WITHIN · DUTY CALCULATOR · Rules read 10 October 2026
UK import duty calculator for clothes, shoes and bags
An order of £135 or less pays no UK duty, and the seller adds 20 per cent VAT at checkout. Above £135 you pay duty, 12 per cent on most clothes unless it came from a trade deal partner, and 20 per cent VAT on the goods, postage and duty.
Type the price, what it is, where it was made and where it ships from. The page works out the duty from the UK tariff, the VAT, and Royal Mail's or Parcelforce's fee, from the rules in force today. It covers Great Britain; Northern Ireland has its own rules.
Rules read on 10 October 2026 from the official sources listed at the end.
- Low value lines: £135 any way
- Import VAT: 20%
- Rules read: 10 October 2026
Three pieces, worked through
Three pieces on within today, each in a Toronto boutique, posted to an address in Great Britain with no shipping cost added.
Masnada double-breasted coat, grey
WDLT117, Toronto. CAD $2,450, made in Italy, 72% wool, 23% cotton, 5% metal fibre. From Canada to the UK by Parcelforce, £1,297.74 at the day's rate. Read 10 October 2026.
| Duty: 12% (commodity code 6201200019) | £155.73 |
|---|---|
| Import VAT: 20% of £1,453.47 | £290.69 |
| Parcelforce handling fee with a full declaration: Charged when duty or tax is owed | £25 |
| Total, delivered | £1,769.16 |
Veja Campo ChromeFree leather sneakers, white and black
Due West, Toronto. CAD $210, made in Brazil, leather uppers. From Canada to the UK by Royal Mail, £111.23 at the day's rate. Read 10 October 2026.
| Duty: Waived: Goods worth £135 or less pay no duty, and the seller charges the VAT at checkout instead of the carrier at the door. | £0 |
|---|---|
| Import VAT, charged by the seller at checkout: 20% of the price and postage | £22.25 |
| Total, delivered | £133.48 |
Coor multi pocket crinkle leather bag, black
Due West, Toronto. CAD $645, made in South Korea, lambskin leather. From Canada to the UK by Royal Mail, £341.65 at the day's rate. Read 10 October 2026.
| Duty: 2% (commodity code 4202210090) | £6.83 |
|---|---|
| Import VAT: 20% of £348.48 | £69.70 |
| Royal Mail customs handling fee: Charged when duty or tax is owed | £8 |
| Total, delivered | £426.18 |
Common questions
How do I calculate UK import duty?
Above £135, multiply the price plus postage and insurance by the UK tariff rate, 12 per cent for most clothes. Then add 20 per cent VAT on the price, the postage and the duty. A £500 Italian wool coat sent from New York with £20 postage pays £62.40 duty and £116.48 VAT.
Sources: GOV.UK (gov.uk), read 10 October 2026 and HM Revenue & Customs (trade-tariff.service.gov.uk), read 10 October 2026.
How much import duty do you pay in the UK?
Nothing on orders of £135 or less; above that, most clothes pay 12 per cent under the UK tariff. Fabric sneakers pay 16 per cent, leather shoes 6 or 8, and leather bags and gold jewellery 2. Pieces made in and sent from a trade deal partner, such as the EU, Canada, Japan or Türkiye, pay 0 per cent.
Sources: GOV.UK (gov.uk), read 10 October 2026 and HM Revenue & Customs (trade-tariff.service.gov.uk), read 10 October 2026.
Do you have to pay tax when ordering from America?
Yes, 20 per cent VAT: on orders of £135 or less the seller adds it at checkout. Above £135, Royal Mail, Parcelforce or the courier collects it, with any duty, before delivery. Royal Mail adds an £8 handling fee and Parcelforce £12; above £900 either one charges £25.
Sources: GOV.UK (gov.uk), read 10 October 2026 and Royal Mail (royalmail.com), read 10 October 2026.
Do I have to pay duty on items shipped from the USA?
Only above £135, and then at the full UK rate: 12 per cent on a jacket, 16 per cent on fabric sneakers. The UK tariff gives goods from the US no trade deal rate. A piece made in Italy but sent from a US shop also pays the full rate.
Sources: GOV.UK (gov.uk, 2 pages), read 10 October 2026 and HM Revenue & Customs (trade-tariff.service.gov.uk), read 10 October 2026.
What are customs charges from Canada to the UK?
Under the UK-Canada trade continuity agreement, a piece made in Canada and sent from Canada pays 0 per cent duty. You pay only the 20 per cent VAT and the carrier's fee. An Italian coat from a Toronto shop is different: it pays the full UK rate above £135.
Sources: HM Revenue & Customs (trade-tariff.service.gov.uk), read 10 October 2026 and GOV.UK (gov.uk), read 10 October 2026.
What is the import tariff on goods from the UK?
Into the US, goods made in the UK pay the general duty plus 10 per cent since 24 July 2026. Canada lets UK made goods bought from a UK shop in free under the Canada-UK trade continuity agreement, though GST or HST still applies.
Sources: U.S. International Trade Commission (hts.usitc.gov), read 10 October 2026 and Canada Border Services Agency (cbsa-asfc.gc.ca), read 10 October 2026.
The rules this page uses
Goods worth £135 or less pay no duty, and the seller charges the VAT at checkout instead of the carrier at the door.
Source: GOV.UK (gov.uk), read 10 October 2026.
A trade deal rate applies when the piece was made in the partner and sent from there. Under £1,000 no formal proof of origin is needed; above it the seller's invoice should carry a statement on origin. A piece made in Italy but sent from a shop in Canada leaves from outside the EU, so it pays the full UK rate.
Sources: HM Revenue & Customs (trade-tariff.service.gov.uk), read 10 October 2026 and GOV.UK (gov.uk), read 10 October 2026.
Above £135 the UK charges duty on the price plus postage, packaging and insurance.
Source: GOV.UK (gov.uk), read 10 October 2026.
VAT is charged on the goods, the postage and insurance, and the duty.
Source: GOV.UK (gov.uk), read 10 October 2026.
The UK plans to end the £135 duty relief: an HMRC announcement of 23 June 2026 says goods of £135 or less will pay duty from October 2028.
Source: GOV.UK (gov.uk), read 10 October 2026.
What this calculator does not cover
- Northern Ireland, where EU rules apply to some parcels.
- Gifts between people, alcohol, tobacco and other excise goods.
- Pieces made in the UK and sent back.
- DHL, UPS and FedEx fees.
- Anti-dumping duties and quotas.
Other countries
More reading
Sources
- HM Revenue & Customs: UK Integrated Online Tariff: the third country duty and each trade deal's rate for each commodity code. trade-tariff.service.gov.uk, read 10 October 2026.
- GOV.UK: Tax and customs for goods sent from abroad: VAT at checkout up to £135, no duty up to £135, duty and VAT on goods plus postage and insurance above £135. gov.uk, read 10 October 2026.
- GOV.UK: Proving originating status: goods under £1,000 can be imported without a formal proof of origin; goods must also meet the non-alteration rule. gov.uk, read 10 October 2026.
- Royal Mail: Pay a fee: a customs handling fee of £8 on Royal Mail items and £12 on Parcelforce items; above £900 a full declaration and a £25 fee, whichever service was used. royalmail.com, read 10 October 2026.
- U.S. International Trade Commission: HTS chapter 99, 2026 Revision 21: U.S. note 52 (headings 9903.05.20 to 9903.06.21), U.S. note 51 (headings 9903.03.12 to 9903.03.16) and U.S. note 50 (heading 9903.05.01). hts.usitc.gov, read 10 October 2026.
- Canada Border Services Agency: Memorandum D11-4-13: personal goods bought in a free trade partner and marked as made there (or in Canada) get the free trade rate, with no certificate. cbsa-asfc.gc.ca, read 10 October 2026.
- GOV.UK: HMRC news, 23 June 2026: goods valued at £135 or less will pay customs duty from October 2028. gov.uk, read 10 October 2026.
- Bank of Canada (read through within's daily rate): Daily exchange rates, used here to turn the price into the currency of the country it ships to. bankofcanada.ca, read 10 October 2026.