Selling abroad: VAT, duties & import tax basics

Sell across a border and a second country's tax system attaches to your order. Learn the seller-vs-buyer-country split, who collects, and the thresholds to check, then verify each lane with a pro.

Cross-border selling adds VAT/GST, customs duty, and import tax on top of your home-country obligations, and getting it wrong means surprise fees, parcels held at customs, or customers billed at the door. The basics: separate what you owe as a seller from what the buyer's country charges on import, find out whether the marketplace or you collect, and check registration and de-minimis thresholds per lane. This orients you and tells you what to verify; rules differ by country and change often, so confirm with an accountant qualified in your jurisdiction.

The moment you ship across a border, a second country's tax system attaches to your order, and getting it wrong means surprise fees at customs, held parcels, or a customer hit with a bill they never agreed to.

AI can map the moving parts for your exact lanes and draft the setup; rules differ by country and change often, so confirm with an accountant qualified in your jurisdiction.

What you'll learn

Separate seller-country tax from buyer-country tax
Find out who collects
Check thresholds and low-value schemes per lane
Decide DDP vs DDU, then get a pro before you scale a lane