What de minimis means, and why your parcel may owe nothing

De minimis is customs latin for too small to bother with. Most countries set a value under which an imported parcel pays no duties at all, and sometimes no tax: the threshold is 150 euros in the EU for duties, 135 pounds in the UK, and varies country by country.

This is why two parcels from the same shop can land differently: a 60 euro tile sails through, a 400 euro panel owes duties. The rules change often, and the thresholds for duties and for tax are frequently different numbers in the same country.

1VIM applies the destination's current rules automatically: the landed price on every listing already includes whatever your country will actually charge, and shows when duties were waived entirely. The number you see is the number you pay.