When you’re shopping online overseas, one of the top concerns is getting taxed by Singapore Customs. Buyandship suggests for our members to be aware of the general rule of thumb for import tax and duty. According to the Singapore Customs’ website, for goods imported by post or air, shoppers can get GST relief for amounts up to S$400 per shipment.
1. Customs will likely tax shipments over S$400 in value
The value of your shipment will determine if your Buyandship delivery will be taxed. The value is not determined just by the total price of your purchased items; it is calculated based on the CIF (Cost, Insurance, and Freight) method, which means that the import duty and taxes payable are calculated on the complete shipping value, which includes the cost of the imported goods, the cost of insurance, and the cost of freight.
2. How much will I have to pay for tax and duty?
In general, the import tax rate in Singapore is 7% for shipments valued over S$400. There are some instances where on top of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), you will have to pay import duty charges imposed by the Singapore Customs.
3. What should I do if Singapore Customs stops my Buyandship shipment?
Aside from anticipating whether your Buyandship shipment will be taxed, you don’t need to worry about going to collect your detained delivery! Our courier partner will handle the process on your behalf and will inform you beforehand on the estimate custom tax and duty you’ll need to pay to Singapore Customs. Buyandship does not handle Custom payments; you will need to pay our courier partner before they can proceed with releasing your shipment.
Please note that our courier partners will charge a processing fee during the procedure.
(Last updated: 3 September 2020)