Bahamas Budget 2026/27: Duty Changes

Every year the Government's budget changes some customs duty rates, with the new rates taking effect on July 1. Most changes are small and affect a handful of items, but if one of them is something you buy often, it can make a real difference to your bill. Here's what changed in July 2026 for the things people order online, with the 2025 changes for comparison.

This year's changes are in the Tariff (Amendment) Act, 2026, in force from July 1, 2026.

Our duty rates pages already show the new rates, and the shipping calculator uses them.

What changed in July 2026

Item	New rate	Before
Complete wigs, synthetic or human hair	20%	45%
Plastic tableware and kitchenware	20%	45%
Paper tablecloths and napkins	Free	45%
Dried fruit (apricots, prunes, apples, other fruit and mixtures), packaged	5%	35%
Dried fruit in bulk	Free	5%
Chair lifts for people with disabilities and the elderly	Free	New tariff line
Smart glasses	10%	New tariff line
Pavi panel shingles and roofing in rolls	Free	New tariff line

The biggest change for online shoppers is wigs: complete wigs, whether synthetic or human hair, now pay less than half the duty they did. Plastic tableware and kitchenware, such as plates, cups and food containers, also drops to 20%. Loose human or synthetic hair is listed separately at its own rate, so check which one matches what you're ordering on the beauty and personal care rates.

What changed in July 2025

The 2025 budget cut duty on a longer list of everyday items:

Item	Rate since July 2025	Before
Shampoo	Free	25%
Oil, air and water filters (car parts)	20%	45%
Energy drinks	30%	55%
Blenders, food processors and juicers	35%	45%
Vacuum cleaners	35%	45%
Humidifiers	35%	45%
Electric can openers	35%	45%
Electric toothbrushes	35%	45%
Hair clippers, shavers and trimmers	35%	45%
Trucks over 20 tonnes	45%	85%

The reduced 5% VAT

Since September 1, 2025, a reduced VAT rate of 5% applies to a list of health and hygiene goods instead of the standard 10%. It includes diapers and baby wipes, sanitary pads and tampons, adult disposable underwear, blood pressure monitors, blood glucose meters, insulin, first-aid kits, bandages and many medicines. Read more in our guide to VAT on online orders.

What didn't change

The standard VAT rate stays at 10%. Most everyday online purchases, such as clothing, shoes, phones and TVs, aren't on the list of changes. See the rates for clothing, electronics and home and appliances.

How we keep rates up to date

When the budget takes effect, we update our duty rates to match the official Bahamas Customs changes, and every page and the calculator use the new rates straight away. Customs decides the final classification and charges for every shipment, and the official rates are on bahamascustoms.gov.bs. For how the charges fit together, read our Bahamas customs guide.