Furniture import costs & fees.

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Separate goods, logistics, taxes and services

Not every charge applies to every order. Get itemized quotations and confirm where one provider’s responsibility ends and another begins.

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Fees are not one worldwide percentage

Supplier pricing, independent buying-agent fees, freight charges and customs levies are different things. A seller may include its margin in the furniture price; an appointed agent may quote a fixed fee, percentage or another arrangement. Ask who is paid by whom, what work is included and whether third-party costs are passed through or marked up.

There is no verified universal commission, inspection fee, shipping price or furniture duty rate on this site. Request current written quotes. For independent buying-agent services and visits in China, see AgentFoshan’s service information.

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Compare the delivery point, not just the acronym

A price for collection at a supplier and a price delivered to your address cover different stages. Record the precise named place, Incoterms® rule and inclusions. If freight is already inside the supplier’s quote, adding it again overstates the budget. If a quote ends at a port, treating it as door delivery understates it.

For a DDP proposal, confirm the importer arrangements, taxes, excluded charges and final delivery scope. Do not assume an acronym alone guarantees lawful import clearance or that every product requirement is satisfied.

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Work out duty and tax with your local broker

Furniture can fall under different tariff classifications: seating and other furniture are not always assessed alike, and materials or use can change the classification. A mixed container can require several tariff lines. Additional trade measures can make a published base duty incomplete.

Customs value and the base for import VAT or GST are not universally identical. Australia’s ABF explains that its taxable-importation value includes customs value, applicable duty and relevant transport and insurance. HMRC’s UK guidance discusses additional expenses that can enter the import VAT value. Use the rules for your actual destination.

05 /

Use the calculator as a cash-planning tool

Enter current amounts from your supplier, forwarder and customs broker. Use the optional rate mode only when you know both the applicable rate and its correct base. For a mixed container, entering the broker’s combined duty amount can be more appropriate than applying one rate to the whole order.

The result is an estimated cash budget, not permanent net cost. Some businesses may recover eligible import taxes later; eligibility and timing need local advice. A contingency is your chosen reserve, not a charge imposed by customs.