How to Pay DHL Duties and Taxes

When shipping internationally, paying duties and taxes for your parcel’s destination is a necessary step that ensures proper documentation of goods that cross international borders. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about DHL duties payments.

What are DHL customs duties and taxes?

A customs duty or tax is a tax on imported goods that are transported from one country to another. Many countries use customs duties to protect and keep track of their revenue that comes from imported and exported goods.

How are DHL customs duties calculated?

Generally, customs duties are calculated by taking a percentage of the total value of a parcel including shipping, freight, insurance, and any other costs.

Each country sets their own customs duties rate, so customs duties differ from country to country.

Do all countries charge a customs duty tax?

No, some countries do not require a customs duty. Additionally, you may not need to pay a customs duty for parcels shipping to and from countries in a customs union like the European Union.

Why Doesn’t DHL include customs duties in the price of the shipping label?

DHL does not include customs duties in their prices because DHL does not set customs duties prices. Customs duties prices are determined by the parcel’s destination country.

Who has to pay DHL customs duties?

By default, the recipient of a parcel is charged for customs duties. If the label reads “DAP” in the “Terms of Trade” field, the recipient is on the hook for the custom duties. However, if you, as a sender, would like to make the DHL duties payment for your international shipment, follow these steps:

Log into your DHL Express account, from there, find the Billing section and select “Sender” or “Third Party” on the “Customs Duties Paid By” dropdown menu.

Note: if you select “Third Party” from the “Customs Duties Paid By” list, DHL will charge a $15 per shipment fee that is separate from the rate quote.