Microwave duty in The Bahamas 2026-2027: 35%
The Bahamas Customs duty rate for microwave in 2026-2027 is 35% (tariff code 8516.5000). There is also a flat environmental levy of $5.00 on each one. 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 microwave bought for $400 pays at Customs
Bought online and shipped by courier with $40.00 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
- $400.00
- Duty at 35%
- $140.00
- $10.00
- Environmental levy
- $5.00
- Freight
- $40.00
- Landed cost
- $595.00
- VAT, 10% of landed cost
- $59.50
- Paid to Customs54% of the price
- $214.50
Freight paid to your courier is not dutiable, but it joins the landed cost that VAT is charged on.
The same microwave at three prices
Duty and VAT scale with the price, but the processing fee has a $10 floor and a $1,000 ceiling and the $5 levy is fixed per unit, so the share of the price that goes to Customs falls as the price rises. Freight is taken as 10% of the price, with a $15 minimum.
| Price paid | Duty | Fee | Levy | VAT | To Customs | Of the price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $200 (low) | $70.00 | $10.00 | $5.00 | $30.50 | $115.50 | 58% |
| $400 (typical) | $140.00 | $10.00 | $5.00 | $59.50 | $214.50 | 54% |
| $1,000 (high) | $350.00 | $10.00 | $5.00 | $146.50 | $511.50 | 51% |
Tariff code 8516.5000: the Act’s line for microwave
Microwave ovens. 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.
How microwave compares with the other items
This guide covers 25 appliances: 5 duty free, and the rest run from 5% to 45% on clothes dryer. At 35%, microwave sits in the middle of the category: 13 appliances pay less and 1 pay more. Across all 244 items with a percentage rate, 178 carry a lower rate and 49 a higher one. The most common rate is 0%, charged on 95 items.
Questions about microwave and Bahamas Customs
Is microwave duty free in The Bahamas?
No. The duty rate on microwave is 35%, charged on the price you paid.
How much will Customs charge if I buy microwave for $400?
About $214.50, which is 54% of the price: $140.00 duty, $10.00 processing fee, $5.00 levy and $59.50 VAT, with $40.00 freight paid to the courier.
How is VAT worked out on microwave?
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 $595.00, or $59.50. VAT is charged even when the item is duty free.
Can I bring microwave 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 35% duty on the excess, with no processing fee on accompanied baggage.
Is 35% a high duty rate for The Bahamas?
Yes, it is near the top: of the 244 items in this guide with a percentage rate, 178 are charged less than microwave and 49 more. The most common rate is 0%, and 95 items are duty free.