Makeup duty in The Bahamas 2026-2027: 20%
The Bahamas Customs duty rate for makeup in 2026-2027 is 20% (tariff code 3304.9990). There is no environmental levy on this item. On top of that, every import pays a processing fee of 1% of the value (at least $10.00, at most $1,000.00) and 10% VAT on the landed cost, which includes the freight.
What makeup bought for $40 pays at Customs
Bought online and shipped by courier with $15.00 freight paid to the courier. The courier files the C18A parcel list and collects this from you, with its own handling fee on top. Type your own price into the card and the figures follow.
- Dutiable value
- $40.00
- Duty at 20%
- $8.00
- $10.00
- Environmental levy
- None
- Freight
- $15.00
- Landed cost
- $73.00
- VAT, 10% of landed cost
- $7.30
- Paid to Customs63% of the price
- $25.30
Freight paid to your courier is not dutiable, but it joins the landed cost that VAT is charged on.
The same makeup at three prices
Duty and VAT scale with the price, but the processing fee has a $10 floor and a $1,000 ceiling, so the share of the price that goes to Customs settles once the fee is past its floor. Freight is taken as 10% of the price, with a $15 minimum.
| Price paid | Duty | Fee | Levy | VAT | To Customs | Of the price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $20 (low) | $4.00 | $10.00 | None | $4.90 | $18.90 | 95% |
| $40 (typical) | $8.00 | $10.00 | None | $7.30 | $25.30 | 63% |
| $100 (high) | $20.00 | $10.00 | None | $14.50 | $44.50 | 45% |
Tariff code 3304.9990: the Act’s line for makeup
Beauty, make-up and skin-care preparations, other. The code, description and rate are from the schedule to the Tariff Act 2023, as amended by the Tariff (Amendment) Acts of 2024, 2025 and 2026 and in force from 1 July 2026, read against the Customs Department's booklet of frequently imported items and its online duty lookup.
Every line of heading 33.04, from lipstick and eye make-up to powders and lotions, fell to 20% in the 2023 Tariff Act. The Department's 2024 booklet still prints the old 35%, and its online lookup shows both figures.
How makeup compares with the other items
This guide covers 10 beauty and personal care: 5 duty free, and the rest run from 5% to 25% on hair conditioner. At 20%, makeup sits in the middle of the category: 6 beauty and personal care pay less and 3 pay more. Across all 244 items with a percentage rate, 129 carry a lower rate and 92 a higher one. The most common rate is 0%, charged on 95 items.
Questions about makeup and Bahamas Customs
Is makeup duty free in The Bahamas?
No. The duty rate on makeup is 20%, charged on the price you paid.
How much will Customs charge if I buy makeup for $40?
About $25.30, which is 63% of the price: $8.00 duty, $10.00 processing fee, $0.00 levy and $7.30 VAT, with $15.00 freight paid to the courier.
How is VAT worked out on makeup?
VAT is 10% of the landed cost: the value plus freight plus duty plus the processing fee plus any levy. In the example that is 10% of $73.00, or $7.30. VAT is charged even when the item is duty free.
Can I bring makeup in my luggage without paying?
Residents may bring in $500 of dutiable goods twice a calendar year and visitors $100 per trip, declared on the C17 in the Exempt app. Anything above the allowance pays 20% duty on the excess, with no processing fee on accompanied baggage.
Is 20% a high duty rate for The Bahamas?
It is in the middle: of the 244 items in this guide with a percentage rate, 129 are charged less than makeup and 92 more. The most common rate is 0%, and 95 items are duty free.