Valuation · 6 min read
Understanding Buyer's Premium, Resale Royalties, and Hidden Fees
The gap between a headline hammer price and a final settlement invoice can exceed thirty percent once premiums, royalties, taxes, and logistics are added. Reading a fee stack correctly is the fastest single upgrade a new collector can make.
Updated July 14, 2026
Buyer's premium
Tiered percentage added to hammer, typically twenty to twenty-seven percent on the first tranche and stepping down. Always calculated on the hammer, never on your maximum bid.
Artist's resale right (droit de suite)
In many European jurisdictions and increasingly elsewhere, a small percentage of the resale price is owed to the artist or their estate. Rates are capped but should be confirmed before bidding.
Sales tax, VAT, and import duty
Depending on the shipping destination, sales tax, value-added tax, and import duty can add another five to twenty percent. Import into a bonded free port defers these until the work leaves the zone.
Frequently Asked
Common questions
- What fees are added on top of the hammer price?
- Buyer's premium, applicable artist's resale royalty, sales tax or VAT, import duty on cross-border shipments, and logistics. On a hundred-thousand-dollar hammer these commonly add twenty-five to forty thousand dollars in total.
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