Refrigerator duty in The Bahamas 2026-2027: duty free, VAT still applies
Refrigerator is duty free in The Bahamas for 2026-2027 (tariff code 8418.2100), but duty free does not mean free. There is also a flat environmental levy of $15.00 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 refrigerator 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 Free
- $0.00
- $10.00
- Environmental levy
- $15.00
- Freight
- $40.00
- Landed cost
- $465.00
- VAT, 10% of landed cost
- $46.50
- Paid to Customs18% of the price
- $71.50
Freight paid to your courier is not dutiable, but it joins the landed cost that VAT is charged on.
The same refrigerator 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 $15 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) | $0.00 | $10.00 | $15.00 | $24.50 | $49.50 | 25% |
| $400 (typical) | $0.00 | $10.00 | $15.00 | $46.50 | $71.50 | 18% |
| $1,000 (high) | $0.00 | $10.00 | $15.00 | $112.50 | $137.50 | 14% |
Tariff code 8418.2100: the Act’s line for refrigerator
Household refrigerators, compression-type. 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. The rate changed on 1 July 2024, from 5% to Free, under the Tariff (Amendment) Act 2024.
This is a refrigerator with one external door, free since 1 July 2024. A fridge with a separate freezer door is 8418.10, which the 2024 amendment set at 35%. Energy-efficient units can enter free under heading 98.69 with a National Emissions Registry certificate, two per household.
How refrigerator compares with the other items
This guide covers 25 appliances: 5 duty free, and the rest run from 5% to 45% on clothes dryer. Refrigerator is one of the 95 duty-free items among the 244 with a percentage rate, so the only Customs charges are the processing fee, any levy and VAT. Across all 244 items with a percentage rate, 149 pay duty and 94 others are duty free too, so 0% is the most common rate.
Questions about refrigerator and Bahamas Customs
Is refrigerator duty free in The Bahamas?
Yes, the duty rate is 0%. You still pay the 1% processing fee (at least $10), the $15.00 environmental levy and 10% VAT on the landed cost, so a $400 purchase still pays about $71.50 to Customs.
How much will Customs charge if I buy refrigerator for $400?
About $71.50, which is 18% of the price: $0.00 duty, $10.00 processing fee, $15.00 levy and $46.50 VAT, with $40.00 freight paid to the courier.
How is VAT worked out on refrigerator?
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 $465.00, or $46.50. VAT is charged even when the item is duty free.
Can I bring refrigerator 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 VAT on the excess, with no processing fee on accompanied baggage.
Which other appliances are duty free in The Bahamas?
4 other appliances in this guide carry a 0% rate: stove, 30 inches or narrower, air conditioner, inverter or solar, generator, fan. All of them still pay the processing fee, any levy and 10% VAT.