Duty and tax refunds on international returns 

Learn about duty exemptions on international returns.

In many cases, you can avoid paying duty on previously imported goods even when they’re not made in your country. This may come in handy for ecommerce returns or temporary exports; however, if the good’s value changes or gets improved or modified, you won’t be eligible for the duty exemption on an import.

Returns to the United States 

The United States allows duty exemption for previously imported articles. All you need is the right harmonized code and documentation.

Non-US made goods returning to the US 

1. Use 9801.00.26 as the HS code on the commercial invoice.
2. Must be within 3 years of export.

US made goods returning to the US 

1. Use 9801.00.10 as the HS code on the commercial invoice.
2. Include the form CBP Declaration for Free Entry of American Products.

Returns to the EU 

The EU may offer Returned Goods Relief (RGR) on duty. VAT relief is available for EU to EU shipments but not for origins outside the EU.

Goods returning to the EU

1. Must be within 3 years of export.
2. If you purchased the goods from within the EU you may be able to claim back the VAT from the merchant as part of the total price for returned items.
3. If you purchased the goods from outside the European Union, VAT will not be refunded. You can claim a Customs duty refund if certain criteria are met.

Returns to the UK 

The UK offers Returned Goods Relief (RGR) and allows for total or partial relief from duty and VAT.

Goods returning to the UK 

Pay less Customs duty and VAT when returning goods to the UK

1. Must be within 3 years of export.
2. Provide acceptable evidence of export.

Carrier procedures for international returns 

Visit the carrier pages below to learn how they handle international returns:

• FedEx Global Returns
• UPS: How to handle returns internationally
• DHL: Returns of international shipments

Next steps 

• Import taxes - Learn how Zonos calculates taxes for landed cost.
• Import duty - Read about how duty gets calculated for landed cost.
• Import fees - Understand how different import clearance fees are calculated for landed cost.

Related Decoder Guides

• Total landed cost - Understand what makes up a landed cost.
• De minimis values - Read about de minimis value and their thresholds.
• International shipping carriers - Learn more about international shipping carriers and their services.

FAQ 

What is an HS code?

Learn more about HS codes by clicking here to read our blog post about HS codes.