I did a search but could not find a clear answer to what I am looking for.
I would like to start selling and shipping internationally from US. I will be using a 3PL based in the US that has DDP International shipping.
Do I need to upgrade to the Shopify Advanced Plan? If not, will the users be presented with the total with taxes at checkout? Or do I need a 3rd party app or integration that my 3PL software would have?
Has anyone used Stripe Tax? Do they help handle International tax filing but also can they integrate with Shopify to collect the tax/duties at checkout? TIA.
I see you’re looking for a clear answer on handling international shipping and taxes from the US, especially with DDP shipping through a 3PL. Let’s break it down.
Do you need to upgrade to Shopify Advanced for international taxes?
No, you don’t need the Shopify Advanced plan to handle international taxes, but it does offer calculated duties and import taxes at checkout if you enable Shopify’s Duties and Import Taxes feature (available on Shopify Plus and Advanced plans). This means customers will see the total price with taxes before purchasing.
If you’re on Shopify Basic or Shopify plan, Shopify won’t automatically calculate duties/taxes at checkout. Instead, customers might face unexpected fees upon delivery unless you use a third-party integration.
Will users see the total with taxes at checkout?- If you’re on Shopify Advanced or Plus: Yes, if you enable Shopify Duties and Import Taxes in your Settings > Taxes and Duties. Shopify will show the full cost, including duties.
If you’re on a lower plan: No, Shopify won’t calculate duties at checkout. You’ll need a third-party app like Zonos, Easyship, or Avalara to provide a DDP experience.
Does Stripe Tax work for international sales on Shopify?
Stripe Tax helps calculate taxes for international sales, but it doesn’t handle import duties or integrate directly into Shopify checkout for collecting duties. If you use Stripe Tax, you’ll still need a separate solution for duties and customs fees.
Best solution for your case?
Since your 3PL already offers DDP shipping, your best option is to check if they have a Shopify-compatible app to handle duties and taxes at checkout. Otherwise, you can use a third-party tax solution like:
Zonos (best for accurate DDP pricing at checkout)
Easyship (integrates with 3PLs and Shopify for international tax calculations)
Avalara AvaTax (automates tax compliance, including VAT/GST)
Final thoughts:
If you want a seamless DDP checkout experience, Shopify Advanced or a third-party tax app is necessary. Shopify’s native tax tools are limited unless you upgrade. If Stripe Tax is your only option, it will help with tax calculations, but it won’t handle duties.
If you need any other assistance, feel free to ask, and I will try my best to support you. Best regards, Daisy
You do need the Advanced plan (or higher) to collect duties and import taxes at checkout natively. Basic and regular Shopify plans don’t include this.
However, your 3PL shipping DDP handles part of the problem — they’re pre-paying duties through the carrier. The question is whether customers see those costs at checkout or get surprised at delivery.
With Advanced + duty collection enabled: add HS codes and Country of Origin to all products, enable duty collection per market under Settings → Markets. Customers see estimated duties at checkout, your 3PL ships DDP, no surprises.
Without Advanced: your 3PL still ships DDP, but Shopify won’t show the duty estimate at checkout. You’d need to build duties into product pricing or use a third-party app.
On Stripe Tax — it handles VAT/GST for digital goods and services, but doesn’t handle customs duties on physical goods. Those require HS codes and origin-based tariff calculations, which is a different system entirely.
For the HS codes, you can look them up at hts.usitc.gov or bulk-update via Settings → Taxes & Duties → Manage → Update with CSV. If you have a large catalog, search the Shopify App Store for “hs code classification” — there are tools that automate this.