What taxes are payable for agency import and export? Come and find out!
Our company plans to find an agent for import and export business and wants to know in advance what taxes need to be paid. We haven't been exposed to this area before and are worried about suffering big losses due to unfamiliarity with tax situations. Mainly, we want to know what types of taxes are involved in the import and export of goods through an agent under normal circumstances, and how these taxes are approximately calculated. We hope that professionals can help answer this. Thank you!












Professional consultant answers
James LiuYears of service:10Customer Rating:5.0
Foreign trade tax refund consultantConsult
The types of taxes involved in agency import and export mainly include import duties, import value-added tax, and some goods may also have consumption tax.
Import duty is the tax levied by the customs on imported goods. Its calculation formula is: duty amount = dutiable value × duty rate. The dutiable value is generally the CIF price (cost, insurance, and freight) of the goods.
Import value-added tax is a type of turnover tax levied based on the value-added amount generated during the circulation of goods. The calculation formula is: import value-added tax amount = (dutiable value + duty amount + consumption tax amount) × value-added tax rate.
Consumption tax is a tax levied on specific consumer goods. Only some goods such as tobacco, alcohol, cosmetics, etc. need to pay it. Its calculation methods include ad valorem, specific duty, and compound tax calculation. For exports, generally, an export tax rebate policy is implemented to refund the paid value-added tax, etc. The specific tax rebate rate varies depending on the goods.
Amanda YangYears of service:3Customer Rating:5.0
Cost control consultantConsult
In addition to what was mentioned above, the import and export of some goods may also involve special duties such as anti-dumping duties and countervailing duties. However, this depends on the specific goods and trade situation. For example, some countries will levy these duties on specific imported products if they determine that there are dumping or subsidy behaviors.
David LiYears of service:6Customer Rating:5.0
Senior customs declaration consultantConsult
For agency import and export, in addition to the taxes on the goods themselves, there may also be some taxes and fees related to the agency service, such as value-added tax. The agent will pay value-added tax as required for providing agency services. The tax rate for general taxpayers may be 6%, and the collection rate for small-scale taxpayers is 3% (with preferential policies during the epidemic).
Andrew HuangYears of service:7Customer Rating:5.0
Supply chain optimization expertConsult
During the import and export process, the customs may sometimes levy some fees, such as customs supervision fees. However, in many cases, these have been cancelled. If the goods need commodity inspection, there may also be commodity inspection fees, and the specific amount is based on the goods and relevant regulations.
Sarah ZhangYears of service:8Customer Rating:5.0
Document expertConsult
For specific agricultural products, etc., there may be tariff quota management. The tariff rates are different within and outside the quota. Therefore, it is also important to understand the tariff quota policies of relevant goods, otherwise, it may lead to a large cost difference.
William YangYears of service:5Customer Rating:5.0
International logistics consultantConsult
In addition, the tax treatments under different trade methods also vary. For example, for general trade and processing trade, processing trade may have some tax preferential policies in aspects such as imported materials.
Jennifer WangYears of service:4Customer Rating:5.0
Market development consultantConsult
During the import process, if there are preferential policies for the place of origin, eligible goods can enjoy a lower tariff rate. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the certification and declaration of the place of origin of the goods.
Joseph ZhouYears of service:10Customer Rating:5.0
Senior foreign trade managerConsult
For the import and export of some special goods, there may also be relevant taxes and fees such as environmental protection tax, especially for some products that may have an impact on the environment. This aspect also needs to be understood clearly in advance.
Robert ChenYears of service:6Customer Rating:5.0
Customer service consultantConsult
If cross-border e-commerce conducts import and export through an agent, the tax policies are different from those of general trade. For example, the tax collection and management methods during the import process may be more convenient, and there are corresponding cross-border e-commerce comprehensive tax policies.
Emily LiuYears of service:10Customer Rating:5.0
Settlement and payment expertConsult
For some equipment, etc. that the country encourages to import, there may be tax reduction or exemption policies. It is necessary to pay attention to national policy dynamics in a timely manner to see if the goods for agency import and export meet the relevant tax reduction or exemption conditions.