You’re at checkout on AliExpress. The price looks good. Then you’re wondering: is tax already included? Will customs charge me something when the package arrives? Is the price I’m seeing the price I’ll actually pay?
Tax on international purchases is one of the most genuinely confusing parts of buying on AliExpress, and the rules are different depending on where you live. Here’s a clear breakdown for each major buying country, without the legal jargon.
Quick Answer
AliExpress handles tax differently depending on your country and order value. For UK buyers, 20% VAT is collected at checkout for orders under £135. For Australian buyers, 10% GST is collected at checkout. For EU buyers, the applicable VAT rate is collected at checkout for orders under €150. For US buyers, no federal tax is added for most orders, though some states have sales tax. For Canadian buyers, taxes may be collected at checkout for some orders but the situation is more complex. The price you see at AliExpress checkout is generally your final price for lower-value orders in countries where AliExpress is registered for tax collection.
Why Tax on AliExpress Is Complicated
AliExpress operates globally, selling to buyers in countries with completely different tax systems. Some countries require overseas sellers to register and collect tax on all sales. Others have thresholds below which imports are tax-free. Others collect tax at the border when the package arrives, separate from whatever happened at checkout.
Until 2019 to 2021, most countries had low-value import exemptions, meaning packages under a certain value crossed the border with no tax at all. Those exemptions have been progressively removed, which is why the current situation is different from what you might have experienced a few years ago.
The other complication: AliExpress doesn’t always get this right for every order. Some sellers on the platform aren’t registered for tax in all countries. This is why occasionally buyers receive a tax demand at delivery even on orders where they expected to have already paid it at checkout.
United States: The Most Buyer-Friendly Tax Situation
Federal taxes
The US has no federal VAT or GST. There’s no nationwide consumption tax equivalent to the UK’s VAT. So from a federal perspective, AliExpress purchases to US addresses don’t attract a separate federal tax at checkout or at the border.
State sales tax
Sales tax in the US is a state-level matter. Some states require online marketplaces to collect and remit sales tax on purchases shipped to addresses in that state. AliExpress collects sales tax in some US states where it’s required by law. Where this applies, you’ll see it added at checkout.
For most standard AliExpress purchases, any sales tax is either minor or doesn’t apply depending on your state. It’s not a major factor in the total cost for most US buyers.
Import duties
The US has a $800 de minimis threshold. Orders with a declared value under $800 don’t attract federal import duties. Almost all standard AliExpress orders fall well under this threshold. You won’t receive a duty bill at the door for a $30 phone case.
Practical US summary: The price at AliExpress checkout is very close to what you pay. State sales tax may appear where applicable, but no significant additional tax at the border for typical purchases.
United Kingdom: 20% VAT Collected at Checkout
The UK has one of the clearest systems for AliExpress buyers.
Since July 2021, overseas sellers must register for UK VAT and collect it at checkout for goods sold to UK buyers where the shipment value is £135 or less. AliExpress is registered for UK VAT and does this by default.
What this means in practice: the price you see at checkout includes 20% VAT for orders under £135. The total shown at payment is your final cost. No VAT demand when the package arrives at your door. No Royal Mail fee for collecting VAT.
For orders above £135
Orders above £135 in declared value are handled differently. AliExpress doesn’t collect VAT at checkout for these. Instead, UK Customs (HMRC) assesses the package when it arrives and requires VAT (and potentially customs duty) to be paid before release. Your carrier, typically Royal Mail or Parcelforce, collects this on HMRC’s behalf and adds a handling fee of approximately £8.
Reduced VAT rates
Some products attract reduced UK VAT rates rather than the standard 20%. Children’s clothing, books, and some food items have lower rates. AliExpress should apply the correct rate automatically based on product category, though this isn’t always handled perfectly for every seller.
Practical UK summary: For purchases under £135, the checkout total includes VAT. For purchases above £135, budget for VAT and possible customs duty on arrival. Most standard AliExpress purchases are well under £135.
Australia: 10% GST Collected at Checkout
Australia’s system is similar to the UK’s in that AliExpress collects GST at the point of sale.
Since July 2018, overseas sellers with annual Australian sales above AUD 75,000 must register for Australian GST and collect it at checkout. AliExpress exceeds this threshold and is registered accordingly.
For most AliExpress purchases to Australian addresses, 10% GST is included in the checkout total. The price you confirm is what you pay. No GST demand at Australia Post delivery.
The inconsistency caveat
Not every seller on AliExpress is correctly set up for GST collection on all orders. Occasionally, Australian buyers receive a GST demand from Australia Post on an order where they expected it to have been handled at checkout. If this happens on an order under AUD 1,000, it’s worth contacting AliExpress support with your checkout receipt showing the tax collected. Double-collection is an error you can recover.
Customs duty in Australia
Goods with a value under AUD 1,000 (excluding shipping) don’t attract customs duty in Australia. Most standard AliExpress orders fall comfortably under this. For orders above AUD 1,000, customs duty and GST are assessed by Australian Border Force.
Practical Australia summary: 10% GST is included in checkout for most purchases. No separate customs duty for orders under AUD 1,000. The checkout price is your final price for most standard orders.
Canada: The Most Complex Situation
Canada has a lower duty exemption threshold than the US, UK, or Australia, which creates more complexity for AliExpress buyers.
GST/HST and PST
Canada’s federal consumption tax is GST (5%) or HST (which combines federal GST and provincial tax, ranging from 13% to 15% depending on province). AliExpress collects Canadian GST/HST at checkout for some orders where it’s registered to do so, but this isn’t as uniformly implemented as in the UK or Australia.
Whether tax is collected at checkout or at the Canadian border varies by order and by whether the seller is registered under Canada’s digital economy GST rules.
Import duties
Canada has a de minimis threshold of CAD 20 for most goods. This means orders above CAD 20 in value could attract customs duty, which is significantly lower than the US $800 threshold. In practice, many small personal import packages pass without assessment, but this isn’t guaranteed.
When Canada Post does collect duties on your behalf, they charge a handling fee of $9.95 for orders under CAD 150, or $14.95 for orders CAD 150 to CAD 500, in addition to the duty owed.
Practical Canada summary: Budget for potential customs duty and Canada Post handling fees on orders above approximately CAD 20 to 30, particularly if the value is high enough to attract attention. Tax at checkout may or may not apply depending on the specific order. The landed cost in Canada is less predictable than in the UK or Australia.
European Union: IOSS System Works Like the UK
EU member states implemented the Import One-Stop Shop (IOSS) system in July 2021, similar in concept to the UK’s rules.
For EU buyers purchasing goods valued at €150 or less from non-EU sellers, AliExpress is registered under IOSS and collects the applicable local VAT at checkout. The VAT rate varies by EU member state: 20% in France, 19% in Germany, 21% in Spain, 22% in Italy, 25% in Sweden and Denmark, and so on.
For purchases above €150, customs duties and VAT are assessed at the EU border instead.
Practical EU summary: For orders under €150, local VAT is collected at checkout and the total shown is your final price. For orders above €150, budget for border customs assessment.
What “Tax Included” Actually Means at Checkout
When AliExpress shows you a price that includes tax, there’s one thing worth verifying: check that the tax line appears separately in your checkout breakdown before you pay. In the UK and Australia especially, the checkout shows product price, shipping, and tax as separate line items that add up to the total.
If you don’t see a tax line on an order that should include tax for your country, it’s possible the seller isn’t registered correctly. This doesn’t mean you should abandon the purchase, but it does mean you might receive a tax demand at delivery. Factor this into higher-value orders.
How Risky Is This Really?
For most buyers in most countries, the tax situation on AliExpress is simpler in practice than the rules make it sound.
UK and Australian buyers paying at checkout for sub-threshold orders: the checkout price is the real price. Minimal risk of additional charges at delivery.
US buyers: limited additional tax exposure for most purchases.
Canadian buyers: the most unpredictable situation, but for low-value orders the amounts involved are usually manageable.
EU buyers on orders under €150: similar to UK, the IOSS system handles things at checkout.
The risk is for higher-value orders approaching or exceeding the duty thresholds in each country. Calculate the landed cost before buying anything significant.
Step-by-Step: How to Check Tax on Your AliExpress Order Before Paying
1. Set your account country and currency correctly. This affects which tax rates apply and whether AliExpress calculates local tax at checkout.
2. Add the item to your cart and proceed to checkout without confirming. The checkout screen shows a full breakdown of product price, shipping, and any tax applied. Review this before confirming payment.
3. Check whether a tax line appears. UK buyers should see VAT. Australian buyers should see GST. US buyers may see state sales tax in applicable states. Canadian buyers may or may not see GST/HST.
4. For orders near or above your country’s duty threshold, calculate the landed cost. UK: above £135 expect VAT and potential customs duty at the border. Australia: above AUD 1,000. Canada: above CAD 20 (in principle). US: above $800 (rarely relevant for typical purchases).
5. Check the total before confirming and compare it to what you’d pay domestically. After tax, is AliExpress still cheaper? For most categories, yes. For some, domestic alternatives are closer than you’d expect.
Tips on AliExpress Tax
UK buyers: if you receive a VAT demand on a sub-£135 order, contact AliExpress support with your checkout receipt. Show them the receipt confirming VAT was collected at checkout. AliExpress will refund double-charged VAT when you can document both payments.
Australian buyers: the same applies for double-charged GST. Keep your checkout receipts for any orders where you paid GST at checkout, in case Australia Post later sends a GST demand.
Canadian buyers: consider US warehouse stock if available. AliExpress Choice products from US warehouses ship from within North America and sometimes clear Canadian customs more cleanly than China-shipped packages.
For high-value purchases in any country: use AliExpress EU or local warehouse stock. Products already inside the EU or your country don’t go through import customs. No VAT assessment at the border. Faster delivery. Cleaner total cost. The EU warehouse filter in the AliExpress app is worth checking before any purchase above £100 or the equivalent.
Don’t split orders to stay under thresholds artificially. Customs authorities in most countries are aware of this practice. If multiple packages from the same seller arrive on the same day, some countries (including the US) can aggregate them into a single shipment for threshold purposes.
Takeaway
AliExpress handles tax reasonably well for UK and Australian buyers through checkout collection. The US situation is the most buyer-friendly with the $800 duty-free threshold. Canada has the most complex picture.
In practice, for the typical AliExpress purchase under £100 or $100 in value, the tax you pay at checkout is the tax you pay. Period. The complexity shows up at higher values.
Check the breakdown at checkout before confirming. Know your country’s threshold. For anything significant, do the landed cost calculation including potential border charges before buying. For most everyday AliExpress purchases, this takes 30 seconds and confirms what you already suspected: even with tax included, the price is still genuinely good.
FAQ
Does AliExpress include VAT in the price for UK buyers? Yes, for orders under £135. AliExpress is registered for UK VAT and collects 20% at checkout. The total shown is your final price. For orders above £135, VAT and possible customs duty are collected at the UK border.
Do US buyers pay tax on AliExpress? There’s no federal VAT in the US. Some states require AliExpress to collect state sales tax, which appears at checkout where applicable. Import duties don’t apply for orders under $800, which covers almost all AliExpress purchases.
Is GST included in AliExpress prices for Australian buyers? Yes, for most orders. AliExpress is registered for Australian GST and collects 10% at checkout. The checkout total is your final price for orders under AUD 1,000.
Do Canadian buyers pay tax on AliExpress? Sometimes at checkout, sometimes at the border. Canada’s system is less uniformly implemented than the UK or Australia. Budget for potential customs duty and Canada Post handling fees on orders above CAD 20 in value.
What is the difference between VAT and customs duty on AliExpress? VAT (or GST) is a consumption tax your country charges on goods purchased. Customs duty is a tariff charged specifically on imported goods based on their category. Both can apply to AliExpress orders above the relevant threshold. VAT typically applies to all purchases; customs duty depends on product type and declared value.
What if I’m charged VAT twice on my AliExpress order? Contact AliExpress support with your checkout receipt showing the VAT collected and the carrier’s demand notice showing additional VAT charged at delivery. AliExpress has a process for refunding double-charged VAT when you can document both payments.
Do EU buyers pay VAT on AliExpress? Yes, for orders under €150. AliExpress is registered under the EU’s IOSS system and collects local VAT at checkout at your country’s applicable rate. For orders above €150, VAT and customs duties are assessed at the EU border.
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