
‘However, as we’ve seen, many destinations with more generous limits, such as the USA, are unlikely to impose Customs charges on average-value shipments. To find out the last collection dates for presents to international destinations and to check our handy Customs fees guide, together with other international shipping hacks, see: https://www.parcelhero.com/events/christmas-gifts-delivery