Every day new people register on the aliexpress trading platform: some spend a long time and carefully looking for the necessary thing, others are addicted to virtual shopping, making several orders a week. The low cost of goods and attractive delivery conditions have already been appreciated by Russian entrepreneurs, who began purchasing goods from Aliexpress in large quantities. Few people know that in some situations the buyer must pay additional customs fees. In order not to find yourself in an awkward position at the post office, unexpectedly receiving a receipt for duty payment along with the parcel, you need to know in what cases customs clearance of goods on Aliexpress occurs.
In what cases are customs duties imposed on goods from Aliexpress?
On Aliexpress, the seller usually offers several transport companies, through which he can send the goods. You can choose either free delivery or commercial services. At the same time, no matter which company you choose, any order goes through Russian customs, which imposes uniform requirements for all parcels. Even if you buy things on Aliexpress only for yourself and your family, without commercial gain, customs can issue you a receipt for payment of the duty:
- the total material value of the parcels received by you in 31 calendar days exceeded 1000 Euros (30% of the difference in the cost of the parcel and the specified limit is paid);
- the weight of all items for the same period exceeded 31 kg (the fee is 4 Euros per 1 kg exceeding the norm).
The listed rules apply in all countries of the Customs Union. In Belarus, customs requirements are even more stringent: if the limit of 1000 Euro is exceeded, the recipient of the parcel must pay 60% of the difference. The minimum value of a parcel that is subject to payment of duty is 120 Euro.
These requirements need to be known, first of all, to participants in small and medium-sized businesses. Most Aliexpress customers are limited to small orders that are placed in small packages. The desire to order in bulk arises when stores offer goods at an attractive price, but in bulk.
To get a discount, some people team up to order together, others plan to give away the excess among their acquaintances and friends. However, at customs such a parcel may be identified as commercial and required to undergo customs clearance. Knowing the rules, Chinese sellers can send an order in several parcels to one address.
How to avoid customs clearance of goods from Aliexpress
When ordering equipment or expensive gadgets on Aliexpress, you may encounter unexpected expenses. If customs officials issue a customs fee, you will not be able to receive your order at the post office without paying taxes. To avoid this situation, the following tips may help:
- keep track of the cost and weight of your purchases for each month, see the amount on the parcel upon receipt;
- when dividing an order into several shipments, they must be sent sequentially so that the parcels do not end up at the customs point at the same time;
- a large order in quantities greater than 5 identical products can be distributed to different addresses, for example, relatives or friends;
- When buying equipment, phones, laptops, ask sellers to indicate the real cost of the goods. If the value is suspiciously underestimated, customs officials may indicate a different value, the average market value;
- When ordering 5 or more identical products, negotiate with the store to ship in multiple parcels.
If, however, customs imposed a duty on your parcel, you have the right not to pay it and refuse the goods. After that, open a dispute on Aliexpress with a detailed description of the situation. If you have documents confirming your refusal of the parcel and sending it back to China, please attach a scan of them to the sender. Situations like these usually work out in the buyer's favor, but you will likely have to pay the seller's shipping costs.
In addition to demanding payment of duties, customs officers may also bring the recipient to administrative liability.
When it comes to how much you can buy on Aliexpress without duty at one time, it turns out that not everyone knows the exact rules regarding customs duties and the specifics of limits depending on the weight and value of the goods. These are the ones that will be discussed in this article.
What you need to know about customs regulations
Currently, there is still debate about the benefits of purchasing goods online. It is worth considering that payment of taxes and fees is mandatory and must be made for each purchase, including through AliExpress. The list of functions of the customs service also includes the inspection of each parcel in order to identify items that are prohibited for shipment by law. The AliExpress system has its own rules, according to which it is the buyer, not the seller, who must bear customs costs; if the price of the postal item and the weight of the parcel do not exceed the permissible limits, the IPO will be sent to the recipient and safely delivered to the specified address. It is best to find out in advance how much the tax and duty will be in each specific case.
Sometimes customs officers detect violations of these rules. If this happens, the MPO is sent to the recipient and an additional notice is attached to it with the amount that will need to be paid for exceeding the permissible standards. The price of the parcel is usually indicated in the “Declared Value” field, since sometimes sellers can indicate a lower value for a specific product, a customs officer has the right to independently check the compliance of this price and then revalue the parcel.
If goods are purchased on sale or at a promotion, their cost will be much lower than the market price. In this case, it is better to ask the seller to attach a discount coupon or other document confirming the price reduction.
How much duties and fees must be paid?
All countries that are members of the Customs Union have their own rules regarding the payment of duties, taxes and fees, which should be discussed in more detail. They are specified in a special agreement that applies to the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan; in Belarus, the norms for sending goods are regulated by national laws and are more stringent.
So, according to the rules of the agreement:
- Each person residing in the territory of one of the countries of the Customs Union can receive MPO containing goods intended for personal use for one month. Moreover, the total cost of such goods should not exceed 1000 euros, and their weight should not exceed 31 kg.
- For various reasons, these standards may be exceeded, depending on the category and type of specific product. In this case, the buyer is obliged to pay customs duty, which is 30% of the difference obtained by deducting the cost of the goods from the permissible limit of 1000 euros.
- In terms of excess weight, the buyer must pay at least 4 euros per 1 kg.
- There is also an additional customs fee of 12.5 euros, which must be paid for MPOs containing goods worth less than 200 thousand rubles.
- When purchasing goods worth less than 200 euros, you will not need to fill out a declaration.
To better understand this principle, let's look at a specific example.
Specific example
If a product costs 1,500 euros and its weight is 10 kg, you will have to pay 150 euros for excess cost, and 76 euros for excess weight.
For furniture, household appliances and other goods whose total weight is more than 35 kg, different rules apply; in this case, the buyer must make a total payment, including duty, excise tax and VAT.
For example, for a sofa weighing 40 kg, the price of which is $500, you will need to pay an additional $242.7 to receive the ordered product.
Features of ordering goods for citizens of Belarus
According to the rules of the Republic of Belarus, all MGOs whose customs value does not exceed 22 euros should not be subject to duty. Otherwise, the amount of such duty will be 30% of the cost, but not less than 4 euros per kilogram; there is also an additional fee of 5 euros for processing the parcel at customs. The weight of one parcel should not exceed 10 kilograms, and delivery is carried out without any difficulties.
How to order goods in Ukraine
According to the current rules of the country's Customs Code, duty will not be required for MPO for individuals whose price does not exceed 300 euros and whose weight is less than 50 kilograms.
For buyers, all restrictions on the number of parcels that can be received during the month have been lifted. If these standards are exceeded, the buyer will be required to pay customs duties.
Acceptable limits when ordering on AliExpress
Many buyers want to know how much they can order goods on AliExpress, so that information about additional taxes and duties does not become an unpleasant surprise when receiving a package in the mail.
As mentioned above, if the buyer receives parcels with a total weight of more than 31 kilograms and a total value of more than 1,000 euros, he will need to pay tax on the purchased goods.
The tax amount will be 30% of the difference in the value of the goods at customs and the total permissible limit, but not less than 4 euros per 1 kilogram of excess weight. In this case, the recipient will be able to pick up the order only after paying the specified amount of customs duty.
How many products can you order?
Most users are interested in the main question: how many products can be ordered in one calendar month. There are no restrictions or limits on the quantity of goods ordered on the AliExpress website, and this rule applies to absolutely all categories.
Moreover, for legal entities operating in Kazakhstan and Russia, the customs service has introduced additional restrictions, which may become an obstacle for those who want to create their own business. Many buyers are attracted by the low prices on the site, and they are happy to order products from various categories.
To save noticeably, you should ensure that the total number of purchases always fits within the permissible price and weight limits.
There are also certain tricks, for example, you can break the total amount of the parcel into several parts and place it in the names of your relatives, who will be able to pick up the MPO at the post office in person without having to pay customs duties and taxes on the total amount of purchases.
The main rules of thrifty buyers
In fact, saving money when shopping on AliExpress is not as difficult as it might seem, you just need to follow a number of popular rules:
All this will help you enjoy online shopping on the site without unnecessary hassle and problems; the online store provides a wide range of opportunities for all customers, which are definitely worth taking advantage of.
Hi all! I think no one will argue with the fact that Aliexpress is a fairly popular online store, which is especially in demand for residents of the CIS countries and others. However, most users, sooner or later, face the problem of customs control.
And here a natural question arises about how much you can order on Aliexpress, so that you don’t have to spend money on customs later. Therefore, I propose to look into this issue in more detail.
How to avoid paying duties
So, let's find out whether you need to pay extra money for a package that comes straight from China?
In this matter, it is very important what country you live in, what the weight of your parcel is, and what the cost is written in the attached accompanying information.
Let's look at the following countries as an example:
Belarus.
If you are a resident of Belarus, then you will not have to pay a commission fee if your orders within one month do not exceed the cost of 22 €, or if the total weight of the parcels within 30 days does not exceed thirty kilograms.
If the amount of orders that were delivered to Belarus reaches one thousand euros, then a commission is paid in the amount of thirty percent of the price of all imported goods. However, if during this time more than a thousand euros worth of purchases were made, then you will need to pay sixty percent of the price of all goods.
Ukraine.
If you live on the territory of Ukraine, then you can place duty-free orders from foreign websites per month for an amount of no more than one hundred and fifty euros. If you paid more money for your products, or if the weight exceeds the limits, the customs officer will give you the opportunity to pay 32% of the excess (ten percent duty, ten percent import tax and two percent VAT). We must also take into account the fact that if you use the services of brokers, the price increases in accordance with the tariffs of customs intermediaries.
Russia.
Today, for the Russian Federation, the import of foreign items by mail is limited as follows: one thousand euros in a period of thirty days, or thirty-one kilograms based on the total weight of the parcels. Naturally, products must comply with the status “for personal use”. During this time, you have the right to buy products worth up to a thousand euros and not pay tax.
Kazakhstan.
The situation here is approximately the same as in Russia. If you received products worth more than a thousand euros per month, or weighing more than 31 kilograms, you will have to pay.
Some features
It is necessary to understand that all items must be for personal use. This means that if you order, for example, ten phones or forty T-shirts, they will not pass control, since they will be identified as commercial parcels, and they certainly cannot avoid customs clearance.
Also, you cannot do without customs in cases where an underestimated amount is indicated. For this reason, it is imperative to ask the seller to indicate the actual cost. If the product is delivered as part of a promotion or as a prize, you need to ask that the information contain data on the real value (a receipt, for example).
It should be noted that if the parcel still does not pass control without payment, then you have the right to refuse it. Then you can open a dispute on the store’s website and, if you have documentation about the refusal of the parcel, your money will be returned to you.
You should also familiarize yourself with the list of prohibited goods. Some gadgets (for example, glasses or pens with built-in video cameras, etc.) can be considered “objects for secretly obtaining data.” In such situations, not only a fine, but even criminal liability may be imposed. So no spy stuff!
Thus, it becomes clear that it is quite easy to bypass paying the duty, because the main thing is to be careful in choosing products and control the cost of your purchases for the month.
I hope that the article was useful to you. Watch also the video on this topic. Bye bye!
Best regards, Natalya Melnikova!
always famous low prices for goods, and accordingly this attracted those who decided to start a business and sell goods from China. I must say that this is really profitable, since prices on the site are sometimes two times lower than usual. In this case, the question arises: are there any restrictions on the number of goods ordered per Aliexpress? Let's figure it out.
What customs restrictions apply to purchases from Aliexpress from January 1, 2020?
All restrictions regarding international shipments are regulated by the customs service.
Yes, according to official rules from January 1, 2020, you can order goods to Russia from China without having to pay duty in the amount of up to 200 euros or no more 31 k g, if we talk about mass. If you go beyond the limit, you will have to pay extra. The customs duty is 15% from the amount exceeding the limit, but not less 2 euros for one kilogram excess weight.
Duty payment is the responsibility of the buyer Aliexpress. Payment is usually made at the post office using a special form. This is something like cash on delivery. So, until you pay, the goods cannot be picked up. You can avoid this overpayment if you divide the order into two and place it on different recipients.
Moreover, if you ordered a lot of the same type of product, then it’s time to check the order will increase, since the parcel may be recognized as commercial, that is, that the order was made for the purpose of further selling things, and not for personal use. Therefore, always ask the seller to include no more than 3-4 units of goods in one package if you are buying in batches.
What monthly order amount from Aliexpress from China to Russia is not subject to customs duties from January 1, 2020?
As we have already said, duty-free, the amount of one order from Aliexpress amounts to 200 euros, unlimited number of orders per month. Although, in fact, it may be more, but then you will have to pay.
From what amount on Aliexpress is tax paid to customs on purchases from Russia from January 1, 2020 and how much?
Paid customs duty if the limit is exceeded 200 euros for one postal item with Aliexpress to Russia and it amounts to 15% from the amount that is over the limit. If the weight limit is exceeded, you will have to pay 2 euros for every extra kilogram.
Additionally, it is worth noting that if both limits are exceeded, then tax will be paid for both the order amount and the weight.
Video: Customs Import Tax 2020: AliExpress, Computeruniverse, Alibaba, ebay
And finally, one special category - indivisible goods- these are goods weighing more than 35 kg that cannot be divided into smaller parts (furniture, electronics, etc.). Such goods are paid for "Cumulative customs payment"— duty + excise tax + VAT.
For example, let's take a sofa - weight 50 kg, customs value - 400 euros.
In the calculations, we will need to determine the product code in accordance with the Commodity Classification of Foreign Economic Activity - you can find these codes on the website of the Eurasian Economic Commission - www.eurasiancommission.org
In accordance with the Commodity Tax Code for Foreign Economic Activity, the duty for our sofa is 15% of its customs value, but not less than 0.519 euros per 1 kg. Plus excise duty on sofa = 0 and VAT = 18%.
Duty = 400 * 15% = 60 euros. I did not calculate the amount of duty for excess weight, since it will definitely be less.
VAT = (400 + 60) * 18% = 82.8 euros
Total = 60 + 82.8 = 142.8 euros
As you can see, quite a lot has dripped. So if you find some cheap furniture on Aliexpress, don’t be lazy to calculate how much you will have to pay above its cost. Maybe the savings won't be that significant.
If you only order goods on Aliexpress from time to time, then you don’t need to worry about customs limits and duties.