Borderdesk help

Getting started with Borderdesk

Borderdesk keeps the customs data on your products complete, and prints commercial invoices, pro forma invoices and CN23 forms for your international orders. Setup takes about ten minutes.

Which document do I need?

Borderdesk prints three documents. Which one you need depends on the sale and on how you ship.

HS codes explained

An HS code classifies a product for customs. It decides the duty a parcel pays and whether it needs special checks. A missing or wrong code is one of the most common reasons a parcel is held.

Editing customs data with a CSV file

For many products at once, export your customs data, edit it in a spreadsheet, and import it again.

Choosing an Incoterm: DAP or DDP

The Incoterm on a commercial invoice says who pays import VAT and duty at the destination. Borderdesk supports the two that online shops use.

UK VAT, IOSS and other import rules

Borderdesk warns you before printing when an order's route has a rule that affects it. This article explains those rules. It isn't legal or tax advice; check with your accountant.

Since 2025 every parcel to the US pays duty: the $800 exemption is suspended for all countries. Since 24 July 2026, parcels sent by mail also need someone to file the entry with US customs (CBP) and pay that duty. This article explains what that means for you and the options you have.

Statements of origin: UK, Switzerland and Norway

Trade agreements let products made on one side of a border cross it without customs duty. To claim this, the invoice must carry a statement of origin: a sentence set out in the agreement. Without it, your customer may pay duty on delivery. Borderdesk prints two of them:

Commercial invoice for Shopify orders from the EU to the UK

Since Brexit, every parcel from the EU to Great Britain crosses a customs border. UK customs reads the commercial invoice to see what's in the parcel, what VAT and duty it owes, and who pays them. This article explains what the invoice needs for orders from a Shopify store in the EU to customers in Great Britain, and the mistakes that get parcels held.

Do I need a CN23 for my Shopify parcel?

Only when you send goods by post across a customs border, for example from the EU to the UK, Switzerland, Norway or the US, or from the UK to the EU. And when you buy the postage online, the postal operator usually makes the form for you. This article explains when a CN22 or CN23 is needed, which one, and what to check.

The UK £135 VAT rule for Shopify sellers

If you sell from outside the UK to consumers in Great Britain, parcels worth £135 or less are taxed at checkout, not at the border. You charge UK VAT, you pay it to HMRC, and you need a UK VAT number to do that. This article explains how the rule works, how to set it up in Shopify, and what changes above £135.

Questions? Email support@borderdesk.eu.