Tollmark
Methodology
What goes into an estimate, how to read it, and when to stop.
Last updated
Check that the estimate fits your parcel
The calculator estimates a purchase sent from abroad into Great Britain or Norway using the ordinary tariff for a supported six-digit commodity code. It assumes import charges have not already been paid at checkout. It does not determine your final commodity classification.
- Enter the goods and shipping amounts in the destination currency: GBP or NOK.
- Use the goods value without shipping in the goods field; put shipping in its own field.
- If tax was collected at checkout, or you are unsure, check the seller's invoice before estimating a new charge.
- Gifts, free goods, returns, domestic movements and special customs procedures need a different assessment.
The calculation, step by step
- Customs value. The model uses the destination's valuation rule. A CIF basis includes goods, shipping and insurance; a FOB basis uses the goods amount. Insurance can be supplied to the API but is not a separate field in the quick check.
- Duty relief. The model compares the goods value, excluding transport, with the duty threshold in its dated rules. Duty relief and VAT relief are separate tests. A zero duty result does not mean there is no VAT.
- Duty. A percentage rate is applied to customs value. A specific rate needs the relevant quantity, weight or volume. If the required input or rate is missing, no estimate is returned.
- Import VAT. The VAT base follows the destination's stored rules, including duty and transport where specified. Where a six-digit heading contains several VAT rates, the estimate uses the highest and warns you. Where no commodity VAT rate is held, it uses the country default and identifies that fallback.
- Carrier fee. The estimate uses the default carrier's unconditional value band where available. A percentage fee is calculated on the duty and VAT advanced, with any stated minimum. Otherwise it uses the stored typical fee. This is an assumption about a carrier service, not a price offered by your actual carrier.
Estimated charges = duty + VAT + carrier fee. The landed total also includes your goods and shipping. A breakdown is shown so that you can distinguish tax from the carrier's own charge.
What the estimate does not assume
Selecting an origin does not prove preferential origin. The live calculator uses the ordinary tariff and does not automatically grant a free-trade agreement rate. Category tables may show sourced preferences for comparison; claiming one requires the relevant origin evidence and conditions.
The quick check does not model checkout-paid VAT arrangements such as VOEC, or DDP orders where the seller handles import charges. It also excludes excise, anti-dumping duties, quotas, restrictions and additional carrier services. A nil calculated charge does not establish that a parcel is exempt from every requirement or fee.
Rounding and currency
Monetary amounts are calculated in integer minor units. Components are rounded as they are calculated before being added to the total. For positive amounts, a half minor unit rounds up. The calculator does no currency conversion and accepts money inputs to two decimal places.
Actual customs and carrier rounding can differ. Convert a foreign-currency invoice using the relevant customs rules before using a destination-currency estimate; the calculator does not select an exchange rate for you.
Sources and dates
The tariff source and its effective date describe the underlying rule. A calculation date tells you when the model was run; it is not proof that the source was fetched that day. Country rules, carrier fees and Norwegian tariff data have separate update processes. See sources and refresh limits.
Category pages are built from a data snapshot. The live calculator reads the currently published database, so an intervening update can change its result. Neither an automated check nor a source link constitutes independent expert verification of the classification or interpretation.
Why some categories have no page
Published category pages require source data and enough context to explain it. The coverage checks consider sources, dates, comparisons, examples and category notes; they are internal checks, not a search-engine quality score. Some supported codes can be calculated without having their own page. Unsupported destinations and missing rates produce a coverage message.
If a figure seems wrong, report it with the page and source. For a decision about your goods, consult the destination customs authority or a qualified customs broker. See the estimate limits.