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How Do Customs, Duties and Taxes Work With Bookvault UK?

Learn how customs, duties and taxes are handled when Bookvault UK ships books internationally, including DDU/DAP, DDP and IOSS for EU orders.

When an order is shipped internationally from Bookvault UK, customs duties and local taxes may apply depending on the destination, order value and shipping method used.

What does DDU or DAP mean?

With DDU/DAP shipping, any applicable customs duties, taxes or courier brokerage charges are not prepaid before the order is dispatched.

The recipient may therefore be asked to pay these charges when the shipment reaches its destination.

Does Bookvault UK offer DDP?

Yes.

Bookvault now supports DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) for eligible international shipments.

With DDP, applicable duties and taxes are settled upfront rather than being collected from the recipient when the parcel is delivered.

This can help avoid unexpected customs charges on delivery, particularly where the seller has already collected the relevant tax from the customer at checkout.

What about orders being sent to the EU?

If you're regularly selling to customers in Europe, you may also use an IOSS number where applicable.

If VAT has already been charged to your customer through your eCommerce store, your IOSS details can be added to your Bookvault account and passed through with eligible shipments.

This helps prevent the customer being charged the same VAT again when the order arrives.

For instructions, see How Do I Add and Use My IOSS Code With Bookvault?

When can't IOSS be used?

IOSS does not apply where:

  • the commercial value of the order is greater than €150
  • the order is being sent to a business

In these situations, the appropriate customs and tax treatment will depend on the shipment method and destination.

Will my customer always have to pay customs charges?

Not necessarily.

Whether customs duties or taxes apply depends on factors including:

  • destination country
  • order value
  • applicable local tax rules
  • whether the shipment is sent using DDP or DDU/DAP
  • whether a valid IOSS number is being used for an eligible EU order

With DDP, applicable duties and taxes are paid upfront.

With DDU/DAP, the recipient may instead be asked to pay applicable charges when the parcel is delivered.