customs duty

Meaning

A tax imposed by a government on goods imported from other countries. Travelers must often pay this tax if the value of the items they bring back exceeds a certain personal allowance. This is a formal, legal, and administrative term.

Examples

• If you buy expensive jewelry abroad, you may have to pay customs duty when you return.

  If you buy expensive jewelry abroad, you may have to pay customs duty when you return.

• Items under a certain value are usually exempt from customs duty.

  Items under a certain value are usually exempt from customs duty.

• The customs duty on electronics is much higher than on clothing.

  The customs duty on electronics is much higher than on clothing.

• He had to declare the luxury watch and pay the required customs duty.

  He had to declare the luxury watch and pay the required customs duty.

• You can calculate the estimated customs duty online before you travel.

  You can calculate the estimated customs duty online before you travel.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I had to pay a customs tax for my new camera.

  ✓ I had to pay customs duty on my new camera.

  While it is a type of tax, the official and natural collocations are 'customs duty' and we pay duty 'on' an item, not 'for' it.

• ✗ The custom duties were very expensive.

  ✓ The customs duties were very expensive.

  'Customs' must always be plural when referring to the government department or the taxes on imports.

Related Expressions

Practice

• Travelers must pay ___ on goods that exceed their personal allowance.

  💡 A tax on imported goods.

  Show answer

  customs duty

• I didn't have to pay any ___ because the items were for personal use.

  💡 The tax collected at the border.

  Show answer

  customs duty