what's the deal with tax when shipping scopes overseas?

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?

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

It's called "protectionism" and it's the reason why Europeans pay about 50%
more for American equipment. Not that the United States has been lily white
here.



"Bill Able" wrote in message
ink.net...
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?

"Bill Able" wrote:

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?

Is it second hand? IIRC you don't pay import duty or VAT (sales tax)
on second-hand stuff. Otherwise it's 5-15% import duty, plus 17.5% VAT
on the total (here in the UK anyway). Plus a few euros/pounds handling
charge for the courier for collecting the duty.

Don't you have import duty in the US?


Tim
--
Copyright, patents and trademarks are government-granted, time-limited monopolies.
Intellectual property does not exist.

Tim Auton wrote:
"Bill Able" wrote:


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?


Is it second hand? IIRC you don't pay import duty or VAT (sales tax)
on second-hand stuff.

That's what I thought too... it'd be a good thing to know, if anyone can
verify this. I may have to arrange for a couple of "second hand" imports
myself ;-)

Otherwise it's 5-15% import duty, plus 17.5% VAT on the total (here
in the UK anyway). Plus a few euros/pounds handling charge for the
courier for collecting the duty.

Duty on optical equipment in the EU is about 6-7%, although what you'd
end up paying of course depends on how customs decide to classify the
specific product. VAT here (the Netherlands) is even worse at 19%!


Don't you have import duty in the US?


Tim

--
Steve Maddison
Den Haag, The Netherlands
http://www.cosam.org/

Bill,

There is a similar problem here in Greece where the total amount
ends up between 30 and 35% once all of the taxes have been calculated. I
should also mention that the shipping charges are part of the taxable
amount as well as some tax on tax where the locals compuet an
intermediate total using some of the taxes and then compute a further
tax based on this intermediate total.

For anything under 100 euro (about 124 USD), there is no import
taxes .... and this is the loophole I use for ALL shipments irrespective
of actual cost. Something that your buyer may wish to consider is to
have the item sent insured and for about 80 euro. The fact it is shipped
insured means it will reach its destination irrespective if it is worth
80 or 8000 euro.

If you think import duties into the European Union are high, have
a look at pricing on original brand new equipment! It is even more
disgusting. Thank God for Herb and Astromart!!!

Anthony.

Bill Able wrote:

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?

"Steve Maddison" wrote in message
...
Tim Auton wrote:
"Bill Able" wrote:


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?


Is it second hand? IIRC you don't pay import duty or VAT (sales tax)
on second-hand stuff.
That is not true I'm afraid.
You don't have to pay, if you can show the duty has already _been_ paid on
the original purchase, or this can be assumed. However the duty and VAT,
becomes due on the first entry to the EU. Hence a second-hand sale from
the US, does incur duty and VAT. They were so strict about this at one
time, that it was advised that people taking things like cameras, and
laptops abroad, and then bringing them back into the EU, should take a
copy of the original sales invoice from inside the EU, or get a
certificate from Custom's on the way out, to avoid paying again when they
came back in!...
This has relaxed somewhat, but I'm afraid that technically goods are still
liable.
There was a case a little while ago, where an American made light
aircraft, on the UK register, flew to France, and the French customs,
proceeded to charge duty, and VAT, on the whole aircraft value, because
the owner did not have the paperwork to prove that the taxes had been paid
when the aircraft was bought into the EU...

That's what I thought too... it'd be a good thing to know, if anyone can
verify this. I may have to arrange for a couple of "second hand" imports
myself ;-)

Otherwise it's 5-15% import duty, plus 17.5% VAT on the total (here
in the UK anyway). Plus a few euros/pounds handling charge for the
courier for collecting the duty.

Duty on optical equipment in the EU is about 6-7%, although what you'd
end up paying of course depends on how customs decide to classify the
specific product. VAT here (the Netherlands) is even worse at 19%!

Don't you have import duty in the US?

They do, and 'state' taxes, but the levels are generally low compared to
the EU...

Best Wishes

"Bill Able" wrote in message link.net...
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?

Define "huge". Have you ever been to another country,
or bought anything there?

Very few imports to Canada from the U.S. have duty on
them any more (astronomical, optical and camera gear
have all been zero for years), but still attract sales
taxes, both provincial and federal. In the case of
B.C. the provincial tax is 7.5%, and the federal tax
(GST, our version of VAT) is 7%. The net tax rate is
thus 14.5%.

When I picked up my Losmandy G-11 mount at Anacortes
Telscope & Wild Bird I got to pay Washington state
sales tax, B.C. provincial sales tax on the total
(including the Washington tax), and federal GST to boot.

Laura Halliday VE7LDH "Que les nuages soient notre
Grid: CN89mg pied a terre..."
ICBM: 49 16.05 N 122 56.92 W - Hospital/Shafte

(Laura Halliday) wrote in
:

When I picked up my Losmandy G-11 mount at Anacortes
Telscope & Wild Bird I got to pay Washington state
sales tax, B.C. provincial sales tax on the total
(including the Washington tax), and federal GST to boot.

Can't you apply for a refund of the Washington State tax amount? When I go
to Canada I can apply for a refund on any tax I pay there.

"Pierre Vandevennne" ha scritto nel messaggio
...
"Bob Schmall" wrote in
:


No, not really.

Custom duties
-------------

These imports/exports duty rates are usually fixed by bilateral
conventions between parties.

This link will give you the rates, provided you know the code

http://europa.eu.int/comm/taxation_c...archap?Lang=EN

The code for telescopes is 9005800000, for CCD cameras, it is 8525401100.

great, thanks for the link. I've found the custom code on old huge books and
got 9005900000 for binoculars, telescope, etc. - parts and accessories. This
code is 6.9% duty. Then add VAT.


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--
Beta Persei
45° 35' N
08° 51' E

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