October 15, 2026
Norway runs its own VAT scheme for foreign sellers of low-value goods, called VOEC. US brands selling parcels under the scheme threshold need registration, checkout VAT, and the VOEC number on every parcel.
Frequently asked questions
How do US brands handle Norway VOEC VAT on low-value imports?
Norway runs its own VAT scheme for foreign sellers of low-value goods, called VOEC. US brands selling parcels under the scheme threshold need registration, checkout VAT, and the VOEC number on every parcel.
How do US brands handle Japan consumption tax on cross border sales?
Japan charges 10 percent consumption tax on goods sold to Japanese consumers, and imports are taxed at the border. US brands selling direct need a model for who acts as importer and how tax shows in the price.
How do US brands clear Canadian customs without surprise charges for buyers?
Shipping from the US to Canada crosses a real customs border: duties, GST and HST, and carrier brokerage fees apply, and brands that hide those costs until delivery lose Canadian buyers to refusals and chargebacks.
How does the EU IOSS scheme simplify VAT for US brands selling to Europe?
The Import One Stop Shop lets non EU sellers collect VAT at checkout on goods of 150 euros or less sold to EU consumers, then file one monthly return instead of registering in every member state where shoppers live.
October 16, 2026
Japan charges 10 percent consumption tax on goods sold to Japanese consumers, and imports are taxed at the border. US brands selling direct need a model for who acts as importer and how tax shows in the price.
October 17, 2026
Shipping from the US to Canada crosses a real customs border: duties, GST and HST, and carrier brokerage fees apply, and brands that hide those costs until delivery lose Canadian buyers to refusals and chargebacks.
October 18, 2026
The Import One Stop Shop lets non EU sellers collect VAT at checkout on goods of 150 euros or less sold to EU consumers, then file one monthly return instead of registering in every member state where shoppers live.
October 19, 2026
Singapore extended GST to low value imported goods through its Overseas Vendor Registration regime, so larger US brands collect GST at checkout on goods of S$400 or less sold to Singapore consumers instead of tax being charged on arrival.
October 20, 2026
South Korea is a large, sophisticated ecommerce market with its own customs clearance ID system for personal imports, a de minimis threshold tied to shipment value and origin, and product certification rules that catch US brands by surprise.
October 21, 2026
Since Brexit, goods sold online to UK consumers carry UK import VAT rules that depend on the value of the consignment and where the goods sit at the moment of sale. US brands get caught by the 135 pound threshold most often. This guide explains the split and what to set up.
October 22, 2026
Australia taxes imported goods sold to consumers at checkout for consignments up to a clear threshold, uses a formal customs system above it, and quarantines more product categories than most exporters expect. This guide gives US brands the working basics before they launch down under.
October 23, 2026
Many countries let low value parcels enter with simplified or duty free treatment, and the thresholds and conditions differ sharply by destination. Sellers who design pricing around a threshold they half remember get surprises. This guide explains how low value regimes work and where the traps sit.
October 24, 2026
Sellers pay duty when goods enter a country, then watch the same goods come back as returns and wonder if that duty is simply lost. Sometimes it is not. This guide explains returned goods relief in plain terms, the evidence customs needs, and how to set up returns so a claim is possible.
October 25, 2026
Small parcels clear or stall on the quality of a few data fields most sellers never see. This guide covers the electronic customs data that travels ahead of the parcel, the errors that cause holds and returns, and simple pre dispatch checks that catch them.
October 26, 2026
A practical guide to international address formats for checkout teams whose parcels fail because a postcode or district field did not fit. It covers how to diagnose the real cause from records, the smallest fix that holds, and how to check after one full cycle whether the change actually worked.
October 27, 2026
A practical guide to duties at checkout for cross border sellers who ship orders across borders every week. It covers how to diagnose the real cause from records, the smallest fix that holds, and how to check after one full cycle whether the change actually worked.
October 28, 2026
A practical guide to returns across borders for cross border sellers handling returns. It covers how to diagnose the real cause from records, the smallest fix that holds, and how to check after one full cycle whether the change actually worked.
October 29, 2026
Australia taxes low value imported goods at the point of sale: overseas sellers over the registration threshold collect GST on goods of 1,000 Australian dollars or less. This post explains the model, the customs declaration change it creates, and the high value route that still runs through the border.
October 29, 2026
Selling into the UK means VAT is decided by the consignment value, with a hard line at 135 pounds. Below it the overseas seller charges UK VAT at checkout. Above it the tax moves to import. This post walks through both routes and the registration each one needs.
October 28, 2026
A practical guide to address formats for cross border deliveries for cross border sellers shipping parcels. It covers how to diagnose the real cause from records, the smallest fix that holds, and how to check after one full cycle whether the change actually worked.
October 27, 2026
A practical guide to cross border tracking gaps for cross border sellers who ship orders across borders every week. It covers how to diagnose the real cause from records, the smallest fix that holds, and how to check after one full cycle whether the change actually worked.
October 26, 2026
A practical guide to cross border return duty for sellers who reship replacements and get charged duty twice on the same goods. It covers how to diagnose the real cause from records, the smallest fix that holds, and how to check after one full cycle whether the change actually worked.
October 25, 2026
Most refused international parcels were sold honestly but priced vaguely. This guide explains where duty surprises are created at checkout, and how to present taxes, delivery terms, and returns so buyers know the full cost before the courier knocks.
October 24, 2026
Origin rules were written for physical shelves, but online sellers are expected to meet them on product pages, customs paperwork, and the goods themselves. This guide explains which origin statements matter, how marking differs from a customs declaration, and the mistakes that get parcels held or listings questioned.
October 23, 2026
Customs value is not always the number on the checkout screen. Discounts, bundles, and free shipping offers change what should be declared and where mistakes trigger reassessment. This guide explains how transaction value works for cross border online orders in plain terms.
October 22, 2026
Delivered duty paid and delivered at place sound similar and bill very differently. Under DDP the seller owns the customs bill; under DAP the buyer meets it at the door. Choosing wrong produces refused parcels and furious customers. This guide explains both terms in plain online selling terms.
October 21, 2026
Selling into Mexico looks simple on a map and complicated at the border. Every commercial shipment needs a pedimento, duties hinge on classification, and low value parcels face their own rules. This guide walks US brands through the basics before the first order ships.
October 20, 2026
Brazil's Remessa Conforme program certifies foreign ecommerce sellers that collect tax upfront on shipments to Brazilian consumers. Certified sellers get faster customs treatment, while uncertified shipments face higher import tax and slower clearance.
October 19, 2026
New Zealand applies GST to low value imported goods sold to consumers, with overseas sellers collecting at checkout on items of NZ$1,000 or less. Getting registration and pricing right stops parcels being taxed twice at the border.
October 18, 2026
Since Brexit, goods sold from the US to UK consumers at 135 pounds or less carry VAT collected by the seller at checkout, while higher value shipments are taxed at the border. Getting the split wrong means double tax or refused parcels.
October 17, 2026
Australia charges 10 percent GST on imported goods valued at 1000 AUD or less, and overseas sellers above a registration threshold must collect it at checkout rather than leaving it to the border.
October 16, 2026
Iceland applies 24 percent VAT to most imports with no low value free pass for commercial parcels, plus customs handling that surprises US brands used to EU rules.
October 15, 2026
Switzerland taxes low-value imports through the seller: mail order VAT registration, the small consignment relief threshold, and customs handling catch many US brands off guard.
October 14, 2026
Australia charges 10 percent GST on low-value imported goods sold to consumers, and offshore sellers above the registration threshold must collect it at checkout, not leave it to the border.
October 13, 2026
The EU customs reform removes the 150 euro duty relief threshold, making customs duty payable on low-value imports and changing checkout math for US brands.
October 12, 2026
When you sell through Amazon or eBay in the EU, the marketplace collects VAT as the deemed supplier. What that means for your own VAT registrations and filings.
October 11, 2026
Selling to Canada is easy. Taking things back is not. How US DTC brands should design returns for Canadian shoppers without letting reverse logistics eat the margin.
October 10, 2026
Canada looks like the easy first market. The customs reality, from de minimis thresholds to bilingual labeling, and how to get it right.
October 9, 2026
De minimis let DTC brands ship duty-free under $800. With the exemption gone, how the math changes, who gets hit hardest, and how to rebuild the landed-cost model.
October 8, 2026
Moving production to Mexico can zero out duties, but only if the goods actually qualify. How USMCA origin rules work, what documentation they demand, and how to model the real savings.
October 7, 2026
The UK taxes plastic packaging with less than 30 percent recycled content, and the liability can follow the packaging across the ocean to you. Who actually owes it, how it is calculated, and what US brands should do.
October 6, 2026
Both move your goods across borders, but they do completely different jobs. What each one actually does, when you need one, both, or neither, and what it should cost.
October 5, 2026
The EU now requires deforestation-free proof for products containing wood, paper, leather, coffee, and more. What EUDR means for US brands shipping into the EU and how to prepare.
October 4, 2026
Selling into the EU makes you a packaging producer in the eyes of the law. What extended producer responsibility means for US brands, which countries require registration, and what happens if you ignore it.
October 3, 2026
An IOSS revocation turns every parcel in transit into a customs problem: VAT collected at checkout no longer covers the import. What triggers revocation, what happens to goods already shipped, and how to recover.
October 2, 2026
EU VAT paid at checkout does not have to stay paid when the order comes back. How VAT recovery on returns works under IOSS and DDP, and the documentation that keeps customs from keeping your money.
October 1, 2026
B2C orders collect VAT at checkout; B2B orders usually reverse-charge it to the buyer. Why mixing the two flows breaks checkout, and how to design for both.
September 30, 2026
EU shoppers expect VAT-inclusive prices; US brands think in pre-tax prices. The three VAT pricing models, how IOSS changes the math, and a practical playbook for EU checkout.
September 29, 2026
The EU Import One Stop Shop lets non-EU sellers collect VAT at checkout on low-value orders. How IOSS works, what it changes at checkout, and when a US brand should use it.
September 28, 2026
An EU fiscal representative acts as your VAT presence in a member state: registering you, filing returns, and standing liable for the tax. When US Shopify brands actually need one, what the representative does day to day, and what the engagement typically costs.
September 27, 2026
A cross-border return is a second customs event. The paperwork for the return leg, when you can reclaim duty, and how to route returns so the customs bill does not eat the refund.
September 26, 2026
ICS2 is the EU pre-loading security filing. Carriers file it, but they file your data: incomplete descriptions, HS codes, and consignee details are why parcels get held.