Helpful Tips on Declaring Value
If this is your first time shipping from the US to your country, you may have several questions about declaring value on your shipments. Each country is different but there are ways to save money when you’re importing your US products. With internet shopping becoming more and more popular, there is much more information to be found on best practices for declaring value.
Simply speaking, the calculation of duties depends on the assessed value of your shipment. Each item within your shipment is given a Harmonization Code, which is how customs calculates under which dutiable goods class your items fall. Most countries allow you to import goods under a specific total package amount before you are taxed. However, countries like Brazil and India require you to pay taxes on all imported items. These fees and taxes are not included within your shipping amount billed from MyUS.com. This is a separate cost that will be paid upon arrival to your address.
It is very important to have your merchants include a receipt or merchant invoice when shipping your items to your US address. When your package arrives to the MyUS facilities, we are required to enter a value amount to each item that arrives. If your package arrives with an invoice that lists the price you paid, we will automatically enter this value for you. If the merchant invoice does not indicate a price, or if the merchant does not include an invoice, we will prompt you to enter the price you paid for the merchandise. To ensure the most convenient service, it is best to require the retailer to always provide an invoice with the package (especially if we have to return it on your behalf).
A few other helpful tips are to always select “US Dollar Pricing” when shopping. Avoid pre-paying duty unless you have to do so. It is very rarely an advantage to pre-pay. There are many countries that do not assess every package that comes through customs.
Hopefully with these explanations and helpful tips, you’ll be able to navigate the international shipping methods a bit easier and more cost-effectively.
Simply speaking, the calculation of duties depends on the assessed value of your shipment. Each item within your shipment is given a Harmonization Code, which is how customs calculates under which dutiable goods class your items fall. Most countries allow you to import goods under a specific total package amount before you are taxed. However, countries like Brazil and India require you to pay taxes on all imported items. These fees and taxes are not included within your shipping amount billed from MyUS.com. This is a separate cost that will be paid upon arrival to your address.
It is very important to have your merchants include a receipt or merchant invoice when shipping your items to your US address. When your package arrives to the MyUS facilities, we are required to enter a value amount to each item that arrives. If your package arrives with an invoice that lists the price you paid, we will automatically enter this value for you. If the merchant invoice does not indicate a price, or if the merchant does not include an invoice, we will prompt you to enter the price you paid for the merchandise. To ensure the most convenient service, it is best to require the retailer to always provide an invoice with the package (especially if we have to return it on your behalf).
A few other helpful tips are to always select “US Dollar Pricing” when shopping. Avoid pre-paying duty unless you have to do so. It is very rarely an advantage to pre-pay. There are many countries that do not assess every package that comes through customs.
Hopefully with these explanations and helpful tips, you’ll be able to navigate the international shipping methods a bit easier and more cost-effectively.