There are often discussions over here about the hazzle of paying VAT and customs fees etc. when ordering thing from outside EU, most often people complain when they have ordered from the US. However, it might also be interesting to know how it is the other way around, that is if you live in the USA and order things.
1) Do you pay VAT and customs when ordering things from another country, for instance, from Sweden?
2) Do you pay VAT (or is supposed to pay VAT) on things you order from another state within the USA? (I understand that VAT is usually not added by the seller).
1) Do you pay VAT and customs when ordering things from another country, for instance, from Sweden?
2) Do you pay VAT (or is supposed to pay VAT) on things you order from another state within the USA? (I understand that VAT is usually not added by the seller).
We never pay the VAT, some items have customs duties that are sometimes paid. These depend on the goods in question and thier country of origan.
State to state- if there is no business pressence of the company we our ordering from in our state, we generally do not pay VAT/sales tax. State sales taxes, when paid, are determinded by the state you are ordering from and the not where the goods originate from.
State to state- if there is no business pressence of the company we our ordering from in our state, we generally do not pay VAT/sales tax. State sales taxes, when paid, are determinded by the state you are ordering from and the not where the goods originate from.
21st amendment?? I dont know...around that time era...
nope. we get all the benefits and everyone else has to suffer 😀
just kidding.
no and no.
nope. we get all the benefits and everyone else has to suffer 😀
just kidding.
no and no.
hmmm sounds like the US has it pretty good for imports 🙂
in Australia (yeah I know the question was about the US, but hey I feel left out 😉 ) if the amount is less than $1000AUS value (and isn't tobacco or alcohol) then there is no GST (equivalent of VAT) payable and no duty's payable.
if it is over $1000AUS however then there is a 5% customs fee on the amount the goods are worth, and then on top of that there is GST of 10% but the GST is on top of the customs fee, and the shipping fee as well!
so for something that cost $2000 with shipping of $100 the amount you would have to pay customs is $320!!
that was calculated as 5% of 2000 is 100, + 10% of 2200 (the original amount + customs + shipping) is 220 total tax payable $320
They also check that you don't get multiple packages at about the same time from the same place with less than $1000 value, if you do, they add the values together and you pay the tax.
so here in Aus provided you are keeping your order below $1000 you are safe 🙂
We don't pay the VAT for the country of origin.
Tony.
in Australia (yeah I know the question was about the US, but hey I feel left out 😉 ) if the amount is less than $1000AUS value (and isn't tobacco or alcohol) then there is no GST (equivalent of VAT) payable and no duty's payable.
if it is over $1000AUS however then there is a 5% customs fee on the amount the goods are worth, and then on top of that there is GST of 10% but the GST is on top of the customs fee, and the shipping fee as well!
so for something that cost $2000 with shipping of $100 the amount you would have to pay customs is $320!!
that was calculated as 5% of 2000 is 100, + 10% of 2200 (the original amount + customs + shipping) is 220 total tax payable $320
They also check that you don't get multiple packages at about the same time from the same place with less than $1000 value, if you do, they add the values together and you pay the tax.
so here in Aus provided you are keeping your order below $1000 you are safe 🙂
We don't pay the VAT for the country of origin.
Tony.
Christer said:
Q2 has been well answered. Q1 is a little more complicated in the US. Here we have a big list known as the Harmonized Tariff, this covers in detail the applicable duty or lack therof of any item from any country being imported into the US. Example; consumer DVD players from Taiwan.
Thanks to our open trade policies and trade agreements (such as NAFTA) many goods pay no taxes upon importation. For any import subject to duty a stuffed container will be levied, the small baggie in the US mail rarely gets a look over.
No Chinese underwear stockpiled in bonded warehouses, isn't this a great country?
PB
As for Q1:
Sometimes. Depends how it is shipped. Via mail, no. UPS, DHL, guys like that.......usually. Some dork in a chubby hole in someplace like NYC tries to guess what is inside, and come up with a suitable tariff. Tariffs make no sense. Guys at US Customs that I have talked to don't even understand it.
So, eventually you get a bill, with some arbitary tariff....usually 4-5% range. And then $$$ added on by the customs expeditor. Usually more than the import duties for small orders.
UPS has their own internal clearing house, and they seem to be the most consistent.
Imports over USD2000 require a tax number.
Jocko
Sometimes. Depends how it is shipped. Via mail, no. UPS, DHL, guys like that.......usually. Some dork in a chubby hole in someplace like NYC tries to guess what is inside, and come up with a suitable tariff. Tariffs make no sense. Guys at US Customs that I have talked to don't even understand it.
So, eventually you get a bill, with some arbitary tariff....usually 4-5% range. And then $$$ added on by the customs expeditor. Usually more than the import duties for small orders.
UPS has their own internal clearing house, and they seem to be the most consistent.
Imports over USD2000 require a tax number.
Jocko
Hey Texas & The Great Escape - gotta love it. In their defence the customs boys in Dallas are very helpful & got their stuff together, at least in my experience.
PB
PB
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