The playing field is a bit more level...

[Jamie Pillers]

I just received a bill from FedEx for "Duties, Tax, Customs, Other Fees" related to an item I purchased from a dealer in Hong Kong. It amounts to about 6% of the purchase price. This is the first time I've ever had to pay any tariff for an item purchased outside the U.S. via the internet.

Now that the big online retailers are beginning to charge California sales tax (I live in CA), and foreign purchases are being subjected to duty charges/VAT taxes, local vendor prices are becoming more and more competitive. I think that's a good thing. 😱

 

[KoNickon]

Yes -- buy local if you can!

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Don't pay it. There are no tariffs on photo gear of any kind imported in the USA. UPS is notorious for sending fraudulent 'customs' bills to people, I didn't know Fedex was into this game too. They cannot make you pay it.

 

[swoop]

I had to pay a bunch of fees once to UPS for a lens purchase from Japan. It sucked because the UPS driver knocked on my door with the box in hand and asked for the receipt. Of course I didn't have one so he walked away with my package. Apparently I was supposed to go down to UPS and pay and then get a receipt to show him. Last time I ordered from Japan.

 

[Roger Hicks]

. . . There are no tariffs on photo gear of any kind imported in the USA.. .

Um... I think you'll find there are.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Jamie Pillers]

Comments above are interesting. On the one hand, I'd love to pay the tax if I knew this was being done across the board, to everyone. I'd like to see the playing field leveled for the local guys. BUT, I certainly don't want to be the only one falling for a FedEx ploy to make more profit. I'm going to do a little bit of research about this. I'll report back.

 

[nikonosguy]

there most certainly are, chris.... i spent many years working at fedex writing software that helped compute that kind of stuff....

http://ftn.fedex.com/

 

[nikonosguy]

not fredex making profit, it's collected by uncle sam

 

[Jamie Pillers]

All right... after all of 5 minutes of in-depth research... 🙄

It APPEARS that FedEx might be required to pay the US Gov't some fees/taxes collected for these import transactions. I can only assume that FedEx would pass my payment along to the treasury.

But here's the complaint voiced by a few folks out there on the web: No one in the transaction stream bothered to tell me I'd have to pay these taxes. And these people are saying that because of this, they've refused to pay the money to FedEx. Some say that FedEx then tries to collect the tax from the seller.

Hmmm... ??

 

[CliveC]

As a Canadian, this is all too common. Shipping UPS is perhaps the worst way to go since they charge brokerage fees on top of any duties. Once I was hit with a $30 fee on a $50 purchase. This is why many Canadians will try to get US sellers to ship USPS.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

there most certainly are, chris.... i spent many years working at fedex writing software that helped compute that kind of stuff....

http://ftn.fedex.com/

No, there aren't. FedEx may have had you write software to charge people money, but it was fraudulent. I called Immigration & Customs Enforcement a few years ago because of UPS trying to extort money from me, and they said in no uncertain terms that there are NO import duties in the united states on the import of either new or used still cameras, lenses, and accessories. None. They told me to refuse to pay UPS.

This is confirmed by the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (2013). You can read it in PDF form on the U.S International Trade Commission's website. Go to page 90-6 and you'll find it.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Here's another site that calculates tariffs for lots of different manufactured goods. It also says photo gear has ZERO import tax in the USA.

http://www.dutycalculator.com/popular-import-items/import-duty-and-taxes-for-camera-equipment/

 

[Jamie Pillers]

Here's another site that calculates tariffs for lots of different manufactured goods. It also says photo gear has ZERO import tax in the USA.

http://www.dutycalculator.com/popular-import-items/import-duty-and-taxes-for-camera-equipment/

Thanks, Chris. I checked that out. It says that the VAT on camera equipment is zero, but that the "import duty" is 5.8%.

 

[RF_newbie]

There are import duties on some items. The harmonized code lists all the ones that are FREE and all those that have duties. The duty calculator website is unreliable, use the harmonized code on the .gov website

 

[Joe AC]

Wow, I just purchased an Elmar II M 50mm 2.8 from Canada. I'm still waiting for it to arrive and really hope that I don't get hit with a tax. We'll see.

Joe

 

[YYV_146]

Luckily my work forces me to spend a few months in Beijing, Hong Kong and Toyko every year or two!I do most of my selling here on RFF and purchasing in Asia, which has saved me thousands in the past years 😀

A practical suggestion would be to let the seller mark items as gifts or non-taxable items of a similar value. It is frowned upon but they'll only ask the original duty, on the off chance that you get caught. And no, I don't believe in import duty for items of personal use.

 

[FrozenInTime]

There is duty on lenses ( but not cameras )

Objective lenses and parts and accessories thereof:
9002.11 For cameras, projectors or photographic
enlargers or reducers:
9002.11.90 00 Other.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X.. . . . . . . 2.3% 1/

Sacramento will also have been informed and will now expect a corresponding use tax payment along with you tax return.

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

Easy, Chris, and others. I highly doubt the major carriers are stealing from us.

I, like many others, have not paid duty on items from Japan.

I worked with FedEx as a consultant. They invest a lot in trying to keep the customers happy and keeping on the right side of Customs. If Customs says there's duty, then the carrier is in a tough spot. They don't have the enough facts to argue with Customs, and they want to keep you happy as well.

If I was to bet, I'd say this flaky result is by Customs. I'll bet FedEx is clean, sharp, and trying hard with fabulous systems (some built by nikonosguy).

 

[Addy101]

Welcome to our world :angel:

 

[Jamie Pillers]

Welcome to our world :angel:

Yes... we in the U.S. have been spoiled. Time to pay up! 😱