Will I be liable to Pay Duty on my Artwork?
Additional taxes can be applied if artworks are sent across country borders - these taxes are called customs duties and vary according to the countries involved and what is being shipped.
In the UK, for example, customs duties are made up of 2 components, import duty and VAT. UK customs classes contemporary works of art as 'import duty free' and incur a reduced rate of VAT (5% versus the normal current rate of 20%). For information on duty charged for artworks in the country in which you are based, please input the artwork description on this page on Dutycalculator.com.
Couriers are obligated to pay customs for any taxes due when importing an item. They will keep hold of any item until those duties have been paid by the customer and this can result in delays to delivery as well as additional clearance charges levied by the courier.
In order for things to run smoothly, the sender needs to make sure that the correct paperwork is filled in for the courier to be able to pass through customs easily. We encourage our artists to mark shipments 'Delivery Duty Paid', resulting in any customs charges being billed back to their own account, and to include this cost in their shipping table calculations. Artfinder can provide no guarantee against or compensation for costs incurred where this is not the case, so we strongly recommend you get in touch with the artist via the Artfinder messaging service prior to dispatch to clarify arrangements should you have any concerns.
My artworks has incurred charges at Customs. What should I do?
Couriers are obligated to pay customs for any taxes due when importing an item. They will keep hold of any item until those duties have been paid by the customer, which may result in delays to delivery as well as additional clearance charges levied by the courier.
When will my artwork be delivered?
Delivery times will vary from piece to piece.
You will receive a dispatch email.
This email will contain details of the dispatch date.