Customs, Duties & Taxes Guide
Worried about surprise fees when your package arrives? This guide explains how customs, duties, and taxes work on international orders — and the good news about shopping with Luxxri.
The good news first
Most Luxxri orders arrive with nothing extra to pay. Wherever possible, we ship using duty-prepaid (“tax-free”) shipping methods, which means any applicable duties are handled before your package reaches you.
In our experience, customers in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union (including Austria), and Australia — among other countries — have not been charged import duties on their orders. For the large majority of shoppers, there’s nothing more to do once you’ve paid.
What customs, duties & taxes are
When a package crosses an international border, the destination country’s customs authority may apply charges. These are set by your government, not by Luxxri:
- Import duty — a tax on imported goods, often based on the product type and value.
- VAT / sales tax / GST — a consumption tax some countries apply to imports.
- Customs clearance / handling fees — occasional processing fees charged by the carrier or customs.
Whether any of these apply depends on your country, the value of your order, and the type of product.
How it works with duty-prepaid shipping
Many of the shipping methods we offer are “tax-free” / duty-prepaid lines. With these:
- Applicable duties and taxes are calculated and paid in advance, built into your shipping cost.
- Your package clears customs smoothly, and you typically owe nothing on delivery.
This is why most of our customers never see a customs bill. Where a duty-prepaid option is available for your destination, it’s usually the smoothest choice.
When duties might still apply
Customs rules are set by each country and can change. In the less common cases where charges do apply, they’re typically due when:
- Your destination country doesn’t offer a duty-prepaid option for your order, or
- Your order’s value exceeds your country’s duty-free threshold, or
- The product type is subject to specific import taxes.
In these cases, any duties or taxes are the responsibility of the recipient — they’re charged by your government, and they’re outside our control. If your country’s customs authority contacts you for payment, that’s why.
Know your country’s threshold
Most countries have a “de minimis” value — an order value below which no duty is charged. A few examples to check for your own country:
- Many orders fall below these thresholds, which is part of why duties are rare for typical purchases.
- Thresholds and rules change, so if you’re placing a large or high-value order, it’s worth checking your country’s current import rules before you buy.
[Optional: add your most common destination countries’ current de minimis thresholds here, and update periodically.]
How to avoid surprises
- Choose a duty-prepaid (“tax-free”) shipping method at checkout when one is available for your country.
- Check your country’s de minimis threshold for large orders.
- Reach out if you’re unsure — we’re happy to help you understand your options before you order.
Questions?
If you have a customs question or want help choosing the right shipping method, contact us via our live chat or contact form.
This guide is for general information and reflects our typical experience; it isn’t tax or legal advice. Customs policies are determined by your destination country. See our Shipping Policy for more on delivery and carriers.