The rules for each country
| Country | Tax | Rate | Duty-free limit | Collected at checkout by | On a ¥10,000 order |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | — | by item (duty) | suspended | none | not estimated |
| Canada | GST/HST | 5–15% by province | CAD 20 | none | not estimated |
| United Kingdom | VAT | 20% | £135 | ZenMarket | ¥2,880 |
| Australia | GST | 10% | AUD 1,000 | FROM JAPAN, ZenMarket, Neokyo, Buyee (rate not published) | ¥1,440 |
| Germany | VAT | 19% | abolished | ZenMarket | ¥2,736 |
| France | VAT | 20% | abolished | ZenMarket | ¥2,880 |
| Singapore | GST | 9% | abolished | FROM JAPAN, ZenMarket, Buyee (rate not published) | ¥1,184 |
| Taiwan | Business tax | 5% | NT$2,000 | none | ¥610 |
| Hong Kong | Import tax | none | not needed | none | ¥0 |
"On a ¥10,000 order" is a Mercari Japan item, 1 kg packed, through the cheapest service. "Collected at checkout by" counts only services that do so on EMS parcels; a rule that applies only to a courier service is not counted.
Country by country
- United States: The US $800 de minimis exemption was suspended on 29 Aug 2025 and made indefinite on 24 Jun 2026. Every parcel needs formal entry and duty, regardless of value. The exact rate depends on the item's HS code, so the totals here leave it out; the estimate shown with them is a guide by type of item.
- Canada: Canadian sales tax on imports ranges from 5% to 15% depending on your province. Parcels over CAD 20 are taxable. Couriers usually add a customs handling fee on delivery.
- United Kingdom: UK VAT of 20% is charged on the goods plus shipping. Consignments of £135 or less are free of customs duty; the government has said this relief will end by October 2028 at the latest.
- Australia: Australian GST of 10% applies to goods plus shipping. Parcels valued at AUD 1,000 or less are treated as low-value goods and GST is collected up front by the retailer or proxy.
- Germany: The EU abolished its €150 duty-free threshold on 1 July 2026. Online purchases of €150 or less now carry a flat €3 customs duty for each item line declared, on top of 19% German VAT on goods plus shipping.
- France: The EU abolished its €150 duty-free threshold on 1 July 2026. Online purchases of €150 or less now carry a flat €3 customs duty for each item line declared, on top of 20% French VAT on goods plus shipping.
- Singapore: Singapore charges 9% GST on goods plus shipping for imported parcels. Low-value goods have been taxable since 1 January 2023.
- Taiwan: Taiwan exempts postal parcels with a customs value of NT$2,000 or less from duty and business tax. Above that, 5% business tax applies. Note that Taiwan is reported to limit how many times one person can claim the exemption within six months, so if you order often, do not count on it.
- Hong Kong: Hong Kong is a free port. Only liquor, tobacco, hydrocarbon oil and methyl alcohol are dutiable. Everything else arrives with no duty, no VAT and no sales tax. The figure below is the whole cost.
What that adds to an order
On the same order, the tax ranges from ¥2,880 for United Kingdom down to ¥610 for Taiwan. Hong Kong charges nothing on it, because there is no import tax on general goods. For United States and Canada the amount depends on the item or on where you live, so it is not estimated rather than guessed. Most of these taxes are charged on the goods plus the international postage, so on a cheap item they come to more than the headline rate of the item price alone.
Why it matters who collects it
A service that collects the tax at checkout looks more expensive at the moment you pay, and one that leaves it to the courier looks cheaper. Neither is true: the tax is the same, it is just paid at a different time. That is why every total on this site is split into what you pay now and what you pay on arrival. Where it is paid on arrival, the courier normally adds a handling charge for having paid it on your behalf, which none of the five services publish and which is therefore not in the totals.