When buying from another country, you may be charged additional fees depending on the import taxes and/or customs duties of your home country. You may need to pay the charges once you receive your order, or Etsy may be required to collect the tax at checkout to send to the tax authorities.
When buying from a seller in your country, you may be charged sales tax or VAT depending on your country’s requirements for online purchases. Purchases for which Etsy is required to charge sales tax at checkout differ between states and countries.
Jump to a section:
- Am I responsible for paying customs fees?
- When does Etsy collect and remit US sales tax?
- When does Etsy collect and remit VAT-type taxes?
- How does VAT work for digital purchases?
- How do I download my VAT invoice?
Am I responsible for paying customs fees?
Customs fees are placed on physical goods that are imported into a country from another country or territory. These fees are applied to international sales, but never domestic.
As a buyer, you are generally responsible for paying the additional costs such as duties, taxes, and customs clearance fees. In some countries, Etsy is obligated to collect taxes such as VAT on imported goods, which are then sent to tax authorities.
Most customs charges are due once the package arrives in the destination country. The cost of the charges is based on:
- The price and type of item
- The package weight and dimensions,
- The origin country the package is being shipped from
- The taxes, duties, and fees of the destination country
If you buy a package from a seller located in a different country, a notice is displayed at checkout saying that additional fees and duties may apply. However this notice does not mean that additional charges for your order are guaranteed. Your local customs office can be contacted to see if additional charges need to be paid for your order.
If you only want to shop within your own country, use search filters to find local sellers on Etsy.
When does Etsy collect and remit US sales tax?
Etsy is legally required to charge sales tax if the US state you’re in mandates it. The price you see on Etsy for an item sold by a US seller is the price you pay, so you should not be charged any additional taxes on delivery.
Check if your US state collects sales tax on online purchases.
If you purchase something for a US tax-exempt organization, learn how to submit a tax-exemption form to Etsy.
When does Etsy collect and remit VAT-type taxes?
VAT, or value-added tax, is sales tax based on the purchase of goods and services that are commonly found in the EU and select other regions of the world.
Sales taxes have many names. For example, it is known as VAT in Europe; JCT in Japan; GST in New Zealand, Australia, and India; and GST/HST in Canada.
Additional duties and taxes may be charged to buyers when physical goods are delivered cross-border between countries or states.
For goods sold within the European Union, VAT—if applicable —is included in the purchase price at the time of sale. Since Etsy requires sellers to list their prices inclusive of VAT, you shouldn’t have to pay any additional amounts other than the total price displayed at checkout.
Goods arriving into EU from non-EU country
The amount of customs duty is assessed at the point of entry of the destination country. Customs duty only applies to packages with a value over €150 EUR.
VAT is collected at the time of checkout where the value of the package is less than €150 EUR and you should not be charged additional VAT by the courier. For packages over €150 EUR, VAT is collected by the carrier with the customs duty.
New Zealand requires Etsy to collect and remit GST on applicable goods sold to New Zealand buyers from overseas that meet the following criteria:
- The buyer is located in New Zealand (based on delivery address).
- The seller is not located in New Zealand.
Etsy doesn’t collect GST where the goods are located in New Zealand. Since Etsy requires sellers to list their prices inclusive of GST, you shouldn’t have to pay any additional amounts other than the total price displayed at checkout.
Norway requires Etsy to collect and remit VAT on applicable goods sold to Norway buyers from overseas that meet the following criteria:
- The seller is located outside Norway.
- The delivery address is in Norway.
- The package has items less than 3,000 NOK.
- The item is subject to VAT at the standard rate.
Etsy does not charge VAT on goods subject to excise duty, such as food and drink. These taxes will be collected at the border.
For amounts higher than 3,000 NOK, and other orders that don’t meet the above criteria, VAT is charged and collected at the border.
Etsy doesn’t collect VAT where the goods are on transactions between buyers and sellers both located in Norway. Since Etsy requires sellers to list their prices inclusive of VAT, you shouldn’t have to pay any additional amounts other than the total price displayed at checkout.
Sellers must pass Etsy's VOEC number to their postal/carrier service electronically. If your seller doesn’t do this, then you may be charged VAT a second time upon delivery of the item.
Australia requires Etsy to collect and remit GST on applicable goods sold to Australian buyers on orders that meeting the following criteria:
- Less than or equal to $1,000 AUD
For amounts higher than $1,000 AUD, GST and any other taxes are charged and collected at the border rather than by Etsy.
Etsy doesn’t collect GST for goods purchased from and delivered to locations in Australia. Since Etsy requires sellers to list their prices inclusive of GST, you shouldn’t have to pay any additional amounts other than the total price displayed at checkout.
Singapore requires Etsy to collect and remit GST on applicable goods from buyers on orders that meet the following criteria:
- The purchase is for a physical item
- The recipient is located in Singapore
- The total value of the item (including gift wrap but excluding delivery) is less than $400 SGD.
- The goods are shipped from outside Singapore
GST is applied to the full order total, which includes item price and shipping
For items with a value $400 SGD and more, GST is charged and collected at the border.
Etsy doesn’t collect GST where the goods are located in Singapore and the transaction is between buyers and sellers both located in Singapore. Etsy requires sellers in Singapore to list their physical item prices inclusive of GST. If you’re located in Singapore and are buying a physical item from a Singapore seller, you shouldn’t have to pay any additional amount past the total price displayed at checkout.
The UK requires Etsy to collect and remit VAT on applicable goods from buyers on orders that meet the following criteria:
- The purchase is for a physical item.
- The recipient is located in the UK.
- The total value of the package (including gift wrap but excluding delivery) is less than or equal to £135 GBP.
- VAT is applied to the full order total, which includes item price, delivery, and gift wrap charges.
- The goods are shipped from outside the UK.*
*Etsy isn't obligated to collect VAT on packages from the EU to Northern Ireland, or on packages from Northern Ireland to other parts of the UK.
For amounts higher than £135 GBP, VAT is charged and collected at the border.
Etsy doesn’t collect VAT where the goods are located in the UK and the transaction is between buyers and sellers both located in the UK. Since Etsy requires sellers to list their prices inclusive of VAT, you shouldn’t have to pay any additional amounts other than the total price displayed at checkout.
Etsy is required to collect GST/HST as well as PST in Saskatchewan and British Columbia, RST in Manitoba, and QST in Quebec. Etsy automatically includes tax in the total you see at checkout. To learn more about these tax requirements you can visit Canada’s government website for more information.
- Seller added GST/HST ID: If an item is being shipped from a seller in Canada to a buyer in Canada, the listing price automatically includes GST/HST.
- Seller did not add GST/HST ID: GST/HST is charged during checkout when a physical item will ship from a Canadian seller to a buyer in Canada, or if it is a digital item that is sold to a Canadian buyer from a Canadian seller.
- Seller added QST ID: If an item is shipped from a Canadian seller to a Quebec buyer, the listing price automatically includes QST.
- Seller did not add QST ID: QST is charged at checkout when a physical item is sold from a Canadian address to a buyer located in Quebec, or a digital item is sold to a buyer in Quebec, from sellers in other provinces or outside Canada.
- British Columbia Provincial Sales Tax (PST)*: PST is charged at checkout on all physical and digital downloads that are delivered to buyers located in British Columbia
- Saskatchewan Provincial Sales Tax (PST)*: PST is charged at checkout on all physical items and certain digital downloads that are delivered to buyers in Saskatchewan.
- Manitoba Retails Sales Tax (RST)*: RST is charged at checkout on physical items and certain digital downloads that are delivered to buyers in Manitoba.
If you’re in a country where Etsy collects VAT or similar taxes, your basket details will show the item price, postage costs, and any additional add-ons such as gift wrap at checkout.
For questions about the item’s prices and the inclusion of VAT, it’s best that you contact the seller directly.
If you believe the incorrect VAT rate was charged, please reach out to us.
How does VAT work for digital purchase?
If Etsy is required to collect the VAT or similar taxes, Etsy automatically collects and adds the appropriate amount to the listing price when you purchase a downloadable digital item.
Some examples of digital items:
- E-books
- Digital patterns
- Downloadable PDFs
You can see the total price with VAT or similar tax included on each listing that applies, as well as in your basket, invoice, and purchase page.
All digital downloads on Etsy are considered B2C (business to consumer) purchases and therefore you aren’t required to provide a VAT ID (or similar tax ID).
How do I download my VAT invoice?
For physical items imported to Australia and New Zealand, you can download an official GST invoice. If you're located in the EU and the United Kingdom, you can see the VAT charges on your purchase receipt.
Outside this, it's the seller's responsibility to provide a legally-compliant VAT invoice when required. The default receipt from Etsy can't be used for this purpose.
If you need a tax invoice for your purchase, you’ll need to contact the seller directly before placing the order to make sure they can facilitate your request.
- Sign in to Etsy.com and go to Your account.
- Go to Purchases and reviews.
- Select the View receipt next to your item.
- If you’re in the UK or EU, select Print Options to download your invoice. For all other locations, select View official invoice.
- Sign in to Etsy.com and go to Your account.
- Go to Purchases and reviews.
- Select the View receipt next to your item.
- Select View official invoice to see the invoice.
We do not provide VAT invoices for gift cards purchased on Etsy
VAT invoices for buyers in Taiwan
If you’re located in Taiwan, we are partnering with Taxamo who will send the VAT invoice to the email address associated with your purchase. Learn more about VAT invoices in Taiwan.