Is new French parcel tax automatically included for online purchases?
€2 tax applies to parcels and gifts of less than €150
Whether buyers have to pay the charge separately depends on how the seller handles import formalities
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Reader question: If I buy something online, how will I know if I need to pay the new small parcel tax? Will the website inform me?
France’s €2 tax on small parcels has been in force since March 2026, applying to online purchases and deliveries of €150 or less coming into France from non-EU countries.
It was brought in ahead of a planned Europe-wide tax of a similar nature.
Until this happens, French border officials have expanded powers to check parcels entering the country both from outside the EU and via borders with neighbouring EU countries.
The €2 tax applies based on each customs category of article.
For example, a parcel with three shirts would be taxed at €2, but a parcel with one shirt and one pair of trousers would be €4.
How is additional tax paid?
Whether buyers have to pay the charge separately depends on how the seller handles import formalities.
Many major international platforms (Temu, Shein, Amazon, etc) already collect import fees, including VAT and applicable handling fees, at checkout, meaning customers should not usually face extra charges on delivery.
The sellers should already have factored in price increases from the tax, in this case.
However, some sellers – particularly smaller firms and websites using dropshipping models – may not collect such costs in advance.
In such cases, buyers may instead be asked by the delivery company or postal operator to pay import fees, including the €2 tax, before delivery or when collecting the parcel.
