How Much Tax Do You Pay on US Purchases Shipped to Taiwan?
HowBridge operates its own Shenzhen consolidation warehouse and Taoyuan Dayuan operations warehouse. We currently have no the US, no US receiving address available for use—including in tax-free states such as Oregon—no official US-leg shipping rates or guaranteed transit times, and we do not offer US-to-Taiwan forwarding, proxy-buying or payment services. The tax-free states and forwarding warehouses mentioned on this page are provided only as general tax information and market-rate references; they do not represent services offered by this site. Do not use this information to enter a delivery address or place an order. The Taiwan import tax rates, duty-free rules and personal-use limits on this page remain valid for reference. If these services become available, the official website announcement and terms in effect at that time will apply.
Most single-item US purchases shipped to Taiwan are tax-free when within the duty-free threshold. Above it, taxes apply: duty is generally 0% for 3C products and headphones, about 30% for supplements, about 10.5~12% for apparel and about 5% for athletic shoes. Also note that US sales tax, which varies by state, and Taiwan import tax are separate and calculated independently. iHerb supplements and vitamins are also subject to personal-use quantity and dosage limits.
US Import Tax Calculator
Enter the US product details to instantly estimate customs duty, VAT and total landed cost using the Customs Administration's AI tariff engine.
Interested in ocean freight for bulk shipments or formal customs clearance? Product eligibility must be confirmed first, so contact LINE support. Standard consolidated shipments can use air freight and be calculated above.
※ The estimate uses the Customs Administration's AI tariff prediction with the highest-confidence result. The actual tariff classification is determined by customs. The US dollar exchange rate follows the customs exchange rate displayed on this site.
US Sales Tax vs Taiwan Import Tax
When US products are shipped to Taiwan, two countries and two separate taxes may be involved. Distinguishing them is essential for an accurate calculation:
US state sales tax is about 0~10%, with each state setting its own rate. 5 states impose no statewide sales tax, commonly called NOMAD: New Hampshire, Oregon, Montana, Alaska and Delaware. This is general information about the US tax system—whether it applies in practice depends on the seller's shipping origin and the state of the receiving address you use.
When goods enter Taiwan customs, customs duty, VAT and other taxes are assessed based on the customs value and tariff classification, as explained in the next section. This is separate from US sales tax and is calculated independently; the two taxes cannot offset each other.
Taiwan Import Duty-Free Rules
Express imports with a customs value below the duty-free threshold—CIF landing value ＝ product FOB ＋ international shipping ＋ insurance—are exempt from customs duty, commodity tax and VAT, except tobacco, alcohol and agricultural products subject to tariff-rate quotas. Important: the threshold is calculated by aggregating the same consignment—for express consignments, the same consignor, flight/voyage and consignee; for postal parcels, the same sender, arrival date and recipient—not item by item. Multiple items shipped together are added up.
Customs duty ＝ customs value × CCC duty rate
VAT ＝(customs value ＋ customs duty ＋ commodity tax)× 5%
Trade promotion service fee ＝ customs value × 0.04%(waived if below NT$100)
If the same taxpayer receives duty-free clearance more than 6 times within the same half-year, the exemption no longer applies starting with the 7th time. A half-year means the fixed calendar periods 1/1–6/30 and 7/1–12/31 each year, not a rolling lookback period. Eligibility is determined by the import declaration date.
Landed Costs of Common US Products
Below are calculator estimates for common single-item US purchases. The first 4 have customs values within the duty-free threshold and are tax-free; the last 2 exceed it and are taxable:
| Product | Item Price | Est. CCC | Duty Rate | Tax Value | Import Tax | Landed Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multivitamin | $30 | 2106.90 | 30% | NT$945 | Tax-free | About NT$1,065 |
| Fish Oil Caps | $25 | 2106.90 | 30% | NT$787 | Tax-free | About NT$902 |
| Cotton T-shirt | $25 | 6109.10 | 10.5% | NT$787 | Tax-free | About NT$902 |
| BT Earbuds | $60 | 8518.30 | 0% | NT$1,889 | Tax-free | About NT$2,034 |
| Running Shoes | $80 | 6403.19 | 5% | NT$2,519 | About NT$258 | About NT$2,922 |
| Yoga Pants | $100 | 6104.69 | 12% | NT$3,149 | About NT$554 | About NT$3,878 |
※ Landed cost ＝ item price ＋ international shipping ＋ delivery fee ＋ import tax, based on the shipping rates published on this site. It excludes US sales tax. Athletic shoe example: US$80 with 5% duty incurs about NT$126 in customs duty ＋ about NT$132 in VAT.
US Product Duty Rates by Category
| Category | Duty Rate | If Taxable |
|---|---|---|
| 3C, Audio & Electronics | Usually 0% | 5% VAT only |
| Athletic Shoes | Approx. 5% | 5% duty ＋ 5% VAT |
| Cotton Tops, T-shirts | Approx. 10.5% | 10.5% duty ＋ 5% VAT |
| Synthetic Activewear | Approx. 12% | 12% duty ＋ 5% VAT |
| Supplements & Vitamins | Approx. 30% | 30% duty ＋ 5% VAT; capped |
| Bags & Leather Goods | Approx. 6.6~10% | Duty ＋ 5% VAT |
The actual rate depends on the product's 11-digit CCC code. Use the CCC tariff lookup to confirm the exact classification.
Personal-Use Limits for Supplements and Vitamins
Supplements from iHerb and Amazon are popular, but personal imports are subject to quantity and dosage limits and must be for personal use only, with no resale:
| Item | Limit |
|---|---|
| Tablets and Capsules | Up to 12 bottles per type, no more than 36 bottles total |
| Vitamin D | Daily dose ≤ 800 IU is food; over 2,000 IU is a prescription drug |
| Vitamin C | Daily dose ≤ 1,000 mg is food; over 2,000 mg is a prescription drug |
| Other Vitamins | Classification follows the Taiwan FDA's Standards for Oral Vitamin- or Mineral-Containing Drugs |
FAQs About Taxes on US-to-Taiwan Shipments
Legal Basis and Official Sources
- Customs Act, Article 49, Paragraph 2 — express imports below the duty-free threshold are exempt, but the exemption no longer applies after more than 6 uses within a half-year, starting with the 7th use (Laws & Regulations Database of the Republic of China).
- Customs Administration, Ministry of Finance: “What Taxes and Fees Are Payable on Imported Goods?”
- Customs Administration, Ministry of Finance: personal-use limits for drugs, cosmetics and medical devices.
- Taiwan Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare: Standards for Oral Vitamin- or Mineral-Containing Drugs (amended on 2024-04-18 under Decree No. 1131401394).
- Ministry of Finance Taxation Portal: “Points to Note When Buying Foreign Goods Online.”
The tax estimates and quantity limits on this page are provided for reference. Actual tariff classifications, rates, taxes payable and personal-use determinations are subject to approval by the Customs Administration, Ministry of Finance and the rules of the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare. Regulations may change; always refer to the latest laws.
Ship from China to Taiwan with HowBridge
HowBridge provides China warehouse receiving, consolidation, protective packing, cross-border transport, import clearance and EZ WAY guidance. Confirm the item and route before choosing a shipping plan.
✅ We provide
- Cross-border consolidated shipping (sea freight / express sea / air freight)
- Import customs clearance through our AEO-certified partner customs broker
- Official uniform invoices (for consolidated shipping services only)
- 14-language customer support + EZ WAY real-name verification assistance
❌ We do not provide
- RMB or foreign currency payment on your behalf (under Article 29 of the Banking Act, non-banks may not conduct currency exchange business)
- Placing and paying for cross-border orders on your behalf (please use your own payment channels)
- Advancing funds or paying by credit card on your behalf
This page cites primary government, judicial, and academic sources from HowBridge’s customs reference index (1,171 records). Each item links to its original source.
Reference index data version: 2026-08-16
- Journal article Essentials of international trade: import and export clearance practice and the calculation of import duties and taxes (3) calculation ieatpe.org.tw
- Government notice Basis for calculating the customs value of dutiable imported goods (principle on whether import duty is to be added to the taxable value for commodity tax) law-out.mof.gov.tw
- Statistics / white paper Statistics on duties and taxes collected by Customs (customs duty, and business tax and commodity tax collected by Customs on behalf of the tax authority) web.customs.gov.tw
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