Buying from Foreign Sellers

Hi As an individual, if I purchase items online from a foreign seller who has confirmed they will not cover the customs tax for me, how can I arrange payment for the import tax? I am aware that the courier will send me a letter requesting payment for the import tax. However, couriers such as Royal Mail and Parcel Force include a handling fee of £8 for customs clearance. As an individual buyer, is it possible for me to pay the import tax before its arrival to facilitate customs clearance?

The couriers and parcel force etc are making a customs declaration on your behalf and charging for that service and collecting the taxes. They will then deliver to you. They deal with thousands of parcels daily and have highly automated systems. There is not a mechanism for a private individual to notify the post office or courier to remove your parcel from the thousands they deal with so you can make a customs declaration, pay the duty and clear customs.

Hi,

As the couriers handle the customs declarations, they charge their own fee, you need to speak to courier for more details. You can see more information here:

Tax and customs for goods sent from abroad

Thank you