In message . net, Bill
Able writes
A US friend of mine just sold a telescope to a Spanish buyer. He is
dumbfounded by the huge taxes that the Spanish buyer will have to pay to
customs before receiving the scope. What's going on here- why are foreign
customs adding so much tax to shipments like this?

Because their national laws allow them to do that...
presumably the Spanish buyer is resident in Spain?

Regards,
--
Martin Brown