Import duties & taxes when ordering from MooBoo Home (UK)

Import duties & taxes when ordering from MooBoo Home (UK)

If you’re ordering one of our handcrafted light fittings from outside the UK, it’s really important to understand how import charges work. These fees are set by your country, not by us, and they’re usually collected by the courier before delivery (or on delivery).

This guide explains:

• what you might be charged,

• why we often can’t quote those costs at checkout,

• what’s currently going on with US tariffs, and

• why we’ve stopped shipping to the EU/EEA due to the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) (with one limited exception).

(This is general guidance, not legal or tax advice.)

1) The four charges buyers usually see

When a parcel arrives from the UK, the buyer may be charged some combination of:

A) Customs duty (import duty)

• A percentage based on the product category (its HS / tariff code) and sometimes its country of origin.

• For lighting and electrical goods, this can vary a lot by destination and by how the item is classified.

B) Import VAT / sales tax / GST

• Many countries charge a consumption tax on imports (e.g., VAT in many places, GST in others).

• This is typically calculated on the item value + shipping + duty (yes, often “tax on the shipping” too).

C) Tariffs / special trade measures (country-specific)

• Some countries add additional tariffs that can change quickly due to trade policy.

• The US is the most high-profile example right now (see the US section below). (Reuters)

D) Courier handling / brokerage fees

• Couriers often charge an admin/brokerage/advancement fee for processing customs paperwork and paying charges on your behalf.

• This fee is set by the courier, not by us.

2) Why we can’t reliably quote import costs at checkout

Even if we know the item value and shipping cost, import charges can still change because:

• tariff rates and special measures can be updated with little notice (especially in the US at the moment), (Reuters)

• couriers apply their own brokerage/handling fees, and

• final customs assessment can depend on classification, supporting documents, and the destination authority’s decision.

So in most cases we ship Delivered At Place (DAP) (sometimes called “DDU”): meaning the buyer is responsible for import charges when the parcel arrives.

3) A simple “ballpark” way to estimate your likely import costs

While we can’t promise an exact figure, this is a sensible way to budget:

1. Start with your order total (excluding UK VAT where applicable)

2. Add shipping

3. Estimate duty (varies by country + classification)

4. Estimate VAT/GST/sales tax (your local rate, often applied to item + shipping + duty)

5. Add a courier handling fee

Worked example (illustrative only)

If a parcel is valued at £800 and shipping is £80:

• Subtotal: £880

• Duty (example only, say 4%): £35.20

• Tax base might be £915.20

• Import VAT/GST (example only, say 20%): £183.04

• Courier fee (example only): £10–£25

Total import charges might land somewhere around £228–£243 in this imaginary example.

(Your actual numbers may be higher or lower.)

4) United States: tariffs are changing regularly (and quickly)

Two big things to know right now

1) Low-value shipments are no longer “automatically easy.”
Historically, many imports under the US “de minimis” threshold avoided duties. However, UK Government guidance notes that the US removed the $800 de minimis threshold for commercial shipments from the UK (from 29 August 2025), meaning shipments that previously slipped through duty-free may now face duties and full customs clearance. (Business Growth Service)

2) Tariff policy has been moving fast and is hard to predict.
Recent reporting describes rapid shifts in US tariff measures and the legal basis used to apply them, including changes following a Supreme Court ruling and subsequent replacement measures. (Reuters)

What this means for MooBoo Home customers in the US

• We cannot reliably predict your final import bill at the point you order, because tariff rules and surcharges can change quickly and may apply differently depending on classification and timing. (Reuters)

• If you’re budgeting for a project, we strongly recommend allowing a contingency for import charges.

5) EU / EEA: why we currently don’t ship (GPSR)

From 13 December 2024, the EU’s General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) started applying to a wide range of consumer products, including those sold online, and introduced new responsibilities for businesses selling into the EU/EEA and Northern Ireland. (EU Trade)

Because of these requirements (and the ongoing admin burden for very small makers), we are currently unable to ship to the EU/EEA.

The one exception: listings placed on the market before 13 December 2024

There is an important “grandfathering” concept commonly described as: GPSR applies to products placed on the market on/after 13 December 2024, and does not apply to items made available before that date (provided they complied with prior rules). This is also reflected in Etsy’s seller guidance. (Etsy)

So the only EU/EEA exception we can sometimes rely on is:

• products that were already listed/made available before 13 December 2024 (for example, specific legacy listings on Etsy or our website from before that date). (Etsy)

If a product wasn’t listed/made available before that date, we treat it as not eligible for EU/EEA shipment.

(If you’re in the EU/EEA and you’re unsure whether something qualifies, please message us with the exact product link you’re looking at.)

6) Quick country-by-country notes (general guidance)

Because rules vary, treat these as “typical patterns,” not guarantees:

• Canada: often GST/HST + possible duty depending on classification, plus courier/brokerage fees.

• Australia / New Zealand: GST is commonly applied to imports; low-value rules exist but can vary by channel and product type; courier fees may apply.

• Switzerland / Norway: import VAT is common; courier handling fees are common.

If you tell us your country and the product you’re considering, we can help you identify the likely HS category and what to ask your courier/tax authority—while being clear that only your customs authority can confirm the final charges.

7) FAQs

Will I pay UK VAT?

For many exports outside the UK, UK VAT is not charged (depending on destination and how the sale is structured). Import taxes are then handled by the destination country.

Can MooBoo Home ship “all taxes paid” (DDP)?

Sometimes couriers offer DDP services, but it’s not always available or cost-effective for handmade, bespoke electrical items—especially with fast-changing tariff rules in some countries. At present, we generally ship DAP (buyer pays import charges).

Why do couriers charge an extra fee?

They’re effectively doing the customs processing and paying fees upfront, then reclaiming that from you with an admin cost.

8) The simplest advice before you order

To avoid surprises:

• Assume you may pay duty + local tax + courier fee on delivery.

• If you’re in the US, budget extra right now because tariff measures are changing regularly. (Reuters)

• If you’re in the EU/EEA, assume we cannot ship unless the product is one of the specific legacy listings that were made available before 13 December 2024. (Etsy)

If you want, tell me:

• the country you’re ordering from, and

• which product (or price range) you’re considering,

…and I’ll write a short, customer-friendly “What you might pay at the border” note you can paste into your product pages/FAQs (including an example calculation and wording that keeps you protected).