WITHIN · DUTY CALCULATOR · Rules read 20 October 2026
Import duty from the US to the UK on clothes, shoes and bags
An order of £135 or less from the US pays no UK duty: the seller adds 20 per cent VAT at checkout. Above £135 you pay the full UK duty, 12 per cent on most clothes and 16 on fabric sneakers, then 20 per cent VAT on the price, postage and duty.
Type the price and what it is. The page works out the UK duty, the VAT and Royal Mail's or Parcelforce's fee from the rules in force today. It covers Great Britain.
Rules read on 20 October 2026 from the official sources listed at the end.
- £135 or less: no duty, 20% VAT at checkout
- Above £135: UK duty, then 20% VAT at the door
- Most clothes: 12% duty
- Royal Mail fee: £8, or £25 above £900
- Rules read: 20 October 2026
A £250 cotton hoodie made in the US
Sent from the United States by Royal Mail with no shipping cost added, it costs £344 at the door, £94 more than its price.
| Price | £250 |
|---|---|
| Duty: 12% (commodity code 6110209900) | £30 |
| Import VAT: 20% of £280 | £56 |
| Royal Mail customs handling fee: Charged when duty or tax is owed | £8 |
| At the door, 37.6% more than the price | £344 |
What each kind pays, made in the United States
The UK duty on each kind of piece. The last column adds up the duty, tariffs and tax on a £500 piece, before fees.
| What it is | Duty | Duty and tax on £500 |
|---|---|---|
| Coat, wool or cashmere | 12% | £172 |
| Down jacket or puffer, nylon outside | 12% | £172 |
| Jacket or windbreaker, nylon or polyester | 12% | £172 |
| Trousers or jeans, cotton | 12% | £172 |
| T-shirt, cotton | 12% | £172 |
| Sweater, hoodie or sweatshirt, cotton | 12% | £172 |
| Sweater, all cashmere | 12% | £172 |
| Dress, silk | 12% | £172 |
| Sneakers, leather outside | 6% | £136 |
| Sneakers, fabric or knit outside | 16% | £196 |
| Boots, leather, over the ankle | 4% | £124 |
| Handbag or tote, leather outside | 2% | £112 |
| Jewellery, silver | 2% | £112 |
Women's and unisex lines. The men's line differs for leather sneakers and leather boots; the calculator above works out either.
Sources: HM Revenue & Customs (trade-tariff.service.gov.uk), read 20 October 2026 and GOV.UK (gov.uk), read 20 October 2026.
Made in the United States, worked out on real pieces
Pieces on the shelves of within's boutiques in Canada that ship to the UK, each with about what it costs to have it sent there.
Rosetta GettyPintuck Front Cropped Wide Jeans£130Made in the United States. About £220 delivered, £37 of it VAT.
RhudeRH Safari Crest Zip Hoodie£530Made in the United States. About £791 delivered, £208 of it duty, VAT and fees.
Kody PhillipsLasso Hoodie - Black£253Made in the United States. About £419 delivered, £113 of it duty, VAT and fees.
Greg LaurenKhaki Uniform G1 Kimono - Tan£612Made in the United States. About £901 delivered, £237 of it duty, VAT and fees.
RhudeMesh Piping Parachute Track Pants - Red£264Made in the United States. About £434 delivered, £117 of it duty, VAT and fees.
Greg LaurenAntique Hemp Sack GL1 Kimono - Ivory£482Made in the United States. About £727 delivered, £192 of it duty, VAT and fees.
Rhude90S Traxedo Jeans - Black£309Made in the United States. About £494 delivered, £132 of it duty, VAT and fees.
RhudeFumar 91 Hoodie - Black£264Made in the United States. About £434 delivered, £117 of it duty, VAT and fees.
Each sum is the calculator's: the price at the Bank of Canada rate of 19 October 2026, the shop's own shipping, then the duty, tariffs and fees for a parcel sent from Canada by Royal Mail. Up to £135 it counts the VAT the seller adds at checkout.
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 20 October 2026.
Above £135 the UK charges duty on the price plus postage, packaging and insurance.
Source: GOV.UK (gov.uk), read 20 October 2026.
VAT is charged on the goods, the postage and insurance, and the duty.
Source: GOV.UK (gov.uk), read 20 October 2026.
The UK plans to end the £135 duty relief: HMRC said on 23 June 2026 that goods of £135 or less will pay customs duty, and its policy paper of 13 July 2026 sets October 2028 as the latest date. The Treasury will name the day.
Source: GOV.UK (gov.uk, 2 pages), read 20 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.
- The Developing Countries Trading Scheme, which lets many goods made in Bangladesh, Cambodia and Pakistan in at 0 per cent with proof of origin.
By where it was made
Across other borders
The calculator
Common questions
Do I have to pay customs on items from the USA?
Above £135, yes: UK duty at the full rate, 12 per cent on most clothes, then 20 per cent VAT. At £135 or less there is no duty, and the seller adds the VAT at checkout.
Sources: GOV.UK (gov.uk), read 20 October 2026 and HM Revenue & Customs (trade-tariff.service.gov.uk), read 20 October 2026.
How much is import tax from the USA to the UK?
20 per cent VAT on every order, plus duty above £135: 12 per cent on a cotton T-shirt, 16 on fabric sneakers, 2 on a leather handbag. Royal Mail adds an £8 handling fee when something is owed, Parcelforce £12.
Sources: GOV.UK (gov.uk), read 20 October 2026, HM Revenue & Customs (trade-tariff.service.gov.uk), read 20 October 2026 and Royal Mail (royalmail.com), read 20 October 2026.
Does the US-UK trade deal lower the duty on clothes?
No. The UK tariff, read on 20 October 2026, gives goods made in the US no lower rate on clothing, shoes, bags or jewellery, so they pay the full UK rate above £135.
Source: HM Revenue & Customs (trade-tariff.service.gov.uk), read 20 October 2026.
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 20 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 20 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 20 October 2026.
- U.S. International Trade Commission: HTS chapter 99, 2026 Revision 21: U.S. note 20 (the China lists, headings 9903.88.01 to 9903.88.16), 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 20 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 20 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 20 October 2026.
- GOV.UK: HMRC policy paper of 13 July 2026: customs duty on goods of £135 or less from a day the Treasury sets by regulations, October 2028 at the latest. gov.uk, read 20 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.