Parcelhero reveals its top hack for saving money when sending gifts abroad

Dec. 13, 2024 - PRLog -- Many Brits are sending gifts to friends and family overseas this month. Not everyone realises that, on top of the cost of an international delivery, there are often Customs duties and taxes to be paid when a package enters a country. These charges can be hefty, depending on the value of the shipment and what kind of items have been sent.

The good news is that the international shipping expert Parcelhero has introduced a new tool that reveals each country's duty and tax-free allowances. Providing the sender ensures their parcel's value doesn't exceed this limit, there won't be an unwelcome charge to be paid on the item before it is released from Customs.

Parcelhero's Head of Consumer Research, David Jinks M.I.L.T., says: 'No one wants to be paying an unexpected charge before Christmas. The problem is that many countries impose sometimes steep tariffs on goods entering from overseas. Unless the sender specifically pre-pays these fees, it will usually be the receiver who is left to foot the bill before the package can be released from Customs.

'That could mean your loved ones picking up the tab for a nasty sum before they can receive their gift. Fortunately, many countries have a gift threshold limit and presents that are valued at less than this amount won't be charged duties or taxes. Other countries may not have a specific gift limit, but they could have a "de minimis" limit (a value below which they won't charge duties on) for relatively low-value items.

'That's why Parcelhero's new Christmas Gifts Delivery tool (https://www.parcelhero.com/events/christmas-gifts-delivery) not only reveals the final date for a parcel collection, to ensure that your gifts arrive on time, but also lists the duty and tax-free threshold for every country, if they have one.

'For example, what happens if you are planning to send a package to Australia? It's important to know that the limit is 1,000 Australian Dollars (AUD). A look at our Christmas tool will show that the deadline for a parcel collection to Australia is 17 December and the duty and tax threshold is over £500.

'One word of caution: exchange rates change constantly. While our tool is a good guide, you should check full details on your destination country's own Customs pages and against a real-time currency converter.

'Our advice is to always clearly mark your shipment as a gift and clearly list on the accompanying Customs form every item in the parcel. That way, your package is less likely to incur delays and extra charges. To find out the last collection dates for presents to international destinations and to check our handy Customs fees guide, together with other international shipping hacks, see: https://www.parcelhero.com/events/christmas-gifts-delivery