When goods are imported into Kazakhstan, the importer pays three main charges: customs duty, VAT and the clearance fee. The total depends on two things — the HS code, which sets the duty rate, and the customs value, on which the percentages are calculated.
Customs value is the base of the whole calculation
The customs value includes not only the invoice price but also delivery costs to the EAEU border, insurance and several other expenses — the exact mix depends on the delivery terms (Incoterms). An error in the base cascades into every payment at once.
The duty rate comes from the HS code
Duty is calculated under the EAEU Common Customs Tariff: each code has its own rate. VAT is then charged on «customs value + duty», so even a small difference in the duty rate noticeably changes the total.
The preliminary estimate on our site shows an indicative amount from a product description or an invoice. The exact calculation from documents is done by a customs specialist.