israeli-customs-duty-calculator
Israeli Customs Duty Calculator
Problem
Importing goods into Israel (whether a single Amazon order or a commercial shipment) triggers up to three separate taxes: customs duty, VAT, and purchase tax (mas kniya). Thresholds shift (the personal exemption moved from $75 to $150 in December 2025, was annulled back to $75 by the Knesset on 24 February 2026, and was re-set to $130 by a new Finance Ministry order the next day, and reverted to $75 on 1 June 2026 when that temporary order expired), duty depends on an 8-digit HS code that is not the same as the US or EU code, and free-trade preferences only help when you produce the right origin proof. Buyers constantly over- or under-estimate the landed cost.
Instructions
Step 1: Identify the import type
| Type | Typical user | Tax treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Personal import, small parcel | Consumer ordering online | Exemption threshold applies (see Step 2) |
| Personal import, high-value | Consumer buying jewelry, electronics | Full duty + VAT + purchase tax |
| Commercial import (B2B) | Osek Murshe importing stock | Full duty + VAT, no threshold exemption; VAT is recoverable |
| Gift | Individual sending to an Israeli | Treated as personal import, no special exemption |
| Aliyah / oleh hadash belongings | New immigrant | Separate oleh exemption, consult the Aliyah unit |
Courier vs postal clearance: how the parcel arrives changes who clears it. Courier shipments (DHL, FedEx, UPS) are self-cleared by the courier, which then bills the importer the duty, VAT, and a handling fee. Israel Post parcels go through a separate postal clearance process: low-value items can clear automatically, while items above the threshold get a payment demand the recipient settles before delivery. The tax math is the same either way; the fees and timeline differ.