Carl Zeiss & Vat

[rxmd]

Phiipp, I did not send them an e-mail. They added vat to my lens cost. shipping i can understand. If they are careless about their on-line order form, imagine what might one have to undergo if there is an error in processing /order placement/charges and faulty goods!

On their website I read "Note: No value-added tax will be charged for deliveries to non-EU countries. However, you may incur country-specific taxes and customs duties outside the influence of Carl Zeiss."

I just tried ordering two Biogons to my address in Uzbekistan. On the final order confirmation page the lenses are listed with their normal price including German value-added tax. However, after that there is an entry "Tax Reduction: normal (19 %) 402.83 €", and the final price is lower by precisely this amount. So no VAT is being charged. All in all it looks just like it should look. What country did you specify?

Philipp

 

[faris]

On their website I read "Note: No value-added tax will be charged for deliveries to non-EU countries. However, you may incur country-specific taxes and customs duties outside the influence of Carl Zeiss."

I just tried ordering two Biogons to my address in Uzbekistan. On the final order confirmation page the lenses are listed with their normal price including German value-added tax. However, after that there is an entry "Tax Reduction: normal (19 %) 402.83 €", and the final price is lower by precisely this amount. So no VAT is being charged. All in all it looks just like it should look. What country did you specify?

Philipp

Saudi Arabia

 

[rxmd]

All in all it looks just like it should look. What country did you specify?

Saudi Arabia

If I specify Saudi Arabia, I get the same tax discount:

Note the last line ("Tax Reduction") and how the end price is lower than the price of the lenses. So it would probably be safe for you to order from them.

Philipp

 

[Olsen]

Sure. But Saudi Arabia is not part of the European Union. Neither is Norway, but we have this trade agreement with EU (along with Switzerland and Iceland) that makes norwegian citizens obliged to pay german VAT. The lady from Carl Zeiss is wrong.

That said, I have shopped 'tax free' at Frankfurt Airport. Although I am not obliged to. I pulled my credit card and got out of there....

 

[rxmd]

Neither is Norway, but we have this trade agreement with EU (along with Switzerland and Iceland) that makes norwegian citizens obliged to pay german VAT. The lady from Carl Zeiss is wrong.

Well, the alternative to paying 19% German VAT would probably be paying 25% Norwegian VAT upon import, wouldn't it? So unless you smuggle your lenses across the border, thanks to you being part of EFTA, you're actually better off paying German VAT 😉

Philipp

 

[EmilGil]

Olsen: Kind of weird that I always get the VAT subtracted by the seller and then have the Norwegian customs office chasing me to pay Norwegian VAT and fees?

I've never heard of such an agreement, nor has the Swedish tax authorities. Do you mean that you don't have to pay Norwegian VAT if the foreign VAT is specified on the shipping documents?