Customs Duty Calculator

Work out customs duty instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Customs Duty Calculator

Duty is charged on the CIF value — goods plus freight and insurance — and import VAT is then charged on the CIF value plus the duty. That cascade is why the effective tax on a shipment exceeds the sum of the two headline rates.

Formula

Import charges

CIF = goods + freight + insurance; duty = CIF x duty rate; VAT = (CIF + duty) x VAT rate

Worked example

With the default values below, Customs Duty Calculator returns Total duty and VAT of $1,273.24. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Goods value: 4,200
Freight and insurance: 380
Duty rate: 6.5 %
Import VAT rate: 20 %

Results

Total duty and VAT: $1,273.24
Customs duty: $297.70
Import VAT: $975.54
CIF value: $4,580.00

Step by step

1Values used
2Import charges
3Total duty and VAT= 1,273.24
4Customs duty= 297.70
5Import VAT= 975.54
6CIF value= 4,580.00

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is VAT charged on the duty?

Because VAT is levied on the full value of the import as landed, which by definition includes the duty paid. It is standard practice in most VAT systems.

Does the commodity code matter?

Enormously. Duty rates range from zero to over 20% depending on the tariff classification, and misclassification is the most common source of unexpected bills.