Importing a Majlis Sofa to the UK: VAT, Duty and Fire Label Rules

Most overseas furniture sellers will tell a British buyer about VAT. Very few mention that the UK has its own fire safety law for sofas, and that it is stricter than the rules in most of Europe. If you plan to import furniture to the UK, that law deserves as much attention as the tax bill. This guide covers both, with the official source for each point, as the rules stood in October 2026.

Sofhu manufactures two kinds of seating in Türkiye: the Arabic majlis, raised to sofa height and fully upholstered, and the low Arabic floor sofa of seat mattresses and loose cushions. It makes each set to the buyer’s wall measurements and ships free worldwide. It has no shop or stockroom in Britain. For designs and room ideas, the page on the Arabic sofa in the United Kingdom is the place to start. Come back here for the paperwork.

UK furniture fire regulations for a sofa: what they are

The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 set flammability requirements for domestic upholstered furniture supplied anywhere in the UK. In outline, they require that:

• filling materials, including foam, pass specified ignition tests;
• cover fabrics pass a match test, or are used with a compliant interliner where the rules allow it;
• the finished item passes a cigarette test;
• the furniture carries a permanent label stating compliance.

The regulations were amended with effect from 30 October 2025. The government’s guidance lists three changes: certain baby and young children’s products were taken out of scope, the display label that used to hang from new furniture is no longer required, and enforcement bodies have longer to bring proceedings. The permanent label remains. If you read older advice that talks about a swing ticket, it predates that change.

Cushions and loose seat pads are within the spirit of these rules, and a majlis or a floor sofa set is upholstered seating from end to end. So the question is relevant to exactly this product.

What to ask Sofhu before you order

Here the facts need stating carefully. Sofhu confirms that its cushions use 32 DNS polyurethane foam, meaning foam with a density of 32 kg per cubic metre. Its website does not state that the foam, the fabrics or the finished sets have been tested to the UK regulations, and it shows no UK compliance label. Density tells you how well a cushion keeps its shape, as explained in the guide to foam density for floor seating. It says nothing about how the foam behaves in a fire test.

So do not assume either way. Ask, in writing:

1. Can this set be made with foam and cover fabric that meet the UK 1988 regulations as amended?
2. Is there test evidence for the specific foam and the specific fabric I have chosen?
3. Will a permanent UK label be attached to each upholstered piece?

A straight answer to those three questions is worth more than any general assurance. If the answer is no, or unclear, you can then make an informed decision.

The answer matters most in three situations. Landlords furnishing a let are themselves suppliers under the regulations. Businesses such as restaurants, shisha lounges and hotels have fire risk duties of their own, and contract seating is usually specified to a higher standard than domestic furniture. Resellers who import to sell on take on the importer’s legal responsibilities. If you are in any of these groups, speak to Trading Standards or a fire safety adviser before placing an order.

Furniture import VAT in the UK, and duty

Two charges can arise when goods come into the UK from outside it.

GOV.UK explains that how VAT is collected depends on the value of the consignment: on small consignments the seller charges it at the point of sale, and on larger ones it is collected on import, usually by the carrier before delivery. A full majlis set will normally be in the second group, but your invoice value decides it.

Customs duty depends on the commodity code and on origin. Furniture and cushions fall in Chapter 94 of the tariff. The UK and Türkiye have had a trade agreement in force since 1 January 2021, which provides preferential tariff treatment for goods that meet its origin rules. Whether your shipment qualifies depends on the origin declaration that travels with it. Ask Sofhu what origin document accompanies UK orders, then look up the commodity code in the Trade Tariff tool to see the rate with and without preference.

No percentages appear here because they are HMRC’s to set and they change. Sofhu confirms free shipping. It does not publish whether VAT and duty are included in a quote or collected from you on arrival, so settle that before paying.

From order to door

To ship a sofa to the UK from Turkey, the sequence in general terms runs like this. You send measurements and agree the design. The set is made, inspected and vacuum-packed in sealed bags. A cargo company carries it to the UK with a commercial invoice and packing list. The carrier or its agent makes the customs declaration, any VAT and duty are settled, and the parcels are released for delivery.

You may be contacted at the declaration stage. Carriers send genuine requests for payment, and fraudsters imitate them. Check any message against the shipment details Sofhu gives you and pay only through the carrier’s own website.

Delivery to flats and terraces

Arabic sofa delivery in the UK is simpler than delivery of a conventional sofa, for one reason: a set travels in pieces. A floor sofa comes as separate seat cushions, backrests and armrests, compressed in their bags, and a majlis as separate upholstered units. They are far easier to take up the narrow stairs of a Victorian terrace or round the half-landing of a converted flat than a framed sofa.

British rooms shape the layout more than the delivery does. A few points to settle while measuring:

• Radiators. Many UK rooms have one under the window. Foam and fabric should not be pressed against it. Stop the row short or leave that wall free.
• Bay windows and chimney breasts. Give the depth of each step in the wall. The seating leans on the wall behind it and is not freestanding, so the workshop needs the true line.
• Skirting boards. Tall skirtings in older houses hold the base slightly off the wall. Measure their height and depth.

The guide to measuring a room for a majlis covers each of these in order. For compact rooms, see a majlis in a small apartment.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Sofhu’s free shipping covers the whole of the UK. Two practical notes apply. Addresses in the Highlands and islands should give a full postcode at the quote stage, so that carrier coverage of the last leg is confirmed early. Northern Ireland operates under the Windsor Framework, which means goods arriving from outside the UK can be handled under different customs rules from those in Great Britain. Say clearly that the delivery address is in Northern Ireland when you ask for a quote.

Next steps

A majlis in the UK starts with a tape measure and a short list of questions. Send your wall lengths, photos and postcode through the quote form or on WhatsApp, and include the VAT question and the three fire safety questions above in the same message.

For background on buying this way, read how to buy a majlis online, what a custom majlis can include, and how the Arabic furniture store works without a high-street shop. What arrives and how to unpack it is covered in how a majlis is packed and delivered. Buyers in Ireland and on the continent should read the separate guide to ordering a majlis from Türkiye to the EU.