Declaration methods
OOPbuy gives you two ways to declare a parcel:
- Self declaration — the system pre-fills declaration data from your parcel, and you can edit the declared item types, quantities, unit prices and totals.
- Fuzzy declaration — you just enter a total declared amount, and the system generates the rest from the parcel contents.
Either way, keep the declaration reasonable. Unreasonable declarations can hold up clearance, for example: declaring 3 pairs of shoes as $1, declaring a 10 kg parcel as a single ring, or declaring $1,000 on a parcel worth $200. There's no benefit to declaring above the real value.
Tariff thresholds by country
As a rule, if the declared value is below your country's threshold the parcel normally isn't taxed (fraudulent declarations aside). If it is taxed, you pay the duty and help clear customs promptly.
| Country | Tax-free threshold (reference) |
|---|---|
| United States | 800 USD |
| Canada | 20 CAD |
| United Kingdom | 0 GBP (VAT on all) |
| Australia | 1000 AUD |
| EU | 0 EUR (VAT on all) |
| Russia | 1000 EUR |
| Japan | 130 USD |
| Singapore | 300 USD |
| New Zealand | 300 USD |
| Switzerland | 100 CHF (VAT threshold 65 CHF) |
Figures are collected from public sources for reference only, not official guidance. Canadian and EU customs inspect strictly, and commercial couriers (DHL, UPS, FedEx) are more likely to attract duty.
Customs inspection
Parcels going abroad pass through the destination's customs, where checks are mostly random spot checks. If a parcel looks special — large, heavy, or containing sensitive items — customs usually contact the recipient for an invoice or clearance documents. If the recipient can't be reached or won't cooperate, the cost of returning or destroying the parcel falls on the recipient. You can download a clearance invoice from your OOPbuy account or ask customer service for one.
UK & EU VAT (IOSS)
Since the UK reform (Jan 2021) and EU reform (Jul 2021), the old low-value VAT exemptions are gone — effectively everything is taxable. For some EU routes OOPbuy offers an IOSS service that prepays VAT on goods under 150 EUR, calculated from each country's fixed VAT rate and your declared value. You choose whether to use it at submission. Note: with IOSS the declared total can't be edited afterwards (cancel and resubmit to change it), the minimum declared value is 30% of the contents' value, and prepaying doesn't fully rule out a second customs charge — keep any tax receipt to claim back the platform-paid amount if that happens.
Commercial vs personal parcels
Weight and quantity are the main signals customs use. A parcel over 10 kg is more likely to be treated as commercial, and so is a large quantity of the same item. Keep parcels lighter and avoid bulk-buying one product in a single box. Customs risks (return, fines, tax) are borne by you, so OOPbuy flags risky items at order review and recommends a lower-risk line.
Mixing liquids & medicines
If a parcel mixes small liquids, medicines and similar items with normal goods, keep them to no more than 10% of the parcel. Because of customs policy, ship pharmaceutical items with caution — or avoid them.