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Customs, Duties & Taxes Explained

Do you want to order from KewbzUK but you don't want to get hit with unexpected customs/import charges? Let's go over everything you need to know about how shipping works since Brexit.

What are duties, taxes and import charges...

Customs Duty - A charge that can apply when goods are imported from on customs territoy into another. Unlike VAT, customs durt depends on things such as: What the product is, It's customs / HS classification / the value of the goods / the country where the goods were manufactured. Basically, customs duty is a charge for importing certain goods.

Taxes/VAT - A Tax charged on goods and services specific to each country. When ordering from KEwbz (into the EU), the VAT rate depends on the country you are importing into. For eligible orders under €150 we will collect VAT during checkout and remit it on your behalf. For orders over €150 things change slightly, more on this later though.

Shipping Cost - The cost to actually ship you the goods. This is a charge to us for us to then pay Royal Mail to move the goods from our warehouse to your door. This changes based on countries but we will give you more info on this later.

DDU vs DDP - DDP means Delivered Duty Paid. We arrange payment of the applicable import taxes and customs duty before delivery, and cover the handling fee. Customers receiving a DDP shipment should have no additional import charges to pay on arrival. DDU means Delivered Duty Unpaid. The recipient may need to pay outstanding import taxes, customs duty and the delivery company’s clearance fee before receiving their parcel.

Our country lists below show which arrangement we offer for EU deliveries. These reflect our shipping arrangements, rather than whether a country allows DDP.
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What is IOSS

IOSS stands for Import One Stop Shop, an EU scheme that makes shopping from our UK store easier for customers in the European Union. For eligible orders with a goods value of €150 or less, we collect your country’s VAT at checkout and pay it through the scheme on your behalf. This means you pay VAT upfront and should not be charged it again when your parcel arrives, helping reduce delays and unexpected VAT collection fees. IOSS applies specifically to EU deliveries and covers VAT; it does not cover every possible customs duty or delivery charge.
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What happens with EU orders over €150?

The €150 limit changes how VAT is handled. It does not change our taxes-and-duties-paid policy for the 17 destinations listed above.

 

Goods worth €150 or less

For eligible EU orders, we collect your destination’s VAT at checkout through IOSS. When your destination is on our DDP list, we also arrange payment of applicable customs duty and cover the handling fee. You should have no additional import charges to pay on arrival.

 

Goods worth more than €150

IOSS cannot be used, but orders to our listed DDP destinations are still sent with taxes and duties paid. We arrange the applicable import VAT and customs duty and cover the handling fee.

For destinations outside our DDP service, outstanding import VAT, customs duty and clearance fees may be collected before delivery.

The €150 IOSS limit refers to the goods’ value before VAT, excluding separately stated shipping and insurance.
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Quick Questions

Will I have anything extra to pay when my order arrives?

That depends on your delivery country.

For our DDP destinations, we send your order with taxes and duties paid and cover the handling fee. You should have no additional import charges to pay on arrival, including on orders above €150.

For DDU deliveries, the delivery company may ask you to pay outstanding import taxes, customs duty and a clearance fee before delivering your parcel.

Which EU countries do you send to with taxes and duties paid?

We offer DDP delivery to:

Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden.

If your EU destination is not listed, additional import charges may be payable before delivery. Please contact us if you are unsure which arrangement applies.

What do DDP and DDU mean?

DDP — Delivered Duty Paid: we arrange payment of the applicable import taxes and customs duty. KewbzUK also covers the handling fee.

DDU — Delivered Duty Unpaid: you may need to pay outstanding import charges to the delivery company. Any VAT already collected through IOSS should not be charged again.

What is IOSS, and how does it help me?

IOSS stands for Import One Stop Shop. It allows us to collect your destination’s VAT at checkout on eligible EU orders with a goods value of €150 or less.

This means that VAT should not be charged again when your parcel arrives. IOSS covers VAT only; customs duty and delivery-company fees are handled separately, depending on whether your shipment is DDP or DDU. More about IOSS.

What changes if my order is above €150?

For DDP deliveries, we arrange payment of VAT and applicable customs duty and cover the handling fee, whether your goods are worth €150 or less or more than €150. On eligible orders up to €150, VAT is collected through IOSS; above €150, we handle import VAT outside that scheme. Either way, you should have no additional import charges to pay on arrival. For DDU deliveries worth €150 or less, VAT already collected through IOSS should not be charged again, but customs duty and clearance fees may still be payable. Above €150, the delivery company may collect import VAT, applicable customs duty and clearance fees before delivery unless these have already been prepaid.

What are VAT, customs duty and handling fees?

These are different charges:

  • VAT: a tax based on the destination country and the type of product.
  • Customs duty: a separate charge that may apply when goods enter your country.
  • Handling or clearance fee: a charge from the delivery company for processing the import.

For our DDP destinations, we arrange the applicable VAT and duty and cover the handling fee. For DDU deliveries, outstanding charges may be collected from you. EU guidance on import charges.

Does free shipping mean there are no import charges?

No. Free shipping covers the cost of transporting your parcel. Whether you have import charges to pay on arrival depends on your delivery arrangement.

For DDP deliveries, we arrange taxes and duties and cover the handling fee. For DDU deliveries, additional import charges may still apply even when shipping is free.

Why might my basket show a lower price when my order exceeds €150?

If VAT previously included in the price is removed at checkout, the products can appear cheaper. This does not mean the order is tax-free.

For DDP destinations, we arrange the applicable import taxes and duties. For DDU deliveries, outstanding charges may be collected before delivery. Please contact us before ordering if the tax breakdown is unclear.

What should I do if I receive an unexpected payment request?

If your order was sent DDP, or you believe you are being charged VAT already paid at checkout, contact us promptly with your order number and a copy of the payment request.

We’ll help check the charge with the delivery company. Please include any payment deadline so we can help before your parcel is returned.

Will I pay on delivery?

Check taxes and duties for your EU order.

Enter both amounts in euros, before VAT. Goods value excludes shipping. Use 0 for free shipping.

For standard EU delivery addresses. Special customs territories: please contact us.

Read our customs guide