Buying a laptop from the US - Customs + Excise

DeadBankClerk

[Feel free to move me to a more suitable location]

I want to buy a laptop from a website in the states.

How much will i have to pay in customs/excise?
Is there a way to avoid this? (i have relatives in the states)
Can I avoid VAT?

Saruman

I would not have thought you have to... i mean you could go to the US and bring back a laptop and you would not have to pay anything.. how are they to know you got it there?

Wolf

MICROSOFT SPIES:ninja: :ninja: :ninja: :ninja: :ninja: :ninja:

DBC you not safe get out of the house. :ninja: :ninja: :ninja:

marrakesh

U will have to pay. I brought in some hardware from the states and AN Post / government under the guise of SDS chargeed me 82 euro on a 300 euro package. The reason they charged and coped it though is because i got the package insured. I reckon thats how they nabbed me... get a relative to send it over..

rubadub

Originally posted by marrakesh
U will have to pay. I brought in some hardware from the states and AN Post / government under the guise of SDS chargeed me 82 euro on a 300 euro package. The reason they charged and coped it though is because i got the package insured. I reckon thats how they nabbed me... get a relative to send it over..

if stuff is sent as a "free sample" there should be no duty paid.

if you left a laptop in the states when visiting and your relatives posted it back you shouldnt pay duty on it

Irish_Ranger_IR

1st....They have no way to know that you didn't bring it in to the states in the first place.
2nd... You can clame back the vat at the us airport.
3rd.... say nothing, throw away all the boxes in the us.
4th.... post back all the manuals/warrenty's/recept to Ireland.
5th....make sure that the warrenty covers europe..
6th... say nothing.
7th... see point 1
8th on entering Ireland, use blue channel.
9th.. if stoped, say u didn't think that you had to pay, as you paid vat in the states.
10th... don't bring anything else with you, like 1000 smokes, 5 bottles of booze and 2 kilos of coke.
11th.. bring software over with you, so it looks like you have been using it back in ireland, eg...Irish ISP numbers, emails, games, office, a few files.. "Yea..I been using this for ages now....So whats the problem???"


This should be enough.

I have done this before..

Hobbes

They have no way to know that you didn't bring it in to the states in the first place.

They don't have to. It is up to you to prove that you bought it in the country you came from. In general they don't hassle people with laptops as people use them for business, but that's not to say they won't stop you.

DeadBankClerk

i'm not going to the us, i just want to buy a laptop from there.

Irish_Ranger_IR

Ah..

Back to speed reading classes for me....

I am not sure, UPS could send it over and there may not be a problem?

Don't quote me...

neuro-praxis

Ever notice how "neuro" rhymes with "euro"?



A little odd, don't you think?



Yes. That's right.

CuLT

I think you're a little odd. .

neuro-praxis

Thank you, thank you.

DBC, I'm sorry for spamming in your thread. I'll sell you my old Toshiba in exchange for a coffee on you and sixty three cents.

dj_deevey

well iv been looking into buying a laptop from the states too, and it seems that unless your buying it from a private party and shipped in brown paper with "test model" or "FREE" on the packaging, you will have to pay the 21% (b**stards) when it comes in..

the company i work for bought the macromedia studio mx a while back online and we reckoned it was a good deal - till it arrived with a bill for an extra 200 euro !

Then theres the old prob of "MOST" US companies only ship through their preferred courier (usually fed-ex or UPS) so your going to get twigged anyways.

personally im waiting till i get over there (hopefully the next few months) to buy one, and bring it in via the dodgy routes mentioned above, only thing is im buying in California which has 8.5% tax anyhow (d'oh!)

mind you even with import duty you'll still probably pay less than if you buy from a company over here.

ATI Radeon M9 64 meg ddr (not shared), 2.4 gig P4 (northwood), IR, PCMIA, 40 gig HDD, 512 2700 ddr, 15" TFT, Lithium ion battery, USB 2.0, and linux preinstalled

cost after import duty, insurance and shipping = 1650 euro

(from internetishop.com , i called em to get the specs and shipping, its not listed on the site)

still a good deal methinks, try adding up those specs on the dell website and be suprised (or not as the case may be)

ok so theres no software - big deal.

laters

steve

Thorbar

Haven't seen you around for a while neuro-praxis, in fact I think its been a few years. Anyway DBC one piece of advice I'll give ya is that a lot of US companies wont accept internatonal credit cards so that can be a pain in the arse.

Originally posted by DeadBankClerk
i'm not going to the us, i just want to buy a laptop from there.

If theres no certain way to avoid the duty and the saving is going to be more that €300, you may as well take an overnight break in NY or Washington and buy you laptop and bring it back-a night out in the states-great craic!
mm

marrakesh

There is a company online that u can get the laptop sent to in the states then they can package it and hand it back on to you for a a cut of the price i dont have there website but for sure they can do it.. it may be against the law but sure thats what risks are all about..

u will have to pay excise as i have previously stated unless u dont value the package dont insure it and pray that they dont open it. have a look for that company i have no other details and cant find at present so its up to u. they are based out of washington...

neuro-praxis

Thorbar, I've never been away!

DeadBankClerk

A/S/L Claire?

Wanna hot cyber coffee action?
I offer no coffee.
I offer Butler's hot chocolate.
Win?
Send me text for hot internet real life action.

SoundWave

DBC: here is how to do it.

1. purchase laptop online.
2. get it shipped to your friends/relations in the states (quite inexpensive)
3. get them to re-package it and label it personal and send it to you.
4. enjoy your vat/duty free laptop

ive done this about 10 times with varoius different bits and bobs and never been charged any vat/duty on it.

Dr. Dre

Get it sent to relatives, then get them to send it to you marked as a "gift".
job done.

TacT

or get the company sending you the laptop to have it sent out with a label for repairs

buddy

Originally posted by marrakesh
There is a company online that u can get the laptop sent to in the states then they can package it and hand it back on to you for a a cut of the price i dont have there website but for sure they can do it.. it may be against the law but sure thats what risks are all about..

u will have to pay excise as i have previously stated unless u dont value the package dont insure it and pray that they dont open it. have a look for that company i have no other details and cant find at present so its up to u. they are based out of washington...

And risk never seeing that Laptop arrive - I'm not sure I'd trust someone I never met before.

daveg

This has all been covered before here and here

SouperComputer

i walked through dublin from chicago airport only last wed with a laptop i got on ebay, there wasnt anyone in sheggin customs to even check me!

QBall

Originally posted by dj_deevey
personally im waiting till i get over there (hopefully the next few months) to buy one, and bring it in via the dodgy routes mentioned above, only thing is im buying in California which has 8.5% tax anyhow (d'oh!)

Buy from a company that is not in the state of California and doesn't charge sales tax on laptops.

When I was in NYC I bought a laptop using some price compare site. The site asks what state you're in to calculate the tax and I just selected a laptop which I didn't have to pay tax on.

dj_deevey

All well and good if i was going that direction but im not
or a shop up that side had the one i wanted (anyone feel free to point me in the right direction - iv searched all the channels i could find)

and once i add shipping to someone in NY (or similar state where the taxes dont apply) and then shipping back to me im gonna end up paying round the same anyhow (might save a hundred in total)

laters

night

steve

QBall

Sorry, I don't think I was clear in my previous post.

As far as I am aware, the way sales tax works in the US is that you pay tax on stuff from other states as if you actually went to that state and picked it up yourself.

e.g.

You live in State A
A company selling laptops is in State B
State A charges 8.5% on laptops
State B charges 1% on laptops
You tell the company to deliver to State A
You pay State B tax cos that's where you bought it from.

An even clearer example:

I was living in NYC. NYC sales tax on laptops was 8%.
The company I dealt with was Tiger Direct based in Florida. Florida's sales tax is 6%
They sold it to me from New Hampshire (NH has no sales tax) and deliverd it to my address in Brooklyn for $30
I never left the state of New York, nor did I have to have it sent to a relative/friend/3rd party

Hope this helps, sorry about any confusion my previous post caused.