The real Bahamas import duty for any Amazon or eBay product
Amazon's Import Fees Deposit is a generic estimate based on Amazon's own product classification — it doesn't always match the Bahamas tariff schedule. duty242 classifies against the actual 2026 Bahamas tariff and shows duty, environmental levy, processing fee and VAT — the number Customs will really charge. Works on Amazon and eBay.
Guides to importing into The Bahamas
Plain-English explanations of the four charges, Customs clearance and where import estimates go wrong — written by George, a software developer in The Bahamas, with every rate and worked example checked by hand against the 2026 Tariff Act schedule. How the numbers are produced →
How Bahamas Import Fees Actually Work
Duty, the 1% processing fee, environmental levy and 10% VAT — what each charge is, the order they apply in, and how they stack.
By George · updated 2026-08-24How to Read Amazon’s Import Fees Deposit (and Compare It to Bahamas Duty)
What the deposit is, why it disagrees with the real Bahamas duty, and what to do when it reads high or low.
By George · updated 2026-08-24Everything That Is Duty-Free in The Bahamas
The full duty-free list by category — computers, books, medicine, baby gear and more — plus what it still costs you.
By George · updated 2026-08-24Why 10% VAT Costs You More Than 10%
VAT is charged on the landed cost, not the item price — so on a 45% duty item it works out closer to 15.5%.
By George · updated 2026-08-24Where Import Estimates Go Wrong: HS Classification
Nearly every wrong duty estimate is a wrong tariff code. How the 6,699-line schedule is structured and where it bites.
By George · updated 2026-08-24How to Self-Clear a Package on Click2Clear
Step-by-step: clearing your own shipment through Bahamas Customs’ Click2Clear portal, what you need, and when it is worth it.
By George · updated 2026-08-24How duty242 works
Paste a link
Drop any Amazon or eBay product URL into the search box — or install the extension and skip this step entirely.
We classify it
duty242 matches the product to its Bahamas tariff heading and pulls the real duty rate for that classification.
See the real cost
Get the full landed cost — duty, levy, processing fee and VAT — next to Amazon's estimate, so you know before you buy.
Bahamas import duty, explained
How does Amazon's Import Fees Deposit compare to the real Bahamas duty?
The Import Fees Deposit is a refundable estimate Amazon calculates from its own product classification, which may not match the Bahamas tariff heading — so it can come out higher or lower than the actual charge. duty242 classifies against the Bahamas tariff schedule and computes the real duty, environmental levy, 1% processing fee and 10% VAT — the charges Customs applies. Amazon refunds any unused portion of the deposit on items it ships to The Bahamas itself.
How accurate are duty242's estimates?
Verified classifications are checked line-by-line against the current Customs headings and marked “high confidence.” Where a product is harder to classify we mark it “medium” or “estimated” so you know how much to trust the number. Final classification and charges are always determined by Bahamas Customs.
What fees make up Bahamas import charges?
Four things: import duty (a percentage set by the product's tariff heading), any environmental levy, a customs processing fee of 1% (minimum $10, maximum $750), and 10% VAT charged on the landed value. duty242 breaks all four out on every product.
Do I still pay anything if a product is duty-free?
Yes. Duty-free means the import-duty rate is 0%, but you still pay 10% VAT on the landed cost plus the customs processing fee. Laptops, phones, tablets and books are common duty-free categories that still carry VAT.
Popular tools
- Bahamas duty calculator — landed cost from any price and category
- Everything duty-free in The Bahamas (2026)
- Duty rates by category — what each kind of product is charged
- The full 2026 tariff schedule, chapter by chapter
- All 17 import guides · About duty242