Artsper conditions
Import fees and customs duties are not included in the final total of your order. On Artsper you will pay the price of the artwork as well as the shipping costs. It will be mentioned in the first step of your shopping cart if your order will be subject to customs clearance.
Please note that Artsper is not able to calculate customs fees beforehand, as these are charged directly by the shipping company once the artwork has reached the destination country.
We can, however, confirm that they are calculated on the basis of the value of the artwork as declared by the gallery and the customs office in your country.
WHAT IS CONSIDERED A WORK OF ART AT UK CUSTOMS ?
- any mounted or unmounted painting, drawing, collage, decorative plaque or similar picture that was executed by hand;
- any original engraving, lithograph, photograph or other print which was produced from one or more plates executed by hand by an individual who executed them without using any mechanical or photomechanical process;
- either is the only one produced from the plate or plates or is comprised in a limited edition that does not exceed thirty.
- the edition is numbered and is signed
- any sculpture cast which was produced by or under the supervision of the individual who made the mould or became entitled to it by succession on the death of that individual; and
- either is the only cast produced from the mould or is comprised in a limited edition;
- the edition is limited so that the number produced from the same mould does not exceed eight
- any tapestry or other hanging which was made by hand from an original design; and
- either is the only one made from the design
- or is comprised in a limited edition that does not exceed eight
- any ceramic executed by an individual and signed by the artist,
- either is the only one made from the design in question
- or is comprised in a limited edition that does not exceed eight
The effective rate of UK tax on imports of art is 5%
You’ll be charged Customs Duty on all goods sent from outside the UK (or the UK and the EU if you’re in Northern Ireland) if they’re worth more than £135.
If you’re charged Customs Duty, you’ll need to pay it on both:
- the price paid for the goods
- postage, packaging and insurance
Import VAT is charged not only on the value of the artwork but also on the following:
- The cost of shipping and insurance (if applicable)
- Customs duty (if any)
Courier fees
Each courier will also add processing fees to their tariffs as they now have to process more documents to clear customs. The fees do vary and depend on the courier, they can be anything between £6 and £20 or a percentage of the combined customs duty & VAT charge.
If you’re charged too much or return your goods
Ask for a refund of VAT or Customs Duty if you:
- return your goods
- think you’ve been charged too much
Download and fill in:
- form BOR 286 if Royal Mail or Parcelforce delivered the goods
- form C285 if a courier or freight company delivered the goods
NB: Artsper is not responsible for the rate applied by the customs services. The information in this article does not engage the responsibility of Artsper.