Frequently Asked Questions

I’ve purchased goods over the Internet, why do I have to pay additional charges?

The Customs de minimis in NZ is $NZD1000, i.e. if the GST and duty calculate to $NZD1000 or more then the charges will be collected.
All alcohol and tobacco products are charged Duties and Taxes regardless of their value.
For further information, please refer to Customs Factsheet 28, http://www.customs.govt.nz/news/resources/factsheets/documents/fact%20sheet%2028.pdf

I believed the price included all charges; why wasn’t I told I’d have to pay additional charges?

Retailers (Internet and Catalogue) will usually include advice regarding the likelihood of import duties and taxes in their shipping information pages.
To confirm this you may wish to check the Terms & Conditions of your purchase or contact the retailer.

The additional charges have made my online purchase more expensive than purchasing locally!

Sometimes this is the case. Products sold by overseas retailers may appear cheaper because they don’t include Duties and Taxes (GST).

The goods I’ve received are a gift or a sample, why do I have to pay Duties and Taxes?

Gifts sent from overseas to someone in New Zealand with a declared value of NZ$110 or less are allowed free entry. Gifts valued over NZ$110 will attract duty and GST on the value over NZ$110.
Tobacco or tobacco products do not qualify for the gift concession so duty and GST is payable.
Alcohol products may be allowed the gift concession if the recipient can prove it is a genuine gift eg, to celebrate a specific occasion and is not being imported to avoid paying duty and GST.

The goods aren’t what I expected can I return them and get a refund of the paid Duties and Taxes?

Unfortunately ’a change of mind’, ‘how they fit’, or ‘simply not liking them’, is not a refund circumstance under the legislation.
However, as an alternative option if you export the imported goods (return them to the shipper), subject to certain conditions, you may be entitled to a drawback of the duty paid.
For information on Drawbacks, go to the customs document relating to the Duty Drawback scheme: http://www.customs.govt.nz/features/charges/refunds/Pages/default.aspx

How is the calculation done?

Duty is calculated on the Customs value of the goods. The duty rate is dependent on the commodity.
GST is calculated at 15% of the Customs Value of the goods, transport costs to NZ and duty.
NZ Customs charge an Import Entry Transaction Fee on formal entries. This fee is NZ$93.45 (includes gst).

Why is the delivery charge included in the assessable value of the goods?

NZ legislation states that GST must calculated on the transport costs to NZ.

What is the Payment Deferment Fee?

This is a DHL Express Fee for the use of DHL’s credit facility. The Receiver is able to delay immediate payment of inbound clearance charges, instead of arranging his own bond, cash or credit line. The service enables a faster clearance of imported goods requiring formal custom clearance.

How can I recover and print the paperwork from the Global Payment Portal?

Click the website as provided in the E-mail or the SMS
Click on the button: ‘Click here to initiate the download of your Duty/VAT Documentation’
Click on the button: ‘Click here to retrieve your Duty/VAT Documentation’
Recover the ZIP file and extract the TIF files to save on to your personal computer
Open the images with Microsoft Paint or similar imaging system
Select the print function within the application used to open the TIF file

*Please note the files will only open after they are saved on your computer

How do I pay?

Online: https://dhl-ar.accountis.net/gpp/nz using your Waybill number
By Phone: Call our Duty Collection Team on +64 9 9762803

What happens if the sender wants to pay for the Duties and Taxes?

The sender has the option of nominating to pay the destination Duties and Taxes on the Waybill and Commercial Invoice. This wasn’t done if you’ve been invoiced for the Duties and Taxes.
However these charges can be reversed to the shipper if they confirm to DHL Express in writing that they’ll accept the charges being reversed to them. This service can only be utilized in case the shipper has a valid DHL Express trade account.

Need Assistance?

General Support