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What checkout includes
Unless checkout explicitly says otherwise, Irving Books does not prepay destination import VAT, customs duty, brokerage, or carrier handling.
Paid to Irving Books
Books and delivery
Checkout covers the products in your basket and the delivery service shown before you pay.
May be collected locally
Import and clearance charges
Destination VAT, duty, brokerage, and carrier handling are not prepaid unless checkout explicitly says they are included.
No physical border crossing
Digital editions
eBooks and audiobook downloads do not create parcel customs charges. Any applicable digital tax is handled at checkout.
How physical books are dispatched
The route depends on the title and stock source. Either route can cross a customs border; your dispatch email identifies the carrier.
Printed to order
Sent by our print partner
Some new hardbacks and paperbacks are produced after purchase and dispatched directly by the print partner. International shipments are sent on a DAP basis: destination taxes and clearance charges are not prepaid and may be collected from the recipient.
Office stock
Sent from held inventory
Archive copies and books already held in stock are normally sent through Royal Mail or a local postal network. If the parcel crosses a customs border, the destination carrier may collect local charges before delivery.
- Import VAT or sales tax
- A destination-country tax on imported goods. It is normally assessed by customs and collected by the postal service or courier.
- Customs duty
- A tariff determined by the destination, declared value, product classification, origin, and the rules in force when the parcel arrives.
- Carrier fee
- A postal clearance, brokerage, or handling fee charged by the company that presents the parcel to customs and collects payment.
Current guidance
Find your destination
This is a practical customer guide, not a tax quote. Rules can change between order and arrival; the linked authority and the collecting carrier make the final decision.
United KingdomA parcel import bill is not normally expected
Most UK-address orders are dispatched within the UK, and printed books are zero-rated for UK VAT. A standard domestic Irving Books order should not normally attract a parcel import charge. If a carrier asks for one, check the parcel origin and contact us with your order number.
GOV.UK guidance ↗European UnionImport VAT, duty, and handling can apply
If a book enters the EU from outside the EU and tax was not prepaid, the carrier may collect import VAT and a handling fee. From 1 July 2026, the EU also applies a temporary €3 customs duty per item to low-value consignments up to €150 from outside the EU; other customs rules can apply above that value. Irving Books does not currently collect IOSS VAT at checkout.
European Commission guidance ↗United StatesDo not rely on the former $800 de minimis rule
U.S. Customs and Border Protection suspended general duty-free de minimis treatment for low-value shipments from 29 August 2025. Exemptions and product classification can still affect books, so any applicable duty, tax, postal charge, or carrier fee is decided at import rather than by Irving Books.
U.S. Customs guidance ↗CanadaTaxes and clearance fees may be assessed
GST, HST, PST, duty, and postal or courier clearance fees may apply. The amount depends on the declared value, province, carrier, product classification, and any available relief.
Canada Border Services guidance ↗AustraliaGST and import costs depend on the shipment
Imported goods may attract taxes, duty, and processing charges unless an exemption applies. Australian authorities calculate taxable importation using the customs value together with applicable duty, transport, and insurance.
Australian Border Force guidance ↗New ZealandThe NZ$1,000 threshold no longer means fee-free
Customs generally does not collect duty or GST at the border on ordinary goods valued at NZ$1,000 or less, but Goods Management Levies introduced on 1 April 2026 can still apply and may be passed on by a broker, freight forwarder, or carrier. Higher-value shipments follow standard import clearance rules.
New Zealand Customs guidance ↗SingaporeGST depends on seller registration and value
For air or postal imports, GST treatment depends on whether the overseas seller is GST-registered, whether GST was collected at purchase, and whether the shipment exceeds the S$400 relief threshold. The carrier or SingPost handles any collection at import.
Singapore Customs guidance ↗Switzerland, Norway, Iceland & elsewhereAssume destination rules may apply
Countries outside the UK and EU VAT systems set their own import tax, duty, and clearance rules. The local customs authority or delivery company is the best source for the current position and any payment deadline.
Time-sensitive
If you receive a customs notice
A legitimate payment request normally includes a deadline. Work through these checks before paying or contacting us.
- 1Verify the senderCheck that the message comes from the postal service, courier, or official customs authority handling your parcel. Do not pay from an unrelated message or unfamiliar link.
- 2Check the descriptionThe goods should normally be described as books, printed books, or printed matter. Ask the carrier to review an obviously incorrect classification before paying where possible.
- 3Note the deadlineCarriers normally hold a parcel for a limited period. If no action is taken, it may be returned to the sender.
- 4Pay the carrier, not Irving BooksIf the request is valid and you want the parcel released, payment is made to the postal service, courier, or customs authority collecting the charge.
- 5Ask us for documentsEmail your order number if the carrier needs an invoice, proof of purchase, or product description. We can supply records promptly.
Common questions
Is this a second shipping charge?
No. Shipping is the delivery service paid for at checkout. Import VAT, customs duty, brokerage, and carrier handling are separate destination charges.
Will I definitely have to pay?
Not necessarily. It depends on the parcel route, destination rules, declared value, classification, origin, and carrier. The destination authority makes the final assessment.
Can Irving Books mark the parcel as a gift or lower its value?
No. Commercial paperwork must be accurate. We cannot mark a commercial order as a gift or understate its value to avoid local tax.
Can I avoid parcel charges with a digital edition?
Yes. Digital editions do not cross a physical border, so they do not attract parcel customs or carrier-clearance charges. Any applicable digital tax is handled at checkout.
Can Irving Books refund a customs charge?
No. Customs and carrier charges are not paid to Irving Books. If an assessment appears incorrect, the collecting carrier or local customs authority must review it.
What happens if I decline the parcel?
The carrier may return it, abandon it, or charge return costs under its terms. Contact us before declining where possible so we can explain the likely order and refund consequences.
Official references
These primary sources were checked for this update. Use the relevant authority for a current ruling on your shipment.
- European UnionLow-value import duty from 1 July 2026
- United KingdomTax and customs for goods sent from abroad
- United KingdomVAT rates for books and printed publications
- United StatesInternational mail and de minimis treatment
- CanadaImporting by mail or courier
- AustraliaCost of importing goods
- New ZealandGoods Management Levies — 2026 changes
- SingaporeGST on low-value goods
Need documentation?
We can provide an invoice
Send your order number if customs or the carrier asks for proof of purchase or a product description. We cannot alter commercial paperwork after dispatch to avoid local tax.