Customs TAX !!!

[Luf]

Hello

I've received finally my new Zorki 4k. After two months waiting for it, has arrived today from Ukrayne. When it arrived to my home it brings a not so pleasant surprise: a Customs Tax that i've to pay to receive it. I've payed almost as much as iv'e payed for the camera in the web shop. Incredible!!! 😡
Is this normal in your countries? When you receive something from outside your country do you have to pay this tax?

Thanks in advance!

PS. This was my first GAS attack but with this tax i'm starting to think it will be the last also.

 

[taffer]

Hi Luf, welcome ! and sorry to hear that on your first post 🙁

Custom taxes/fees are everyday's bread for some here, I guess it mainly depends on how 'efficient' your post system is, but there are some tricks.

If possible, ALWAYS try to have things sent via the normal post system and not by a private courier such as UPS or Fedex.

Also, something that usually works well is to have the item marked as 'gift' in the customs declaration, but not all sellers are willing to do that. Lowering the item's value is another option, but must be used with care if it's an expensive item and it gets lost, as then the insurance will refund the declared value...

IMHO private couriers are the worst option by far. I had once a parcel coming from the US sent by Fedex, it reached Madrid in 3 (!) days but it then was delayed in customs for 7, NEVER AGAIN ! 😡

But congrats on your Zorki ! 🙂

 

[RubenBlaedel]

I sucks !
Buy from within the EU countries - then there should be no TAX
I sold a Rolleicord to a canadian member of this list and declared it as a gift - even included a phony happy birth day card in the parcel - I do not think he had to pay for the Item
I bought some items from the US and the tax/costum in Denmark even taxed the shipping cost.
One thing you can do is if you pay via Pay Pal - sende the money in two transactions and ask the sellar not to include documents - then when you get a message from the post that the need the value for your tax on the parcel you print out one of the two Pay Pal reciepts for the Item and you will only get taxed for half the amount - did that twice with good results
cheers Ruben

 

[Uncle Bill]

Hey Luf,
Sorry to hear the Portugese Government decided to do some extortion on your Zorki purchase. Here in Canada, cameras and related items are duty free, however Canada Customs and Revenue Agency at their descretion will charge sales taxes and a processing fee if the package goes through the mail system, for sure if its by courier. Moral of the story in your case buy inside the EU. Happy shooting.

Bill

 

[chug]

You should look up your local customs website and check out how they charge things when they are posted into the country. See how much you can get away with etc etc 🙂

 

[suzums]

I actually had the same problem with taxing... even thought it was stated as a gift.

A friend of mine shipped me an old camera from the US to Taipei. I don't remember exactly how much I was charged, it was something like 5% of the declared value of the package.

*sigh* So same problem!

 

[Allen Gilman]

Ouch - sorry to hear about it. Hope you get some good mileage out of the camera.

 

[thmk]

Here in Germany I pay 16% V.A.T. plus about 5% customs fee on the declared value (including shipping). All my last purchases from US or Japan were caught by the local customs office with its very friendly opening hours... only while I am at work 🙁

 

[Luf]

Thanks guys. Maybe the next time i'll try the "gift" trick. Maybe i can make them think it's a gift for myself, wich is not very far away from the true, because it's actually a self bought gift, isn't it?

 

[Roman]

The gift trick usually does not work - and you also ahev to pay taxes for all gifts exceeding a value of 20 Euros, IIRC.
I usually have to pay 5-7 % EU customs duties (depends on what kind of item it is) plus 20 % Austrian VAT (on both shipping and price), plus 5 Euros for the post service, if I don't pick the item up myself; the guys at the customs office are very good - they have internet access and check for Ebay items, if the seller includes an article number - if he does not, they usually ask you to bring some proof (PayPal receipt, e-mail print-out, etc.) of the value of the item; if you don't have that, they make an estimate based on extensive lists of items they have (and those are based on second hand dealers' prices - much higher than Ebay prices).

It's best to calculate those duties before buying, even then it is usually cheaper to buy eg. FSU items from outside the EU.

Roman

 

[mac_wt]

In Belgium gifts below 100 Euro are tax-free. I never had to pay tax on any item from the FSU. I had to pay taxes on a Canon lens that I bought in the USA. I expected the taxes, but the additional 20 or so Euro administration cost was a bit unexpected. Well, I guess we should be happy when our dentists bill is 2 Euro or our docters bill is 1 Euro. They have to find the money to pay those guys somewhere...

Wim

 

[RML]

Aaah, import taxes!

If you get taxed here in Holland (not sending by UPS or so will often make a difference, as does a low value on the shipping slip) means you'll have to pay 19% VAT over the the value of the photographic item and the shipping cost.

That's actually not too bad. Other items are also taxed for some sort of Customs fee. Than you get taxed first the Customs fee, which is than added to the value of the item, after which you're taxed VAT.

I never-ever again will have things shipped by UPS, DHL and the likes. They charge an arm and a leg for 2 day delivery, which is only 2 days if you're actually home to receive it. Otherwise they'll just come back the next day. If you want to change the address than that'll take an extra day. I have yet to receive any parcel through these couriers within 3 days while mostly it takes almost a week before I can hold it in my hands. The local mail services are usually just as good. Plus I can just collect my parcel from the post office the next morning if I wasn't home to receive it. No difficulties with calling to have the address changed or what.

 

[Pherdinand]

Interestingly, when I have bought my Contax from the US ($275 incl shipping), nobody even mentioned tax. I didn't pay a (euro)cent.\ of any kind of tax. Shipped to the Netherlands via USPS global express, i think. They did refuse to bring it to the University though, saying that it's too complicated to find an address within the campus (which is true).
I also did not get taxed when I bought the Yashica GSN from Jon Goodman (Texas), but that was much cheaper.

 

[cp_ste.croix]

I sold a Rolleicord to a canadian member of this list and declared it as a gift - even included a phony happy birth day card in the parcel - I do not think he had to pay for the Item

No taxes on the cord, and the card made my day! And if you ever do get over here Ruben, you are more than welcome to stay with me as your free tour guide and shooting partner 🙂

Taxes are hit and miss with me...i usually don't get dinged but just this morning had to pay taxes on my light meter that was marked as a gift. I wonder what canadian customs is smoking some days. Oh well at least they didn't open this one.

 

[nrb]

Portuguese Customs are different from most other European excise offices.
Actual duties are a reasonable 3 or 4 % but then the importer is charged a lot more under the pretenses of ridiculous things like the presentation tax, the cost of the paper tax, the dispatch fees, and so on. Also duties are due even for the post office stamps too. And you are never exempt from the preposterous custom delay of 2 weeks to more than 6 months... That is, your package takes 3 days to fly from NYC to Lisbon and then sleeps for 2 weeks minimum at the old warehouse where they subject your merchandise to the natural elements while they ponder when will it be fit for you to receive their notifications.
Most professional importers don't stand this state of disarray and resort to importing through Spain. It's faster and it's cheaper and you don't have to endure vicious public officials bred on the world of bakshish and corruption. 😡

 

[Terence T]

I sold a Rolleicord to a canadian member of this list and declared it as a gift - even included a phony happy birth day card in the parcel - I do not think he had to pay for the Item

That's a good one. I must remember to ask the sellers I deal with to try it!