Christie's buyer's premium in 2026: the 28% tier since 1 September and what changed

Since 1 September 2026, Christie's buyer's premium is 28% of the hammer price up to US$2 million (£1.5 million), 22% from there up to US$8 million (£6 million), and 15% above that, as stated on Christie's own buying guide. Until 31 August the first tier was 27% up to US$1.5 million (£1 million). The buyer pays it on top of the hammer price.

Origin of Light (60 x 80 cm), mixed media with acrylic and imitation gold leaf (metallic leaf) on canvas, hung on a pale plaster wall above a walnut sideboard beside a leather armchair — Alyne Perfeito, Perfeito Studio — Origin of Light (60 × 80 cm) hung above a low sideboard. Digital visualisation, purely illustrative. Perfeito Studio

Two numbers at auction, one on the studio page

Origin of Light (Heart of Chaos, 2025, 60 × 80 cm) is built in layers: acrylic and pigment on canvas, with fragments of imitation gold leaf (metallic leaf) set over deep grey passages that scarlet and white rise through. In the close detail below the leaf is creased and broken into pieces, with the canvas weave visible beside it. Its price is a single figure, BRL 3,300, set by the studio and stated on its page.

An auction purchase is built differently. The first number is the hammer price, the final bid. The second is the buyer's premium, a fee paid by the successful buyer, calculated on the hammer price and set by each auction house. Other costs sit outside both: Christie's notes that local taxes may be payable on the buyer's premium, and shipping and insurance are separate again.

Close detail of Origin of Light: fragments of imitation gold leaf over layered grey, orange and rust pigment, with the canvas weave visible — Alyne Perfeito, Perfeito Studio — Origin of Light, surface detail: imitation gold leaf over layered pigment.

Works cited in this text

The scale in force since 1 September 2026, tier by tier

Christie's buying guide, headed "Effective 1 September 2026", sets out the scale for all auctions except wine and Gooding. The rate applies only to the part of the hammer price that falls inside each tier:

28% on the hammer price up to and including US$2,000,000 (£1,500,000 in London)
22% on the portion from US$2,000,001 up to and including US$8,000,000 (£1,500,001 to £6,000,000)
15% on the portion above US$8,000,000 (above £6,000,000)

The thresholds differ by sale site: Christie's lists HK$15,000,000 and HK$60,000,000 for Hong Kong, and €1,750,000 and €7,000,000 for Paris. The rates are quoted before local sales taxes, which Christie's says may be payable on the premium.

What changed. From September 2025 until 31 August 2026 the first tier was 27% up to US$1.5 million (£1 million), with 22% up to US$8 million (£6 million) and 15% above, as reported by The Art Newspaper and, in May 2026, by the law firm Grossman LLP (the exact day in September 2025 is not stated in those sources). On 1 September 2026 the first tier rose by one point and its ceiling by US$500,000 (£500,000), while the upper tiers stayed at 22% and 15%. Press coverage of the change said it followed an internal business review.

Arithmetic at the current scale, for illustration only and with no sale implied, before taxes and shipping:

Hammer price US$50,000: 28% is US$14,000, for a total of US$64,000. Under the 2025 scale the premium was US$13,500.
Hammer price US$1,000,000: 28% is US$280,000, for US$1,280,000. Under the 2025 scale it was US$270,000.
Hammer price US$3,000,000: 28% of the first US$2,000,000 is US$560,000, plus 22% of the remaining US$1,000,000, which is US$220,000. The premium is US$780,000, for US$3,780,000. Under the 2025 scale the same hammer price carried US$735,000 (27% of US$1,500,000 plus 22% of US$1,500,000).

Against Sotheby's and Phillips

Both houses publish their scales officially, and the figures below are in US dollars for New York:

Christie's: 28% to US$2 million, 22% to US$8 million, 15% above (since 1 September 2026).
Sotheby's: 28% to US$2 million, 22% to US$8 million, 15% above (rates as of 13 February 2026; its help page was updated on 9 September 2026). London thresholds are £1,500,000 and £6,000,000.
Phillips: 29% to US$2 million, 22% to US$8 million, 15% above for standard bidding (rates effective 12 April 2026). Under its Priority Bidding scheme, available at live auctions only to bidders who meet its conditions, the rates are 25%, 20% and 14%.

With the 1 September change, Christie's and Sotheby's now charge the same percentages on the same US dollar and sterling thresholds. Phillips is one point higher on the first tier unless the Priority Bidding conditions are met, in which case it is lower. For the wider picture of how these houses are organised, see the world's major art auction houses and how art auctions work.

One caution applies to every figure here: the three houses have each changed their scales within the past twelve months, so the conditions of the specific sale are the final word. This page compares published fee structures; it says nothing about any sale or result, and the tax treatment of the premium depends on the sale location and the buyer's country.

For those acquiring directly from the artist

Scale. Origin of Light measures 60 × 80 cm (23.6 × 31.5 in), a vertical format; in the visualisation at the top of this page it hangs on a plain wall above a low sideboard. The other works shown here are both from the Black & Gold series, both 2025, in mixed media on canvas with texture paste and imitation gold leaf (metallic leaf): Golden Passage (60 × 80 cm, BRL 3,500) and Celestial Plan (50 × 70 cm, BRL 2,700).

Light. The metallic leaf is sealed with a spray sealant. As the detail photograph shows, it is creased and broken into fragments over the relief, so judge the work against the real light of the wall it is meant for.

Documents. Every acquisition is direct from the artist and includes the original, unique painting; a Certificate of Authenticity signed by hand, with the full technical record, the internal Archive ID and a QR code to the work's official page; a fiscal invoice or official receipt; an Artwork Acquisition Agreement; an artist dossier; conservation and care guidance; and professional packaging. The detail is on the acquisition page.

Price and shipping. The price is the one on the work's page, in Brazilian real. What the studio's published terms add to it is freight to the destination and any import duties or taxes there, both paid by the buyer; professional packaging is included and transit insurance is available. The studio ships within Brazil and internationally, and international shipping is quoted on request (shipping). The full catalogue is in the gallery.

From the studio

From the studio: the work and its record

Alyne Perfeito is an emerging Brazilian visual artist and trained architect based in Brasília. The works on this page belong to her first documented body of work, painted in 2025 and 2026. Each one is unique and signed, and each is catalogued under an internal Archive ID and photographed in detail before it leaves the studio: AP-HOC-2025-002 for Origin of Light, AP-BNG-2025-001 for Golden Passage and AP-BNG-2025-002 for Celestial Plan.

The studio sets its own prices and does not set or quote secondary-market values. This page compares fee structures; it does not connect the studio to any auction house.

Frequently asked

What is Christie's buyer's premium in 2026?

Since 1 September 2026, Christie's charges 28% of the hammer price up to and including US$2,000,000 (£1,500,000), 22% on the portion from there up to US$8,000,000 (£6,000,000), and 15% on the portion above. The buyer pays it on top of the hammer price. Local sales taxes may be payable on the premium, and the conditions of sale of each auction are the final word.

Since when has the 28% tier applied, and what was it before?

The 28% tier has applied since 1 September 2026. From September 2025 until 31 August 2026 the first tier was 27% up to US$1.5 million (£1 million), with the same 22% and 15% bands above. The exact day of the September 2025 change is not given in the sources used for this page.

How does Christie's compare with Sotheby's and Phillips?

Christie's and Sotheby's now charge the same: 28% to US$2 million, 22% to US$8 million and 15% above, with the same sterling thresholds in London. Phillips charges 29% on the first tier for standard bidding (25% under Priority Bidding), then 22% and 15% (20% and 14% under Priority Bidding).

Does the premium include VAT or import tax?

No. Christie's quotes its rates exclusive of local sales taxes and says local taxes may be payable on the buyer's premium. The tax depends on the sale location and the buyer's situation, so check the VAT symbols and conditions of sale of the specific auction, and the import rules of the destination country.

What does a buyer pay when buying directly from an artist's studio?

At Perfeito Studio the price is the one on the work's page, set by the studio in Brazilian real. The published terms add freight, quoted per destination, and any import duties or taxes in the destination country, both paid by the buyer. Professional packaging is included and transit insurance is available. International shipping is quoted on request.

Ships worldwide from Brasília, Brazil. Professional packaging included, insured transit available; shipping is quoted per destination. How it works →

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