duty-free allowance

Meaning

A duty-free allowance is the maximum amount of goods (like alcohol, tobacco, or luxury items) a traveler can bring into a country without paying local import taxes or duties. Exceeding this limit can result in heavy fines or confiscation of the goods at customs.

Examples

• Make sure you don't exceed your duty-free allowance for alcohol when returning home.

  Make sure you don't exceed your duty-free allowance for alcohol when returning home.

• The duty-free allowance for cigarettes is usually limited to 200 per person.

  The duty-free allowance for cigarettes is usually limited to 200 per person.

• I wanted to buy another bottle of perfume, but I was already at my duty-free allowance.

  I wanted to buy another bottle of perfume, but I was already at my duty-free allowance.

• Customs officers are checking bags to ensure passengers are within their duty-free allowance.

  Customs officers are checking bags to ensure passengers are within their duty-free allowance.

• Does this country have a lower duty-free allowance for electronic goods?

  Does this country have a lower duty-free allowance for electronic goods?

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I bought three bottles of wine because my duty-free limit was free.

  ✓ I bought three bottles of wine because they were within my duty-free allowance.

  'Duty-free allowance' is a noun phrase representing a limit, not an adjective meaning 'free of charge'.

• ✗ What is the duty-free permission for this country?

  ✓ What is the duty-free allowance for this country?

  English speakers use 'allowance' or 'limit' rather than 'permission' to refer to the legal quantity of tax-free goods.

Related Expressions

Practice

• If you go over your ___, you will have to pay tax on the extra items.

  💡 The legal limit of tax-free goods you can bring into a country.

  Show answer

  duty-free allowance

• Each passenger has a personal ___ of one liter of spirits.

  💡 The tax-free limit for imported goods.

  Show answer

  duty-free allowance