Information appeared on the Internet that, starting from July 1, the delivery rules in the most popular online stores Aliexpress and Amazon will change. This question interested many Russians, since these stores are very popular. Shops attract with their low prices.

The Russian government has long dealt with the issue of orders from Aliexpress and Amazon stores. They commented on their interest that Chinese and American sites are destroying the earnings of Russian manufacturers, thereby making Russia uncompetitive. And this hits the state budget quite hard.

What are the changes in the rules for buying on Aliexpress and Amazon?

Innovations began to launch last year, in December. New rules were introduced for the delivery of foreign goods, mainly the changes affected the filling in of forms. Be sure to indicate passport data, TIN, and also do not forget about the link to the ordered goods. There have been talks about imposing a tax on goods ordered from Aliexpress and Amazon. Such changes will be valid until July 1 this year. According to the government, Aliexpress and Amazon will suffer significant downfalls.

The government received a proposal to abolish the duty-free threshold for the import of foreign goods, but simply to introduce a tax on all ordered goods. If the state approves the proposals, the innovations will come into force next year. Also, experts believe that the goods should have a 20% duty and a certain minimum weight (at least 1 kg).

When will the changes take effect?

Discussions about the planned innovations are ongoing by the government to this day. Information was received from the Minister of Finance that the threshold for duty-free importation of goods from Aliexpress and Amazon stores from July 1 could be reduced to 100 euros. Many people are unhappy with such information, because the fee is too high. The only positive is that the government will remove a limited number of packages per month.

From reliable sources it became known that duty-free import, starting from July 1, 2018, will be up to 500 euros. If the amount exceeds 500 euros, the customer will have to pay a 20% fee.

Parcels will be monitored. All goods received from Aliexpress and Amazon, together with the TIN of customers, will be entered into the database. Thus, the government wants to control these purchases. In the near future, they want to achieve the introduction of a tax on the ordered goods, which the customer will have to pay on their own through their personal account. If you do not pay the tax, the customer will be left without his goods.

As a rule, it does not raise questions from users. But there are some nuances. The fact is that when crossing the border, goods undergo customs control and for duty-free importation, you need to fit into certain limits. Let's discuss with you what the maximum amount is currently applicable to purchases with Aliexpress for residents of Belarus.

• Tobacco products. Usually on Aliexpress you can find various tobacco for hookahs, for example, if you look very well for other smoking blends.
• Seeds and plants. You have probably seen that on the site you can buy seeds of plants and flowers, or even the plants themselves. So do it carefully, because otherwise you can earn a lot of problems.
• Weapons, spare parts, ammunition. Well, you definitely won’t find supplies in the form of grenades and similar weapons, but various knives, spare parts for weapons, for example, optical sights and other interesting things are sold here.
• Precious stones and diamonds. No, you can, of course, buy jewelry, but if you want to buy a separate stone, which is unlikely, since they cannot be found on Aliexpress then customs won't let it through.
• Spy's equipment. Here the question is somewhat controversial, since voice recorders, cameras, communication jammers, and so on can be attributed to such equipment. Sometimes even telephones and similar equipment are not allowed through. Nevertheless, the legislation is becoming more and more adequate and many things are missed, but it is possible that when ordering the same GPS tracker for a child, you will not have problems. It is not known what it depends on, probably on the adequacy of the customs officer, but still be prepared for anything.

As for such goods as food, dietary supplements, sports nutrition and other prohibited goods, they are Aliexpress simply no.

In addition, if you decide to buy a product of one of the prohibited categories for your country, then it is better to consult with the seller. If he delivers to your country, then he certainly knows how this is done and will share information of interest to you.

How is the cost of a parcel with Aliexpress assessed at customs in Belarus?

It is very important for each buyer that the cost of the parcel is estimated correctly, since if it becomes necessary to pay a fee, then no one will want to overpay. Still as an option, the buyer on Aliexpress ordered exactly $ 22 and if the customs value the parcel more, then again you have to pay or prove that the price of the goods is less.

So, how do employees evaluate the cost of packages? First of all, the price must be indicated by the seller directly on the sticker. If the customs officer considers that the price is too low, he will evaluate it himself. Customs has its own price for each item. All goods are collected in a special catalog, and the employee relies on some. The same will be done if the cost is not specified.

If the estimate does not suit you, then you can contact the customs union and provide them with documentation confirming that the cost of the goods is lower. It can be a payment receipt, invoice and other documents.

How to order a lot on Aliexpress to Belarus and not pay a fee?

• If you do not need expensive goods, then try to keep within the limit of 22 euros, and if there is a need to buy more, then try to negotiate with relatives or friends to buy on them. In general, according to the rules, it is not forbidden to order to one address, but to different names. This situation will allow you not to pay duty on Aliexpress in Belarus, since the limit is calculated for each person, and not for a specific address.
• Do not be afraid to ask sellers to indicate smaller amounts on the package, as they always go to a meeting. But remember that customs control all parcels and if it seems to employees that the price is too low, they will independently determine the price of the goods.
• When ordering goods, you can use the services of delivery services through Russia or Kazakhstan, for which the limit is much higher. That is, first your goods will arrive in one of these countries, and only then, after processing, they will be sent to you. It is worth noting that the services of firms are not free. Some take a fixed amount, while others take a percentage of the order. You can find such intermediaries on the Internet in a couple of minutes.

Video: Customs limits on parcels in Belarus

Now in 2020, the so-called tax on parcels from China and other countries to Belarus works clearly and is 100% debugged. The only good news is that Alexander Lukashenko issued Decree No. 490 “On Customs Regulation”, which slightly improved the situation for shopaholics.

The new law increases the monthly rate of duty-free importation of goods into Belarus for personal use in international postal items from 22 euros and 10 kg to 200 euros and 31 kg (in total), while maintaining the one-time rate of one item in the amount of 22 euros and 10 kg.

So how much can I buy from abroad?

In simple words: a one-time limit on one parcel remains the same - up to 22 euros !!! But in total for a month such parcels can be ordered for 200 euros without consequences.

Orders that do not meet the established limit are not prohibited, but the amount exceeding this limit is subject to customs tax. In addition, it will become mandatory to pay a fixed customs fee of 10 Belarusian rubles.

What will happen to me if I have exceeded the order limits from AliExpress and other foreign stores?

Payments for parcels to individuals that exceed the total rate of 200 euros per month are considered commercial consignments and are therefore subject to a customs duty of 15% of the excess price.

And do not confuse! Additionally, you have to pay customs duty. Its value depends on the type of product. For example, you need to pay an extra 10 rubles for a phone (and for most of your orders, the surcharge will be just that).

Parcel duty calculator

Our Parcel Customs Duty Calculator will easily help you calculate the amount of tax for a single shipment in the amount of 22 euros and 10 kg (not to be confused with the new total monthly limit of 200 euros).

Just enter the price for the package and its weight. Please note that all calculations are provided for informational purposes only.

Also, the calculation of customs tax can be easily calculated manually without a calculator for parcels from abroad:

• For example, the price of a parcel: 150 euros and weight: 5 kg (no more than 10 kg);
• Excess: 150 - 22 = 128 euros;
• 15% of the amount received is 19.2 euros;
• Customs fee - 10 Belarusian rubles;
• The final duty on the parcel will be: 19.2 + 4.3 (approximately 10 Belarusian rubles) = 23.5 euros.

If there is an excess in weight, and not in cost, it will be even easier to calculate: 2 euros per 1 kg in excess of 10 allowed. If both limits are exceeded (both in cost and in weight), then you will need to pay a larger amount.

All these restrictions apply to any foreign online stores: Aliexpress, EBay, ASOS, Amazon, iHerb, Shein and many others.

Where and how to pay tax on parcels in Belarus?

You can check with the postal operator about the customs payment. The fee is paid at the very point of issue of RUE "Belpochta". At the same time, our postal operator will also charge money for its “exclusive” services in the form of a postal fee (about 5 Belarusian rubles).

Limits and duties on parcels in Belarus are a kind of protection for the domestic market from the cheapest imports from China, the USA and other countries. Plus a way of taxing citizens who purchase goods for commercial purposes.

These limits are directed against foreign online stores, so that it was unprofitable to order on the same Aliexpress to Belarus. Moreover, all parcels from far abroad are in this position (even gifts from relatives from abroad are subject to a fee).

Prime Minister of Belarus Mikhail Myasnikovich spoke about the dangers of foreign mail to the country's economy and that it is illegal enrichment. Such statements met with a lot of criticism, because most of the imported products in Belarus are not produced or even sold.

In the end, they remembered the "transparency" of the internal borders of the Customs Union. Recipients of consignments of commercial goods or expensive parcels will order them to Russia or another country of the Customs Union and pay for shipping to Belarus.

We warn you that deliberately reducing the cost of a parcel is a thankless task. Customs owns the price range of many popular items!

How to track a package from China (and other countries) to Belarus? There is such an opportunity on the official website of Belpochta.

All registered foreign and local postal items are tracked by a special track number.

Postcode marking:

• R-BY (Rx012345675BY) - small correspondence;
• C—BY (Cx012345675BY) – standard package;
• E—BY (Ex012345675BY) – EMS international express mail;
• A-BY (Ax012345675BY) - our internal mail of the Republic of Belarus.

Tracking the parcel on the Belpochta website is very simple. Either we immediately follow this link: https://webservices.belpost.by/searchRu.aspx, or we find the item “Tracking postal items” in the left menu and click on it.

On the page that opens, there is a form for entering the number of the parcel's departure. We enter the track number received on the website of a foreign or local online store, and press the "Search" button.

When do you need to pay duty?

If the status of the parcel contains the inscription “For transfer to customs, it is necessary to clarify the data”, you will have to specify detailed information in the “Form to fill out” field, otherwise the shipment will be sent back to the seller. These data are needed by customs when accounting for shipments received by an individual from abroad within a month within the limit of 200 euros.

Information about the customs check and charge of the fee (15% from exceeding the limit plus 10 Belarusian rubles for paperwork) will be available on the new page.

Watch the video below: How are parcels from abroad checked?

Paid parcel storage

It is worth remembering that Belpochta offices charge a fee for the storage of international shipments. Information about this is published on their official website.

In case of not claiming any international parcel for more than 7 calendar days at the Belpochta offices, you need to pay 0.36 bel. rubles. for each day of delay.

As you know, the duty-free import of parcels from abroad to Belarus is limited to a one-time norm of one shipment in the amount of 22 euros and 10 kg. And in total per month up to 200 euros and 31 kg.

There are 3 popular options to avoid this limit.

1. Ask the seller to indicate a lower price for goods

You can just agree. And the sender will indicate the lowest value for the goods. For example, $20 for a Chinese phone with a real value of $150.

But keep in mind that customs officers evaluate the package in their own way. They calculate the average price of the goods in the country where the parcel came from, and set the current price tag. In this case, an examination will be appointed.

And after it, you still have to pay customs duty on a parcel to Belarus from the same Aliexpress or American Eicherb. But to do this, they will have to open each package, which will delay processing for years to come. That's exactly what no one will do!

2. Order parcels for friends in another country

You can also consider an order for a resident (relative or friend) of the country of the Customs Union ( , ), who will send it to you from there. And these costs will be much lower than the duty.

Or order a parcel to the Russian branch "on demand" somewhere in the border zone of the Smolensk or Bryansk region. Thus, it is possible to bypass the Belarusian limit. A very popular way, especially among those who live near Russia.

3. Mail Forwarding came to Belarus together with AlmostPost

Mail Forwarding (or “Your Address Abroad”, hereinafter abbreviated as MF) is a service of using the warehouse address of an intermediary company when making a purchase abroad independently. It is paid, but its price is much less than the fee. Note that the address is selected in the countries of the Customs Union, so as not to pay tax.

Before using one of the tips, remember a simple rule: any attempt to get around the law can turn into trouble.

The best online stores with delivery to Belarus

These are the best shopping malls you don't have to worry about! Your parcels will definitely arrive, there will be no fraud with bank cards and unexpected additional fees during checkout.

1. Aliexpress.com is the most popular online store among Belarusians! With Aliexpress, they order clothes, shoes, gadgets, cosmetics, perfumes, toys, jewelry, dishes, household goods and thousands of other items. Aliexpress brings together hundreds of thousands of sellers from different parts of China and other countries, which creates a fierce competition with very low prices for all products. There is both paid and free delivery by AliExpress to Belarus on average 2-4 weeks.
2. iHerb.com is the most popular US online store specializing in organic products, vitamins and organic cosmetics of impeccable quality. Regular discounts and the absence of intermediaries when shopping make prices for many goods significantly lower than in local stores. iHerb delivers orders all over the world, including Belarus. Read more about ordering on iHerb.
3. shein.com
   is one of the world's leading online stores of fashionable clothes and accessories. Shein is an incredible find for girls! Fashionable dresses, tops, skirts, jeans, jewelry - your eyes will run up from a variety of styles, trends, colors and original design solutions. Delivery from the Shein store to Belarus is very fast and economical. See the official website in Russian for all the details.
4. eBay.com
   is a major global online auction with tens of millions of lots simultaneously put up for auction in more than 3,000 categories. eBay has about thirty branches around the world. The strength of the site is the eBay purchase protection system with payment via PayPal. The buyer will be able to return the money for everything, including shipping, if the goods were received in improper condition.
5. Amazon.com
   is the largest hypermarket offering absolutely everything with worldwide delivery from the USA. In the Amazon online store, you can buy both food products and industrial machines for production. Belarusians order Kindle e-books, small household appliances, children's toys, food, household goods, sports equipment and much more.

What do we have? Top 10 popular Belarusian online stores

Among the well-known Belarusian hypermarkets operating online, there are several of the most reliable and time-tested ones. They offer quality goods and affordable payment methods without additional fees and customs obligations.

1. Lamoda is one of the most popular clothing and footwear stores in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine. The range of goods is quite wide - outerwear, underwear, blouses, tops, skirts, trousers, dresses, shoes and much more. The store's catalogs feature various collections of inexpensive and premium brands. Lamoda offers its customers constant discounts and sends a lot of promo codes that pleasantly reduce the prices of goods. Free delivery with fitting at home for up to 7 items.
2. – a hypermarket of equipment, electronics, goods for cars, gardens and personal hygiene. It has been operating on the Belarusian market for 15 years. Often goods can be purchased at attractive discounts. "21st century" provides its customers with a wide range of payment options - cash, bank transfer, bank cards and installment cards. Delivery of goods in Belarus is free when ordering from 75 rubles. With a smaller purchase amount, the goods will be brought for a fee or you can pick it up from the pickup point for free.
3. 5 Element is a leading home appliances and electronics store with a wide range of products. For regular customers, the bonus program will be interesting. The store offers online payment by bank cards, through the ERIP system, cash on delivery or pickup. You can also buy in installments or on credit. Goods over 50 rubles ordered online or by phone will be delivered free of charge in Belarus, or it can be picked up in one of the numerous offline stores of the 5 Element network.
4. Kit.by is a large online store of plumbing and related products: bathroom furniture, kitchen products, tiles. There is a nice bonus program. You can pay for the ordered goods in various ways: online, through ERIP, by bank transfer, in cash upon courier delivery, as well as by installment bank cards. Orders for a large amount are delivered free of charge, for a small amount - for a fee, there is the possibility of pickup in Minsk.
5. Xiaomi Belarus is a monobrand online store of a popular Chinese brand. It presents a rather modest assortment of fashionable gadgets, accessories and other Xiaomi products. The ordered product can be paid in various ways - in cash, online with a bank card or some installment cards, through ERIP and from a mobile phone account. You can pick up the order at the pickup point, or from the courier - with paid or free delivery.
6. i-Store is the only official partner of Apple in Belarus with the status of Apple Premium Reseller. At low prices, you can buy an iPhone, a Mac computer or an iPad tablet, as well as other Apple equipment and accessories for it. Pickup free of charge from the i-Store store (Minsk, Lenin St., 5 or Pobediteley Ave., 9 or Pritytskogo St., 156), own delivery by courier in Minsk or delivery throughout Belarus by Autolight Express service.

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The Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation may reduce the duty-free threshold to €100 for goods purchased in foreign online stores

From 2019, the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation may reduce the duty-free threshold for parcels from foreign online trading platforms to €100 for each postal item, said Alexei Sazanov, head of the tax and customs policy department of the Ministry of Finance, quoted by TASS.

According to him, all sorts of variations of changes are currently being studied, but already from July 1 it is proposed to set a threshold at €500 per 1 calendar month, then from January 1, or from July 1 of the next year, to reduce it to €200. In addition, the option is not excluded, in which duty-free importation of goods into the country will be possible only if the value of the parcel is not more than €100.

It is worth noting that today there are still rules under which duty-free importation of goods into the Russian Federation, purchased at foreign online shopping stores such as Amazon, AliExpress and the like, is possible subject to the cost of parcels up to €1 thousand and 31 kg of weight per 1 calendar month. And in case of exceeding the limit established by law, a tax of 30% is charged.

It is reported that Russia and the EAEU (Eurasian Economic Union) have already reached an agreement to gradually lower the maximum threshold - to €500 in 2019, and to €200 already from 2020 for the EAEU, and for Russia - to €500 from July 1 this year, and up to €200 from January 1 next year for each postal item.

But the FCS offers the most. In their opinion, the tax should be levied on all parcels from foreign online trading platforms, regardless of cost. And so that this does not greatly affect the pockets of citizens, they consider it sufficient to reduce the single rate from 30 to 20%, as well as the introduction of a single tariff, for example, in the amount of €1 per kg of weight.

FCS employees believe that such tough conditions will help domestic online trading platforms compete with foreign ones. The Customs Service has already reported its vision on the new tax legislation in this matter to the Ministry of Finance by sending the appropriate amendments. Sazanov, in the comments, noted that in general they are not against such changes, however, it will be possible to implement these proposals only from 2021, subject to the conditions for the readiness of information systems of the customs service.

But the Ministry of Trade and Trade is confident that such amendments will only lead to a narrowing of the choice for buyers, and at the same time will not affect the stimulation of the production of Russian goods. The Ministry of Industry and Trade asks to take into account that there is a big difference between the payment of VAT from foreign sellers and the collection of these duties from the population. They stressed that taxing each parcel is nothing more than taxing only the final consumer.

No related content

Hello! I think no one will argue with the fact that Aliexpress is a fairly popular online store, which is especially in demand for residents of the CIS countries and others. However, most users, sooner or later, face the problem of customs control.

And here a logical question arises about how much you can order for Aliexpress, so that later you do not have to spend money on customs. Therefore, I propose to look into this issue in more detail.

How not to pay the fee

So, let's find out, is it necessary to pay extra money for a package that comes straight from China?

In this matter, it is very important in which country you live, what is the weight of your parcel, and what is the cost written in the attached accompanying information.

Let's take the following countries as an example:

Belarus.

If you are a resident of Belarus, then you will not have to pay a commission fee if your orders within one month do not exceed 22 € in value, or if the total weight of the parcels does not exceed thirty kilograms within 30 days.
If the amount of orders that were delivered to Belarus reaches a thousand euros, then the commission is paid in the amount of thirty percent of the price of all imported goods. However, if during this time more than a thousand euros were purchased, then sixty percent of the price of all goods will have to be paid.

Ukraine.

If you live on the territory of Ukraine, then without duty you can spend orders from foreign sites in the amount of not more than one hundred and fifty euros per month. If you paid more money for your products, or if the weight exceeds the limits, then the customs officer will give you the opportunity to pay 32% of the excess (ten percent duty, ten percent import tax and two percent VAT). We must also take into account the fact that if you use the services of brokers, the price increases in accordance with the tariffs of customs intermediaries.

Russia.

Today, for the Russian Federation, the import of foreign items by mail is limited in this way: a thousand euros in a period of thirty days, or thirty-one kilograms by the total weight of the parcels. Naturally, the products must comply with the status of "for personal use." During this time, you have the right to buy products worth up to a thousand euros, and not pay tax.

Kazakhstan.

Here the situation is approximately the same as in Russia. If a product worth more than a thousand euros, or weighing more than 31 kilograms, was received per month, then you will have to pay.

Some Features

It must be understood that all items must be for personal use. This means that if you order, for example, ten phones or forty T-shirts, they will not pass control, as they will be identified as commercial parcels, and they certainly cannot avoid customs clearance.

Also, customs can not be dispensed with in cases where an underestimated amount is indicated. For this reason, it is imperative to ask the seller to indicate the real value. If the products are delivered as part of a promotion or as a prize, you need to ask that the information contain data on the real value (a check, for example).

It should be noted that if the parcel still did not pass the control without payment, then you have the right to refuse it. Then you can open a dispute on the store's website and if you have documentation about the refusal of the parcel, your money will be returned to you.

You should also review the list of prohibited items. Some gadgets (for example, glasses or pens with built-in video cameras, etc.) can be considered as "subjects for secret data acquisition." In such situations, not only a fine, but even criminal liability can be imposed. So no spy stuff!

Thus, it becomes clear that it is quite simple to bypass the payment of duties, because the main thing is to be attentive to the choice of products and control the cost of your purchases for the month.

I hope that the article was useful to you. See also a video on this topic. Bye Bye!

Sincerely, Natalya Melnikova!