How to Read Amazon’s Import Fees Deposit (and Compare It to Bahamas Duty)
Updated 2026-07-01 · tariff year 2026
On items Amazon will export, checkout shows an Import Fees Deposit — Amazon's estimate of your country's duty and taxes, collected up front. Three things to know:
1. It's a deposit, not a final bill. On items Amazon exports itself, any portion of the deposit not used for actual import fees is refunded — Amazon states this is typically automatic. Knowing the Bahamas calculation up front tells you whether to expect a refund or a balance due at the border.
2. It's computed from a classification. Amazon maps the product to a tariff code automatically. That mapping can differ from the Bahamas tariff heading — a laptop that is duty-free in The Bahamas, or clothing at a different rate — so the deposit may land above or below the actual Bahamas charge.
3. You can compare it. Put the deposit next to the Bahamas math — duty at the correct rate, 1% processing fee, environmental levy, 10% VAT. That is exactly what the duty242 extension does on the page, and what every product page on this site shows: Amazon's number next to the Bahamas calculation, with the difference highlighted.
If the deposit is well above the Bahamas calculation, a Florida forwarder is worth comparing — you'll pay the actual charges directly rather than a deposit.