Duty Calculator

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Import Duty & Tax Calculator

Calculate customs fees, VAT, and total landed cost for international shipments.

Landed Cost Breakdown

CIF Value (Cost + Shipping): $0.00
Import Duty: $0.00
VAT / Sales Tax: $0.00
Total Landed Cost: $0.00

Understanding Import Duty and Taxes

When purchasing goods internationally, the price you pay the seller is rarely the final cost. Most countries apply "Import Duty" and "Sales Tax" (often called VAT or GST) on incoming goods to protect domestic industries and generate revenue.

Key Components of the Calculation

  • CIF Value: This stands for Cost, Insurance, and Freight. Most customs authorities calculate duty based on the total value of the goods plus the cost of getting them to the border.
  • Duty Rate: This is a percentage based on the HS (Harmonized System) code of the product. Electronics, textiles, and luxury goods all have different rates.
  • Sales Tax/VAT: This is usually applied to the sum of the CIF value and the Duty amount. It is effectively a tax on top of a tax.

Example Calculation

Imagine you buy a camera from overseas for $1,000 with $50 shipping. Your country has a 10% duty rate and 20% VAT.

  1. CIF Value: $1,000 + $50 = $1,050
  2. Import Duty: 10% of $1,050 = $105
  3. VAT Basis: $1,050 + $105 = $1,155
  4. VAT Amount: 20% of $1,155 = $231
  5. Total Landed Cost: $1,050 + $105 + $231 = $1,386

Note: Many countries have a "De Minimis" threshold. If your item value is below this amount, you may not have to pay any duty or tax at all.

function calculateDuty() { var itemValue = parseFloat(document.getElementById("itemValue").value); var shippingCost = parseFloat(document.getElementById("shippingCost").value); var dutyPercentage = parseFloat(document.getElementById("dutyPercentage").value); var salesTaxPercentage = parseFloat(document.getElementById("salesTaxPercentage").value); // Reset display if inputs are invalid if (isNaN(itemValue) || itemValue < 0) { alert("Please enter a valid item value."); return; } // Default values for optional fields shippingCost = isNaN(shippingCost) ? 0 : shippingCost; dutyPercentage = isNaN(dutyPercentage) ? 0 : dutyPercentage; salesTaxPercentage = isNaN(salesTaxPercentage) ? 0 : salesTaxPercentage; // 1. CIF Value (Cost + Insurance + Freight) var cifValue = itemValue + shippingCost; // 2. Import Duty Amount var dutyAmount = cifValue * (dutyPercentage / 100); // 3. Taxable Basis for VAT (CIF Value + Duty) var taxableBasis = cifValue + dutyAmount; // 4. Sales Tax / VAT Amount var taxAmount = taxableBasis * (salesTaxPercentage / 100); // 5. Total Landed Cost var totalCost = taxableBasis + taxAmount; // Update UI document.getElementById("cifValueOutput").innerText = "$" + cifValue.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2}); document.getElementById("dutyAmountOutput").innerText = "$" + dutyAmount.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2}); document.getElementById("taxAmountOutput").innerText = "$" + taxAmount.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2}); document.getElementById("totalCostOutput").innerText = "$" + totalCost.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2}); // Show result container document.getElementById("dutyResultContainer").style.display = "block"; }

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