Shopping Guide
HELP / FAQs
By onemall 
TL;DR
- Japan charges you nothing on the way out. Japanese consumption tax is refunded or not charged on exports, and OneMall’s fees are the service fee and international shipping. Every “import tax from Japan” is charged by your country’s customs, on arrival.
- The three numbers that decide your bill: your country’s tax threshold (VAT/GST), its customs-duty threshold, and the declared value — which for most countries includes shipping.
- 2026 changes to know: the US taxes every parcel (the $800 exemption ended 29 Aug 2025); the EU abolished its €150 duty-free threshold on 1 Jul 2026 and now charges a flat €3 per item on low-value parcels; the UK (£135), Australia (A$1,000), New Zealand (NZ$1,000) and Canada (C$20) are unchanged.
- Who collects: the carrier. Japan Post hands off to your national post (Royal Mail, Deutsche Post, Australia Post, Canada Post), which bills you plus a handling fee; DHL and ECMS clear customs themselves and add brokerage.
- OneMall declares the real purchase price and cannot lower it, mark parcels as gifts or prepay your duties (except where a shipping line includes clearance). Duties are the buyer’s responsibility[8].
Rules checked against official customs pages on 11 September 2026; shipping quotes are live OneMall calculator results from the same day. Last updated: 2026-09-11.
How import tax actually works on a parcel from Japan
A parcel crossing a border can attract up to three charges. Customs duty is a percentage set by the tariff code of the goods (a figure, a camera, a jacket each have their own) and by the origin country; many countries waive it below a value threshold. Import VAT / GST / sales tax is your domestic consumption tax applied to imports so that foreign purchases are not cheaper than local ones; most countries now charge it from the first dollar or after a low threshold. Handling or brokerage is what the carrier charges for doing the paperwork and fronting the money — a fixed fee from national posts, a percentage-plus-minimum from couriers.
Two details trip people up. First, the customs value in the UK, EU, Canada and India includes the international shipping you paid, not just the item price; Australia assesses duty on the goods alone but GST on goods + shipping + duty. Second, the threshold is applied to the whole consignment, so consolidating six ¥3,000 items into one box can push a shipment over a threshold that each item alone would have cleared — the flip side of the savings in our consolidation guide.
Thresholds by destination (2026)
| Destination | Tax (VAT / GST) threshold | Customs duty threshold | Who collects | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Every parcel is dutiable — the $800 de minimis exemption was suspended for all countries on 29 Aug 2025 and the temporary flat-rate option for postal items ended 28 Feb 2026 | Same — no value threshold | DHL / ECMS collect duty before or at delivery, plus a brokerage fee | Rates depend on the HTS code plus whatever country-level surcharge is in force; these changed several times in 2025–26, so check CBP before a big order[1] |
| United Kingdom | VAT (20%) on all goods except gifts ≤ £39 | No customs duty ≤ £135; tariff rate above | Royal Mail / Parcelforce / courier bill you and hold the parcel about 3 weeks; a handling fee is added | VAT is charged on goods + postage + any duty[2] |
| EU (Germany, France, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Ireland…) | Import VAT on all goods regardless of value (since 1 Jul 2021); gifts ≤ €45 between private individuals exempt | Since 1 Jul 2026 no duty-free threshold: consignments ≤ €150 pay a flat €3 per item; above €150 the tariff rate applies | National post or courier collects VAT + duty + a handling fee | Council Regulation (EU) 2026/382 abolished the €150 relief[3][4] |
| Australia | Goods ≤ A$1,000: nothing collected at the border (GST is the seller’s job if registered) | Above A$1,000: duty (0–5% for most goods, many Japanese-origin items duty-free under JAEPA) + 10% GST + import processing charge | Australia Post / courier | Alcohol and tobacco are always taxed[5] |
| New Zealand | Goods ≤ NZ$1,000: no duty or GST collected by Customs (except alcohol and tobacco) | Above NZ$1,000: duty + 15% GST + transaction fee | NZ Post / courier | Customs publishes a duty estimator[6] |
| Canada | Postal and courier parcels valued over C$20 pay GST/HST (and PST where applicable) | Duty above C$20 by tariff; most Japanese-origin goods are duty-free under CPTPP if origin is shown | Canada Post charges a handling fee (C$9.95) on dutiable mail; couriers charge brokerage | The higher CUSMA thresholds apply only to shipments from the US and Mexico, not Japan[7] |
| Singapore | GST 9% on imports; parcels ≤ S$400 are only taxed if the seller is GST-registered for low-value goods | Above S$400 GST is collected at the border; most goods carry no customs duty | Singapore Post / courier | Alcohol and tobacco are dutiable at any value |
| Philippines | De minimis ₱10,000 — below that no duty or VAT | Above ₱10,000: duty + 12% VAT | PHLPost / courier | |
| Malaysia | Low-value goods ≤ RM500 pay 10% sales tax at the point of sale (since 2024) where the seller is registered | Above RM500: duty + sales tax at the border | Pos Malaysia / courier | |
| India | No de minimis for purchased goods; virtually every parcel is assessed | Basic duty + IGST + cess; combined rates on collectibles, electronics and apparel commonly reach 30–45% of CIF value | Courier brokerage on top | Gifts are not exempt for commercial purchases |
The EU row covers all 27 member states — Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Poland, Sweden, Cyprus, Malta, Lithuania and the rest apply the same VAT-on-everything rule with their own VAT rate and the new €3 flat duty. Korea and Vietnam tax most parcels above small thresholds (Korea exempts personal imports up to US$150); Indonesia taxes almost everything above US$3; Pakistan and India have no meaningful exemption for purchases. Countries not listed follow one of these patterns: most of Europe outside the EU (Switzerland, Norway) charges VAT on everything with a small duty threshold; the Gulf states (UAE, Saudi Arabia) charge 5% duty and 5–15% VAT above a low threshold; Mexico, Brazil and South Africa tax most parcels and are known for slow clearance. When in doubt, search your customs authority’s site for “de minimis” or “low value imports”.
Special cases: watches, guitars, jewellery, wine
Some goods are taxed differently from the general rule. Watches are the classic trap: the US tariff on watches is a compound rate (a fixed amount per movement plus percentages on case and strap) that applies at any value now that de minimis is gone, so a used Seiko or Grand Seiko from Japan is one of the few purchases where duty can matter more than sales tax; the UK charges little or no duty on most wristwatches but full VAT; Canada and Australia treat them as ordinary goods. Guitars and other instruments are generally 0–5% duty plus VAT/GST, with the cost driven by the oversize freight, not the tariff. Gold, jewellery and precious stones are duty-free in many countries but always taxed, and Japan Post will not carry them by EMS at all. Wine, sake and whisky pay excise duty per litre and per degree of alcohol in every country, on top of VAT/GST, with no de minimis. Leather goods and apparel sit at the high end of tariff schedules (10–20%) once you are above the duty threshold.
The rules are the same whichever Japanese retailer or proxy you use — a parcel from HobbyLink Japan, Plaza Japan, Solaris Japan, Meccha Japan, Amazon Japan or OneMall is assessed identically by your customs. What differs is who fills in the customs declaration form and how accurately; OneMall declares the price paid with an item description on every parcel.
Worked examples with today’s shipping quotes
Import tax is usually the second-largest line after the item itself, ahead of shipping. Here is the same 1 kg parcel to four destinations, priced with OneMall’s shipping calculator on 11 September 2026:
| Example (1 kg figure, 25×20×15 cm) | Goods | International shipping (11 September 2026 quote) | What the border adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| To the UK by EMS | ¥12,000 (≈ £62) | $36.21 | Under £135, so no duty; 20% VAT on goods + postage ≈ £18, plus the Royal Mail handling fee |
| To Germany by EMS | ¥12,000 (≈ €72) | $31.24 | Under €150, so the flat €3-per-item duty; 19% import VAT on goods + postage ≈ €19, plus Deutsche Post’s handling fee |
| To Australia by EMS | ¥12,000 (≈ A$120) | $31.24 | Under A$1,000 — nothing collected at the border |
| To the US by ECMS | ¥12,000 (≈ $80) | $24.55 | Dutiable at any value since 29 Aug 2025; the carrier bills duty + brokerage on delivery |
Currency conversions are approximate; VAT is calculated on the value in local currency at the exchange rate your customs authority uses on the day of clearance, not the day you paid.
How to estimate your landed cost before you buy
- Item price in yen — the listing price plus OneMall’s service fee (a flat fee per marketplace order, or 5% for LinkBuy stores; see the fee guide).
- International shipping — run the calculator with the item’s weight and box size; the method matters for customs too (see below).
- Convert (item + shipping) to your currency and compare it with the thresholds in the table.
- Add VAT/GST at your domestic rate on that total if you are over the tax threshold.
- Add duty only if you are over the duty threshold: look up the tariff rate for your product type (many collectibles, books and toys are 0–5%; apparel and footwear are often 10–20%).
- Add the carrier’s handling or brokerage fee.
Does the shipping method change what you pay?
The tax owed does not depend on the carrier, but the collection experience does. Japan Post EMS and Seamail are handed to your national post, which typically charges a modest fixed handling fee and either delivers with a bill or holds the parcel until you pay online. DHL clears the parcel itself, bills duty and tax before delivery and adds a brokerage fee that is a percentage of the charges with a minimum; it is also the line OneMall uses for oversize parcels and alcohol. ECMS — the US-only economy line — clears through its own broker. For US buyers there is no Japan Post option on OneMall at the moment, so the choice is ECMS or DHL either way; details in the US shipping guide and the shipping methods explainer.
What OneMall does and does not do at customs
- Declares the actual purchase price on the customs form, with an item description. Requests to under-declare or mark a purchase as a gift are declined; both are customs offences in the destination country.
- Does not prepay your duties. International shipping is charged after packing and covers transport only; duties, taxes and clearance fees are billed to you by the carrier or customs[8].
- Is not liable for customs delays, inspections or seizures, and cannot refund an item your country’s customs rejects as prohibited — check our prohibited and restricted items guide before buying knives, perfume, food or anything with a battery[9].
- Will not refund shipping if a parcel is returned because of an unpaid customs bill or a wrong address; some carriers charge a return fee comparable to the outbound cost[9].
Frequently asked questions
Is there import tax from Japan to the USA in 2026? What is the current rate?
Yes, on every parcel to America. The $800 de minimis exemption was suspended for all origins on 29 August 2025, and the temporary flat-rate option for postal items expired on 28 February 2026, so a ¥3,000 keychain and a ¥300,000 camera are both formally dutiable. The rate is the HTS rate for the goods plus any country-level surcharge in force at the time; the carrier collects it with a brokerage fee.
How much is import tax from Japan to the UK?
20% VAT on the goods plus postage, on every parcel above the £39 gift level. Customs duty only applies above £135 total, at the tariff rate for the product (0% for many collectibles and books, up to 12% for clothing). Royal Mail or Parcelforce add a handling fee and hold the parcel for around three weeks for payment.
Is there still a €150 duty-free limit in the EU?
No. From 1 July 2026 (Council Regulation (EU) 2026/382) consignments up to €150 pay a flat customs duty of €3 per item, and above €150 the normal tariff applies. Import VAT has applied to every parcel since July 2021.
Do I pay import tax from Japan to Australia or New Zealand?
Not at the border for parcels worth A$1,000 / NZ$1,000 or less (alcohol and tobacco excepted). Above that you pay duty, GST (10% AU / 15% NZ) and a processing fee before release.
Is there import duty from Japan to Canada?
Anything over C$20 attracts GST/HST and possibly PST; most Japanese-origin goods are duty-free under CPTPP when the origin is shown on the invoice. Canada Post adds a C$9.95 handling fee on mail it collects tax on; couriers charge brokerage.
Can OneMall declare a lower value or mark my parcel as a gift?
No. The declared value is the price paid. Proxy shipments are commercial imports for personal use, not gifts.
Is there an import tax calculator for Japan?
Not one that covers every country. Use OneMall’s shipping calculator for the freight, then apply your country’s threshold and rate from the table above; the UK Trade Tariff, the EU TARIC database and NZ Customs’ estimator give exact duty rates by product.
Is this the same as the duty-free allowance when travelling from Japan?
No. Traveller allowances (US$800 for returning US residents, £390 into the UK, A$900 into Australia, C$800 into Canada after 48 hours) apply to goods you carry through the airport yourself. Posted and couriered parcels are assessed under the import rules above, with no personal allowance.
Does Japan charge export tax or consumption tax on my order?
No. There is no export tax, and the 10% Japanese consumption tax embedded in domestic prices is the only Japanese tax you pay indirectly. OneMall does not offer tax-free purchasing; that scheme is for travellers in Japan.
References
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection — De minimis exemption (suspension effective 29 Aug 2025); White House executive order “Suspending Duty-Free De Minimis Treatment for All Countries”
- GOV.UK — Tax and customs for goods sent from abroad: tax and duty
- German Customs (Zoll) — Duties and taxes on postal consignments; note on the end of the €150 relief from 01.07.2026
- European Commission — Buying goods online coming from a non-EU country
- Australian Border Force — GST and other taxes on imported goods
- New Zealand Customs — Duty estimator (NZ$1,000 threshold)
- Canada Border Services Agency — Importing by mail
- OneMall Support — Important Purchase Notice (payments, shipping fees, customs and import compliance)
- OneMall Support — International Shipping FAQ (duties, prohibited items, returned parcels)
Customs rules change; this page reflects the official sources above as read on 11 September 2026. Last updated: 2026-09-11.