UK Orders & VAT
Our UK prices are in British pounds and include 20% VAT. For most orders, the price you see at checkout is all you pay.
For larger orders, UK rules change when and how VAT is paid. This page explains what happens, what you'll see at checkout, and what to expect when your parcel arrives.
The £135 limit
The UK sets a £135 limit on goods sent from overseas. It's based on the value of your goods before VAT and shipping are added.
Because our prices already include VAT, your order can be a little over £135 at checkout and still be under the limit. As a guide, the limit works out to roughly £162 at checkout.
Orders of £135 or less before VAT
We collect the VAT at checkout as part of the price. You won't have anything more to pay when your parcel arrives.
Orders over £135 before VAT
For these orders, UK rules say VAT must be paid when your parcel arrives in the UK, not at checkout. Our UK delivery service doesn't give us a way to pay it for you on arrival, so here's what happens instead:
- We take the VAT off at checkout. You'll see UK VAT removed in your cart and at checkout, and your total will be lower than the prices shown on our site. This makes sure you don't pay VAT twice.
- We send your order as usual. It travels by tracked airmail and is delivered by Royal Mail.
- Royal Mail asks you to pay before delivery. When your parcel reaches the UK, Royal Mail will contact you to pay the VAT, plus a handling fee.
- Your parcel is delivered once the charges are paid.
An example
Say your order comes to £185 including VAT. Before VAT, that's about £154, which is over the £135 limit.
- At checkout, we take the VAT off, so you pay us about £154 plus shipping.
- When your parcel arrives, Royal Mail collects the VAT (20% of the declared value) plus their handling fee.
So you still pay the same VAT overall. It's just paid on arrival rather than to us, and Royal Mail adds their handling fee.
Paying Royal Mail
Royal Mail will usually leave a grey "Fee to Pay" card or send you a notice explaining how much is owed and how to pay online. The handling fee is set by Royal Mail, not by us, and you can check the current amount on their website.
Scam texts and emails pretending to be from Royal Mail are common. If you're not sure a message is genuine, don't click the link. Go to the Royal Mail website directly, or get in touch with us and we'll help you check.
Customs duty
VAT and customs duty are different charges. Under the New Zealand–United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement, most qualifying New Zealand-made goods enter the UK free of customs duty, and we include an Origin Declaration with qualifying products. If you think you've been charged duty in error, please get in touch. See Taxes, Duties & Customs for more detail.
Common questions
- Why is my checkout total lower than the prices on your site? Your order is over the £135 limit, so we've taken the VAT off. You'll pay it to Royal Mail when your parcel arrives instead.
- Can I pay all the VAT at checkout instead? Unfortunately not. For orders over the limit, UK rules require VAT to be paid on import, so we can't collect it at checkout.
- Does the handling fee go to NZ Nature? No. It's charged by Royal Mail for collecting the VAT on behalf of UK customs.
- What happens if I don't pay the charges? Royal Mail will hold your parcel for a limited time and then return it to us. If that happens, any return shipping costs, customs charges or carrier fees may be deducted from an eligible refund.
- What if I return my order? We'll refund what you paid us in line with our returns policy. VAT and fees paid to Royal Mail on arrival aren't paid to us, so we can't refund them directly, but please get in touch and we'll point you in the right direction.
Need help?
If you have a question about VAT on your order, before or after you buy, our customer care team is happy to help.
NZ freephone: 0800 240 167
International: +64 3 9700 441
Email: info@nznature.co.nz
Related information: Taxes, Duties & Customs, Delivery & Shipping, Returns & Exchanges, Contact us