Import VAT and customs charges — FAQ (EU customers)

Everything EU customers ask us about the charges collected on delivery since 1 July 2026. The full explanation is on our Import VAT and customs charges page.

The basics

1. How much will I pay on delivery?

Three things, collected by the carrier before your parcel is released: your own country's import VAT at your national rate, a customs duty of €3 per product category on orders under €150, and the carrier handling fee. On orders of €150 and above the normal standard customs duties apply instead of the €3 rule. VAT is no longer charged at checkout, so your total with us is lower by that amount.

2. How much is the carrier handling fee?

We do not know. The handling fee, also called a clearance fee, is set by the carrier, not by us, and it varies by carrier and by destination country. It is never shown to us at any point in the order, so we cannot quote it, estimate it or include it in your total. The carrier's website for your country is the best place to check that figure.

3. Why can't you tell me the exact amount?

Because two of the three amounts depend on your country and your carrier, not on us. Import VAT is set by your own tax authority and applied at your national rate. The handling fee is set by the carrier for your destination. The only part we can state precisely is the €3 per product category customs duty on orders under €150 — €3 for an order of one type of item, €6 for two types, and so on. We would rather say this openly than give you a figure that turns out to be wrong.

4. How do I know whether my order is under €150?

The €150 is the value of the goods only, before tax. Shipping is not counted towards it, so a basket of €140 of products with €20 of shipping is still under the threshold. Because our prices are not shown in euro, the value is converted into euro when your parcel is cleared. If your basket is close to €150, write to us before ordering with your basket contents and we will tell you the value we will declare on the customs documents, so you can decide.

5. Does shipping count towards the €150, and is VAT charged on it?

Shipping does not count towards the €150 threshold: that threshold looks at the value of the goods only, before tax. Import VAT is a separate matter — it is calculated by your own customs authority on the value it assesses for the parcel. We declare the goods and the shipping cost accurately on the customs documents, and your customs authority applies its own rules and its own rate from there.

6. Why did you stop charging VAT at checkout?

Because since 1 July 2026, paying VAT at checkout no longer prevents charges on delivery. Under the new EU import law, on orders under €150 EU customers also owe a €3 per product category customs duty plus a carrier handling fee, even when VAT was already prepaid through IOSS. Our IOSS number therefore stopped protecting you from a bill on delivery, so we have temporarily removed it.

7. Did your prices go up?

No. Our product prices are unchanged, and your checkout total is now lower by exactly the VAT that used to be added there. What changed is where the VAT is paid: before 1 July 2026 it was added at checkout, and it is now collected by the carrier on delivery instead. The new elements are the €3 per product category customs duty on orders under €150 and the carrier handling fee. Both were introduced by the new law, and neither is charged by B4Comics.

8. Am I paying VAT twice?

No. VAT is charged once. Since we removed our IOSS number, no VAT is added at checkout, so the only VAT you pay is the import VAT collected by the carrier on delivery. Compared with an order placed before 1 July 2026, the VAT has simply moved from the checkout to the doorstep.

The €3 per product category duty

9. What is a "product category"?

A product category is the customs classification of a type of item. Customs sorts goods into categories, and on orders under €150 the new €3 duty is charged once for each category present in your parcel, not once per item. Several items of the same type are normally treated as one category, and items of different types as separate categories. The classification is applied by customs and the carrier, not by us.

10. I ordered several different items — how many €3 charges will there be?

On orders under €150, one €3 charge for each distinct product category in your parcel. Several copies of the same item are still a single category, so a single €3 charge. Items that customs classifies differently mean several categories, and therefore several €3 charges. The classification is decided by customs, not by us, so we cannot confirm the final count before your parcel is cleared.

11. What if my order is €150 or more?

The €3 per product category duty does not apply. It exists only for orders under €150. At €150 and above, the normal standard customs duties apply exactly as they did before 1 July 2026. You will still pay your country's import VAT and the carrier handling fee on delivery.

12. Is it better to place one order instead of several small ones?

The carrier handling fee is charged on each delivery, so two orders can mean paying that fee twice. Grouping items into a single order keeps the number of deliveries, and therefore the number of handling fees, as low as possible. The €3 duty depends on how many different product categories are in the parcel, not on how many items you buy, and it applies only to orders under €150. At €150 and above, the normal standard customs duties apply instead.

Delivery, payment and customs

13. How and when do I pay?

Your carrier contacts you by email, SMS, app notification or letter with a payment link or a payment reference, and delivery resumes once the charges are paid. Pay through the carrier's official website or app rather than through a link in an unexpected message. The holding period is set by the carrier and by your national customs, and it is short, so please deal with the request as soon as it arrives.

14. Which carrier will deliver my order?

It depends on the shipping method you choose at checkout and on your destination. The shipping method shown at checkout names the carrier. The handling fee is set by that carrier for your country.

15. Do I have to deal with customs myself?

No. The carrier clears the parcel for you; that is what the handling fee is for. Some carriers ask you to confirm your identity or your address online before they release the parcel. If yours does, answer promptly so your delivery is not delayed.

16. Will my order arrive in more than one parcel?

No. One order is always sent as one parcel, so it is cleared once and the carrier handling fee is charged once. Placing two separate orders means two parcels, two clearances and two handling fees, so it is worth putting everything into a single order.

17. Can you declare a lower value or mark the parcel as a gift?

No. We declare the true contents and the true value on every parcel. An incorrect declaration puts your parcel and your delivery at risk, so we do not make one.

Orders, cancellations and returns

18. Can I cancel my order because of these charges?

Not once the parcel is in transit. These charges are explained in advance, on the site and before payment, so placing an order means accepting them. If you would rather not have charges to settle on delivery, it is better to decide before you order. If you need to change or stop an order, contact us straight away — before dispatch we can usually help; once the parcel is in transit we can no longer stop it. Refusing the parcel at the door is not a way to cancel: it does not reach us, it does not stop the charges, and it delays everything by several weeks.

19. Can I return my order because of these charges?

No. We do not accept returns on the grounds of import VAT, the €3 per product category duty or the carrier handling fee, because these are set out clearly before you pay. The parcel has to be accepted and the charges paid to the carrier first — there is no way round that step. If you then wish to return the goods, our standard return conditions apply in full: within 7 days of delivery, unused and in the original unopened packaging, return postage at your expense, and no returns on consumables such as pens, inks and markers once opened. The import VAT, the duty, the handling fee and the original shipping cost cannot be refunded by us, because the parcel has already been cleared and that money went to your customs authority and to the carrier. A damaged, faulty, incorrect or missing item is a different matter and is always put right.

20. What happens if I refuse the parcel?

Refusing the parcel does not cancel your order and does not remove the charges. It travels back to Japan, which takes several weeks. Our usual return policy then applies: once the parcel is back with us, we refund the products. The initial shipping fee is not refunded, and a parcel that returns damaged or with contents that can no longer be sold cannot be refunded. The import charges themselves cannot be refunded by us, because they went to your customs authority and to the carrier and we never receive them. The simplest and cheapest outcome is to accept the parcel and pay the carrier the amount requested.

21. Do I pay B4Comics or the carrier?

The carrier. All of these amounts are collected by the carrier on delivery, on behalf of your national customs authority and for its own handling service. B4Comics receives none of this money. Nothing further is owed to us once your order is paid on our site.

22. If an item was damaged, faulty, incorrect or missing, what happens to the import charges I already paid?

The item itself is put right by us: replacement or refund, at your choice. The import charges were collected by your customs authority and by the carrier, and we never receive them, so they are refunded by those bodies, not by us. Send us your order number and the carrier's invoice and we will supply the documents you need to make that claim.

Duration, coverage and older orders

23. How long will this last?

This is temporary, until July 2028 at the latest, because the law is expected to be relaxed. If the situation changes sooner, we will restore VAT collection at checkout where the rules allow it, and update this page. Any change will be announced here first.

24. Are you doing anything about the handling fee?

Yes. We are currently negotiating with FedEx to have the handling fee removed or reduced. Nothing is in place yet, so please assume the fee will be charged on your next delivery. This page will be updated as soon as we have something confirmed.

25. I live outside the EU — does this affect me?

No. This change applies to EU customers only. If your delivery address is outside the EU, nothing about your order, your checkout or your delivery has changed. Your own country's usual import rules continue to apply as before.

26. I placed my order before 1 July 2026 and it has not arrived yet.

Orders placed before 1 July 2026 had VAT charged at checkout. If your carrier asks you for VAT on one of those orders, contact us with your order number and a copy of the carrier's invoice, and we will send you the proof that VAT was already paid so you can claim it back from the carrier.

27. The carrier is asking me for VAT on an older order that already included VAT at checkout. What do I do?

Contact us with your order number and a photograph or scan of the carrier's invoice. If your order was placed before 1 July 2026 and was under €150, the VAT was prepaid through IOSS and must be claimed back from the carrier. We will provide the documents proving the VAT was already paid so that you can make that claim.

28. I am ordering for a business. What do I need for my accounts?

The carrier's clearance documents are what shows the import VAT paid in your own country, and your accountant uses those. We can supply a commercial invoice for your order on request — write to us with your order number.

29. Where can I ask a question that is not answered here?

Write to us through our Contact page with your order number and your delivery country. We will answer with what we know. Please bear in mind that we cannot tell you your carrier's handling fee in advance, and we cannot confirm how many product categories customs will identify in your parcel before it is cleared.

Last updated: 29 July 2026