Shipping, Duties, and Taxes: A 2026 Update

I’ve been trying to simplify my shipping. I know it's annoying to pay for something and then get hit with stupid taxes or duties right before delivery, it takes the happy vibes away but personally I find if I pay tax at checkout I've always forgotten the pain by delivery time. 

For 2026, I’m changing how I handle taxes and duties. From now on, I want the total you see at checkout to be the final price. I am going to handle the taxes and as many of the import duties as I can on my end, so your package arrives at your door without any extra demands for payment. I always hated including those disappointing policies about how taxes are the buyers responsibility...I mean they are, but still, we want simple!  

I don't want to stop shipping to the EU, but the rules have become a bit more complicated lately. There's a new EU duty "The Temu Tax" that I can’t always pay on your behalf upfront. Although ridiculously sometimes I can. It gets applied to all items under €150. It's not meant to apply to my original artworks but I've seen them charge a smaller admin fee instead in some places. 

I’m doing everything I can to cover these costs, but there is a chance you might still get hit with this €3 fee upon delivery or even double that if they put it on a canopy and the accompanying star stickers... and  If that happens, and specifically if it’s for an original art piece that should be exempt, please just show me the receipt. I’ll flick a small refund your way to cover it.

I don’t want to stop shipping internationally, but I’d rather avoid the situation where some of my customers get asked to pay the tariff and blame me for it. I’m hoping this solution makes everything more simple. I can't believe how easy it was 10 or 15 years ago when I sent everything UNTRACKED with only a postage stamp on... and had hardly any issues. I didn't know how good I had it back then!!

We’ll see how it goes this year, thanks for your patience while I navigate the increasingly annoying tax and tariff landscape. I'm sure things will continue to change with these rules.