Meaning & use
dutiable
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivenot comparableformalbusinesslegal
Of goods: requiring a customs duty or tax to be paid before they can be imported or used.
Grammar: Used before a noun: dutiable goods. It is not usually used after a verb like 'be'.
Patterns
- dutiable goods
- dutiable items
- dutiable value
The customs officer explained that alcohol and tobacco are dutiable goods.
Any item worth more than the allowance is dutiable.
The shipping company listed all dutiable imports separately on the form.
Common combinations
- dutiable goods
- Dutiable goods must be declared at the border.
- dutiable items
- Please put all dutiable items in this tray.
- dutiable value
- The dutiable value of the shipment was over $2,000.
- become dutiable
- Once the package exceeds the limit, it becomes dutiable.
Synonyms and how they differ
- taxable
- Taxable is much more general and is used for any tax, not just customs duty.
- chargeable
- Chargeable can mean that a fee is payable, but it is not limited to customs.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: dutiable or dutiful? dutiable or duty-free?
dutiable vs dutiful
Dutiful means doing what you are supposed to do, while dutiable means subject to a tax. They look similar but have completely different meanings.
dutiable vs duty-free
Duty-free means no tax is paid, the opposite of dutiable.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'dutiable' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Dutiable describes goods that require a customs duty, so the perfume fits. 'Dutiful' (meaning obedient) would fit sentence B, and sentences C and D use the word in unrelated contexts.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dutiable”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.