Australia Import Duties & Taxes Explained

Australia's import duty-free threshold is AUD 1,000 for most goods. shipments under this amount are exempt from customs duty, though the 10% GST may still apply depending on your retailer or carrier.

You can minimise Customs Duty on your shipment by keeping the total value under AUD 1,000, as most goods below this threshold are duty-free at the border. However, note that 10% GST may still apply, and multiple packages arriving together may have their values combined by Customs.

Customs duty in Australia is typically 5% of the FOB (Free On Board) value of your goods, and it generally applies only when your shipment's Customs Value exceeds AUD 1,000. Most goods under AUD 1,000 are duty-free, though you may still see GST collected either at checkout or upon delivery depending on the value.

Yes, a 10% Goods and Services Tax (GST) applies to most goods imported into Australia. For shipments valued at AUD 1,000 or less, this is often collected by the retailer or Stackry at checkout, while higher-value items are charged by Australian Border Force upon arrival.

GST is calculated on the 'Value of the Taxable Importation' (VoTI), which includes the goods value, any applicable customs duty, and international shipping and insurance costs. This means your tax bill could be higher than 10% of the item price alone.

For shipments to Australia, clearance fees include an Import Processing Charge of AUD 50–152 for goods over AUD 1,000, plus carrier disbursement fees of approximately AUD 20–30. These charges are levied when your shipment arrives and are separate from the 10% GST and customs duty.

For goods over AUD 1,000, Australian Border Force collects duties and GST at the border. For lower-value items, GST is often collected earlier by the retailer or package forwarder like Stackry before the item ships.

Australia calculates customs duty based on the FOB (Free On Board) value, which excludes international shipping costs. However, GST is calculated on the landed cost, which includes the FOB value plus duty and shipping expenses.

If multiple shipments addressed to you arrive at the same time, Customs may combine their values to determine if they exceed the AUD 1,000 threshold. If the combined total is over AUD 1,000, duty and border-collected GST will apply to the shipment.

You can estimate costs by adding 5% duty (if over AUD 1,000) and 10% GST on the landed cost to your item price, plus potential carrier fees of AUD 20–30. Note that final charges are determined by the destination country and carrier upon arrival.