Customs duty costs for shipping to the USA and eBay sales tax. Something doesn't add up.......
Summary: The discussion concerns worries about customs duty costs for shipments to the United States and the sales tax on eBay. stefanostefano2011 expresses doubts and seeks clarification from heavenwelkin and technopartsbay. Although the details of the messages are not spelled out, the overall tone suggests an attempt to understand and resolve discrepancies in shipping and tax costs.
Hello everyone
I thought I was good at math but something doesn’t add up....
I’ll explain.....
I sold an item in the United States. I go to the post office to ship it and I find that the customs duties cost is my responsibility (it seems to me that before the seller didn’t pay the duties). I pay and then go to see whether I was credited with any money for these duties in the order summary
In fact, eBay took 24.58 euros from the buyer (I paid 25.72, but that’s fine, let’s not look at the cents)
But in eBay’s summary I notice something....in the earnings details (order total, transaction fee, etc...) the amount of 24.58, which would be the sales tax, was taken away from me and not added
To make a long story short, eBay took 24.58 euros from the buyer as a customs fee but instead of giving it to me (I paid the customs costs) eBay kept it
Am I wrong? or is there something that doesn’t add up?
stefanostefano2011
OP6 months agothat's why I use the post office....the prices are definitely very competitive. Unlike couriers, they base it on the actual weight of the parcel and not the volumetric one. The important thing is to respect the maximum dimensions specified in the type of shipping service.
As I was saying, I don't remember the measurements well, maybe it was even smaller, but that doesn't change anything. The post office considers the actual weight
stefanostefano2011
OP6 months agoHello
Thank you for your information, but since the package is bigger and heavier than the dimensions you entered as a test, maybe the final price wouldn't be much different from what I paid (duties excluded)
I use the post office because, having already used it before, I know which documents I need to prepare, and the customs clearance procedure is very quick
The new thing about customs duties paid in advance by the sender is a new thing from the last 20 days of Poste Italiane; before, I had always shipped without any problem. I remind you that what the recipient has already paid is VAT. Duties are something else
heavenwelkin
·6 months agoTell me what weight the package had and what dimensions, and I’ll try to run a simulation.
Leaving aside the VAT and/or duties paid at the Poste Italiane counter, the fact remains that this is an EXCLUSIVE of Poste, since the various shipping brokers do not charge any duty or VAT to send packages to the USA.
So in the current situation, relying on Poste Italiane to send packages to the United States may not be the best solution.
This is obviously from my point of view; then everyone is free to choose the shipping service they prefer.
Regards.
stefanostefano2011
OP6 months agoSure, now that it has already happened, maybe shipping with the post office wasn’t the best choice. By now the package has been sent
I don’t remember the exact measurements, but the package weighed 1.3 kg (in this case you need to enter 2 kg in the quote) and roughly estimate the following dimensions.
50x50x30
From experience, ebay's shipping manager (packlink) should be excluded..... too many problems in case of loss, damage, etc.... This manager is not responsible for any problem arising with the shipment
heavenwelkin
·6 months ago50x50x30 is 15 volumetric kg.
Shipping with a broker costs from 180 euros upwards.
If the post office accepted such a bulky package and made you pay only 40 euros for shipping, I’d say you got a bargain.
Best regards.
stefanostefano2011
OP6 months agoAt the post office I was not asked whether the buyer had already paid import taxes (VAT or duties). I was only told the total to pay and that there were 25 euros in customs duties. In any case, the buyer had already paid the VAT (to eBay) and that has nothing to do with duties
I'm going a bit from memory.... since the new Poste regulations (29 August 2025) I've already had to ship other items to America, but I hadn't paid any duty
I'm waiting for updates from Poste customer support
heavenwelkin
·6 months agoAnyway, since this public discussion could be useful to many other users.
In my opinion it would be worth doing the math, mostly to better understand whether the post office actually asked you for VAT or only duties.
I think you should start from the item's sale price and figure out how much the buyer paid.
Then, from that item's price, figure out how much you actually paid at the post office.
Just to make things a bit clearer regarding VAT and duties.
Best regards.
stefanostefano2011
OP6 months agoUPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m still waiting to get info from the post office customer service
This morning I went to another post office to run some errands and, while I was there, I asked if there was any news regarding shipments to America
I was told that shipments to the United States have resumed and that (new information from the last 20 days) THE SENDER HAS TO PAY THE DUTIES. Unfortunately it’s not possible to know the cost in advance, only after completing the various procedures at the post office terminal. The same employee (more knowledgeable than the post office toll-free number operator, who knew nothing) explained to me that not all items have to pay duties
If we want to do the math on how much the buyer paid for my item:
The item was sold for: 247 euros + 30 euros shipping
The buyer paid 247+30+24.58 (VAT on the purchased item, as specified to me by eBay customer service)
I paid the shipping (including duties) 66.07 euros
When I created the listing, I had entered a shipping cost of 30 euros because I intended to use a service that would have cost me that amount. Unfortunately, this service is currently no longer available with the post office and I had to change shipping method.
The cost with the new service is 40.35
The customs cost was about 25 euros
With this answer, the circle closes on the duties, VAT, etc....
heavenwelkin
·6 months agoThanks for the details and updates.
Since this is something new, it's important to have some reference regarding the situation.
Regarding ebay shipping by packlink, I checked just now and for the United States there is only UPS.
I ran some simulations on Los Angeles, 1kg of weight with dimensions 25x20x10 cm
Packlink offers me a shipment to the USA for 39.61 euros plus 0.99 in handling fees.
But what I find UNSETTLING is this wording, which is really not very clear
If I understand correctly, it refers to possible price increases that can't be quantified.
So I can imagine that once the shipping label is created, you then have to expect automatic charges for fuel surcharges....
Anyway, there are other shipping brokers that offer cheap rates, again with a simulation for Los Angeles, weight 1kg and package dimensions of 25x20x10 cm.
In conclusion, I SEE NO VALID REASON to go and ship through the post office and pay taxes in advance that have already been paid by the buyer.
Kind regards.
stefanostefano2011
OP6 months agoUpdate:
After I called eBay support yesterday but didn’t really understand much, today I called back and found someone competent
He explained to me that the 24.58 that eBay took from the buyer is VAT and not the duties I thought. Regarding the duties issue, the operator can’t explain why I paid duties on the shipping and told me that usually it’s the buyer who pays them. He also told me that every courier has a different policy and that they can’t give me any explanations. The fact remains that I paid 25 euros out of my own pocket more than I had budgeted for. I’m telling you I’m sure they’re duties because the clerk at the post office actually showed me the slip with duties written on it
technopartsbay
·6 months agoBy tariffs I mean the TARIFFS, not VAT (or VAT, call it what you want) and not even customs clearance fees (customs charges).
These are three separate items....
stefanostefano2011
OP6 months agoMaybe I'm explaining myself badly....
Why did eBay take an amount of 24,58 from the buyer called sales tax? What is this sales tax? Is it customs duties?
heavenwelkin
·6 months agoI see an item worth 290 euros sold with a purchase offer, since the American buyer doesn't pay VAT but a variable tax from 0 to 10% called sales tax.
In Europe the rule is that duties are paid above 150 euros.
In America, on the other hand, the old rule said that below 800 dollars duties weren't paid, but now things have changed a bit and even for purchases on ebay it's not said that things have stayed the same.
In any case, the taxes the buyer paid to ebay are being shown to you for the simple reason that when you go to submit all the customs documentation, you'll also have to attach that sales document so that the customs officer can verify that taxes have already been paid on that item and the American user won't be charged twice.
But I advise you to make it very clear / highlight it well that the buyer has already paid everything due regarding import fees directly on ebay.
Kind regards.
technopartsbay
·6 months agoYes, since January 1st Poste has been demanding the "Trump levy" (that is, the additional duties on goods going to the US, as requested by the President).
https://www.poste.it/servizio-gestione-dazi
There is also an active "estimate" service for the duty to be paid by entering the shipment's товар category.
stefanostefano2011
OP6 months agook, I get it. So are double duties paid? Does both the seller and the buyer pay them? I don't understand this thing
As I was saying, ebay removed the duty cost from the buyer, then added it to the order total (purchase+shipping+duties), but then in the "my earnings" item these money were removed
I would like to understand the reason for this operation
stefanostefano2011
OP6 months ago" I sold an item in the United States. I go to the post office to ship it and I find that I have to pay the customs duties myself ( it seems to me that before the seller did not pay the duties )"
Let me correct myself. I know that before the buyer paid the duties, but now I, the seller, paid them
heavenwelkin
·6 months agoUsing the eBay shipping service with international tracking, you shouldn't have to pay extra fees besides the shipping cost.
Have you tried telling the postal worker that the buyer has already paid the relevant customs charges directly to eBay, showing them the eBay sales document?
I don't think you should have to pay the import fees that the buyer has already paid; if needed, you can get eBay to reimburse you for them.
To request a refund of the VAT paid twice, go here:
https://ocswf.ebay.it/mudcwf?deptName=CollectRemitRefund
Best regards.
heavenwelkin
·6 months agoAnyway, this is the information page about taxes on purchases, which I invite you to read to find out more:
https://www.ebay.it/help/buying/paying-items/pagare-le-imposte-sugli-acquisti-ebay?id=4771
stefanostefano2011
OP6 months agoHi
I have 2 clarifications. With the shipping manager on eBay you can no longer ship to America, the service is no longer active because of the customs duty issue, and even at the post office you can’t use all types of shipping, only some of them, and I’m talking about sending goods; documents are a different matter
The post office doesn’t care whether the recipient has already paid or not; by entering the details, the total cost comes up automatically, made up of the shipping cost and, in this case, the duties
Moreover, when you fill out the postal shipping forms, you can tick various options: Gift, commercial shipment, other, etc......I usually put gift so I avoid having to provide other documents
I also called eBay support and for them everything is fine, but that’s not the case!!!! I paid some duties out of my own pocket and I didn’t receive any reimbursement from the buyer
heavenwelkin
·6 months agoUsually when a buyer purchases an item from the United States and pays the VAT directly on eBay, they then have the option of getting the double payment refunded in case the courier asks for additional import costs when the item is received.
Now this is a NEW situation so that’s why I told you to try and see whether you could solve something with the VAT refund procedure.
If the procedure DOES NOT WORK in your case, UNFORTUNATELY that’s the situation and no one can do anything about it.
So, since that’s the situation, for future shipments to the United States you can decide whether to:
1) Make the buyer pay the import costs by calculating 22% of the item’s value and then adding it to the shipping cost.
2) Take on this 22% yourself.
3) Stop selling anything to the United States.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
Kind regards.
stefanostefano2011
OP6 months agoThis morning I called the post office (the courier I used to send the item)
I was told to send an email explaining what happened. We'll see what customer support tells me
heavenwelkin
·6 months agoReading the new regulations of the Italian post office on the handling of US duties dated 29 August 2025
I quote: "which must be paid by the designated postal operators that use the USPS (United States Postal Service) delivery network before the shipments enter the United States, regardless of the value of the shipment."
If they at the office told you they can’t do anything about the fact that the buyer has already paid the import taxes directly to eBay, the only thing to do is try to get a refund from eBay through the procedure described above.
Anyway, if you’d like, keep us updated.
Best regards.