Electronics: Laptops at 0%, Phones at 10%, Soundbars at 45%
By George · updated 2026-10-08 · worked examples checked against the Bahamas Tariff Act (schedule version 2026-2027)
Electronics have a wider range of duty rates than anything else people in The Bahamas commonly import. Two boxes in the same Amazon order, both "electronics", can be 0% and 45%, so it helps to know which is which.
Duty-free: computers and most of what goes with them
Computing equipment comes in at 0% duty:
- Laptops and notebooks (8471.3000)
- Desktops and all-in-ones (8471.4100)
- Monitors (8528.5200)
- Keyboards, mice and other input/output units (8471.6000)
- Internal parts and components (8473.3000)
- Printers and multifunction printers (8443.3100)
- Routers, modems and networking gear (8517.6200)
- USB, HDMI and other cables with connectors (8544.4200)
Also duty-free, though people often assume otherwise: headphones and earphones (8518.3000), cameras including action and security cameras (8525.8900), and solar panels (8541.4300).
So a $1,200 laptop lands at $1,338.70: $12 processing, the $5 environmental levy and $121.70 VAT, with no duty. That's 11.6% on top of the price, which is about as low as import charges get.
10%: phones and batteries
Smartphones (8517.1300) are 10%. People who know computers are duty-free are often surprised by this, but a phone is classified as a telephone, not a computer. A $900 phone pays $90 duty, $10 processing, a $5 levy and $100.50 VAT: $205.50 of charges, landing at $1,105.50.
Batteries are 10% as well, both rechargeable lithium batteries and power banks (8507.6090) and disposable batteries (8506.8000). The amounts are small, but a power bank isn't duty-free the way the cable next to it is.
45%: audio and gaming
Speakers and soundbars (8518.2200) and video game consoles (9504.5000) are both 45%.
The audio split looks odd at first: headphones are 0% and speakers are 45%, often in the same order. A $250 soundbar costs $159.75 in import charges (63.9% of the price) and lands at $409.75. A $500 console costs $308.50 and lands at $808.50.
If you're buying audio equipment and aren't set on a particular type, this is one place where the tariff should affect what you choose.
Where estimates go wrong
Amazon's Import Fees Deposit comes from Amazon's own classification, which doesn't reflect the Bahamas split between 0%, 10% and 45%. On duty-free computer gear it often collects too much, and on a soundbar it can collect far too little. Compare before you pay; how to read the deposit explains how.
Lookups by category: laptops, computers, accessories, phones, audio, gaming, cameras. Every line is listed in chapter 85 (electronics and electrical).