US shipping Q

cantdecide

I've searched the forums about this topic but i'm not sure about one or two things.

if i buy a guitar from the US

1) does the tax get charged on the goods+shipping or just the goods on their own?

2) Does the value of the goods have to be declared in advance by the seller? Is this ever disputed?

3) Who collects the money and how?

4) do you get the guitar before you get the tax bill?

help appreciated

Yakult

1. Just Guitar

2. Sometimes. Its risky situation if its high valued instrument.

3. Dilvery guy. Sometimes you get a letter and you have to pay it by a certain date.

4. Depends whether the delivery guy asks for it, or you get a letter. So if you get a letter you get the guitar first!

cantdecide

well that clear that up then. thanks to you R_H_C_P

jamie_jj69

Just an idea for u... though its risky and i dont know if u'd be interested - but i'll tell u anyway...

I bought a Taylor 210 from a dealer in the US. We came to the arrangement that I'd complete the purchase and send the money (via PayPal) immediately if he agreed to declare the price as being 200 euro or there abouts. There is a limit (or at least used to be) that once u exceed it u get charged somethin like 21% for tax.

Because the Taylor was declared to be priced under 200 euro - i never had to pay a penny on tax. Obviously I paid the asking price and shipping to the dealer. The only downside to it is if theres any damage to the item, ur only insured for the declared price... but by doing it this way i easily saved a fortune.

Not sure if its still the case, check it out - could be worth lookin into. It's been bout a year since I got the Taylor. May I also add, the guitar is in top condition still and i'd never consider replacing it.

Doctor J

Jamie, you do realise you're admitting to and giving advice on tax evasion?

Zapp Brannigan

And also if that guitar was damaged or lost while being shipped would have been insured only for the value declared on the package?

jamie_jj69

what? who? me? never.....

yeah i said ur only insured for the declared amount

and may i add, i reckon i pay enough tax to cover this more that 10 times over - time to take a little back i reckon

feylya

jamie_jj69, do not discuss methods of tax evasion. No matter how much you've paid, you must still pay tax on goods.

OP, you are charged import tax and VAT on the cost of the shipping of the guitar also!

jellikit

I just got a bass in from America today and I was only taxed on the value of the bass, not the shipping. There was a section on the invoice that had value of package contents ,excluding shipping. This was with Fedex whether that makes a difference

Voodu Child

Sometimes they'll miss it of course. But most of the time you will pay customs on the (item + shipping).

The logic being you are importing a service (the shipping) as well as goods. Sucks but there you go.

Eoin Madsen

Customs import duty is charged on the item, VAT is charged on both the item and the shipping.

Patricide

bottom line is unless your insanly lucky your gonna get charged import tax. I am the only person i know to have ever dodged it completely, and that only happened once.

Eoin Madsen

Patricide wrote:

bottom line is unless your insanly lucky your gonna get charged import tax. I am the only person i know to have ever dodged it completely, and that only happened once.

I'd say a clear majority of the things I've bought from the US went unnoticed by customs, tbh. But a lot of those would be ebay purchases, where I think the sellers are often not great at filling out declaration forms correctly.

Johnny Storm

cantdecide wrote:

1) does the tax get charged on the goods+shipping or just the goods on their own?

AFAIK if the invoice that accompanies the goods shows both the shipping and the cost of the goods then they will charge you on both. If the invoice only shows the cost of the goods then they will just charge you on the goods.
Why? Customs "worker" might have take his/her brain out of neutral to do it any other more sensible way.