Estimate the import VAT element separately, then see how it contributes to the full landed cost.
UK landed cost calculator
Build the customs value, apply a tariff rate, estimate import VAT and see the total landed cost. You can search the UK Trade Tariff or enter a known 10-digit commodity code.
1. Find the tariff classification
Start with a product description or enter the code if you already know it.
Classification matters: choose the description that actually matches the goods.
Use the customs origin of the goods, not simply the seller, warehouse or dispatch country.
Origin-based tariff treatment
Official origin-specific tariff option
Preferential rates require the relevant origin and eligibility rules to be met.
· Official tariff record
Standard UK Global Tariff fallback—
Relevant import measures returned—
Origin tariff decision—
Official import VAT treatment—
Additional duty / trade remediesNone detected
Applicable base-duty options found in the official response
Enter the intrinsic/customs goods value before any separately charged UK VAT. Goods with no sale price still require an appropriate customs value.
Examples: customs clearance, handling, storage and known onward transport costs that belong in the import VAT value.
Optional business costs incurred after the import VAT valuation point. These are added to landed cost but not used to calculate import VAT.
Enter a rate manually or check the official tariff above.
20% UK standard-rate planning default. Official commodity data can automatically replace it with a clear reduced or zero rate when applicable.
Enter the customs/tariff weight when the official rate is charged per kg, 100 kg or tonne. BorderMath will use it automatically.
Low-value / VAT handling
BorderMath will choose a planning default from the shipment value; change it if your transaction differs.
Enter the actual UK VAT shown by the seller or marketplace.
Tick only when the goods are actually excise-liable. If ticked, BorderMath will withhold final VAT because Excise Duty must be included in the VAT value.
Simplified planning model for Great Britain: customs value = goods + freight + insurance. Import VAT value adds customs duty and qualifying incidental expenses up to the relevant UK destination. For qualifying low-value sales, seller/marketplace VAT paid at checkout is kept separate from customs value and added only to the cash landed-cost total. Post-import costs are added after VAT. Low-value, excise, trade-remedy and Northern Ireland rules can differ.
Estimated landed cost
Live calculation as you change the inputs.
Total landed cost
£0.00
Estimated cost per unit: £0.00
Estimate status: waiting for shipment valuesEnter shipment values to begin.
Duty rate needed. BorderMath will not silently assume 0% while the origin-specific tariff treatment is unresolved.
VAT choice needed. This appears only when the official data exposes genuinely conflicting VAT treatments; ordinary unresolved VAT data continues using a clearly labelled planning default.
VAT planning assumption. HMRC did not expose one unambiguous machine-readable VAT percentage, so the calculator is using the displayed planning rate. Verify reduced, zero-rated, exempt or relief treatment before relying on the estimate.
Customs value£0.00
Customs duty£0.00
Import VAT£0.00
UK VAT paid at checkout£0.00
Import VAT incidental costs£0.00
Post-import costs£0.00
Additional duty / trade remedy is not included. HMRC returned a potential anti-dumping, countervailing, safeguard or other additional-duty measure. Final customs duty and import VAT can depend on exporter/additional codes and measure conditions, so the headline is only a pre-remedy subtotal.
Excise Duty is not included. Because import VAT includes Excise Duty when it is payable, BorderMath does not present a final VAT or landed-cost figure while excise is selected. The headline becomes a pre-excise subtotal only.
Do not use this estimate as a customs declaration. Preference eligibility, rules of origin, quotas, anti-dumping duties, excise, additional codes and certificates can change the amount due.
What value is import VAT based on?
This calculator uses a simplified VAT value of goods + freight + insurance + customs duty + the import-VAT incidental costs you enter. Post-import costs are kept outside the VAT base. If Excise Duty or an unresolved trade-remedy/additional duty applies, BorderMath withholds the final VAT figure because those charges can change the import VAT value.
Postponed VAT Accounting
VAT-registered businesses may be able to account for import VAT through their VAT return rather than paying it at the border. Eligibility and accounting treatment are outside this calculator; check current HMRC guidance for your circumstances.