Furnishing a Home in The Bahamas: Duty from 0% to 60%
By George · updated 2026-09-30 · worked examples checked against the Bahamas Tariff Act (schedule version 2026-2027)
Household goods include the highest duty rate most shoppers will ever pay, and it applies to something nearly every home needs: a mattress.
The rates
- LED lamps and light fittings (9405.1100): 0%
- Furniture such as tables, desks, shelving and cabinets (9403.2090): 25%
- Chairs, sofas and seats (9401.7190): 25%
- Comforters, quilts and duvets (9404.4000): 45%
- Mattresses (9404.2990): 60%
Mattresses at 60%
A $1,100 mattress pays $660 in duty. With $11 processing and $177.10 VAT, total import charges are $848.10, or 77.1% of the price, and the mattress lands at $1,948.10.
There's no way around the rate: it applies to the declared value, and mattresses are bulky, so freight adds a good deal on top. Check local prices before importing one. With charges of about 77% before freight, a Nassau store can charge well over the US price and still come out cheaper, and they often do.
Bedding works the same way on a smaller scale. A $180 comforter set carries $118.10 in charges (65.6%) and lands at $298.10.
Furniture at 25%
Furniture is less severe. A $450 sofa pays $112.50 duty, $10 processing and $57.25 VAT: $179.75 in charges, or 39.9%, landing at $629.75.
With furniture, freight usually matters more than duty. Sofas are light for their size and forwarders charge by volumetric weight, so the shipping quote is often higher than the duty. Get the freight figure first and put it into the calculator. Freight is dutiable and part of the VAT base, so $200 of freight costs you more than $200.
Lighting
LED lamps and light fittings are duty-free, and so are fans (8414.5100). If you're replacing the lighting in a house, the tariff works in your favour.
Planning a larger purchase
Sort the list by duty rate rather than by price:
- Import: LED lighting, fans and anything else at 0%.
- Import if the US price is well below the local one: furniture at 25%. Get the freight quote first, because it usually matters more than the duty.
- Check local prices first: mattresses at 60% and bedding at 45%. These are where a local store most often wins.
See home goods lookups or the full chapter 94 (furniture and lighting).