Duties

C

charchar888

Member
May 7, 2019
168
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#1
I am in the USA and I found some items on websites and when I add to the cart to check out. I notice some charge sales tax and others will not charge sales tax but will charge duties tax (between 10%-15%). Some websites charge both sales tax and duties tax.

Italist.com will charge “duties” of 15% and “taxes” based on my shipping address. Seems like the highest duties compared to Baltini which charges 10% duties.

Baltini.com will charge “shipping and import duties tax” of 10% + “taxes” based on my shipping address.

Cettir e.com will charge “taxes” based on my shipping address. Doesn’t say if I am going to have to pay duties once it arrives.

Matches.com will charge “taxes” based on my shipping address. It indicates that “duties and shipping charges included”. So they only charge sales tax but essentially not extra duties. The sales tax is the same as the other websites despite including duties tax. Unless I get another duties charge once it arrives?

Zapclothing.com will not even charge any taxes at all. I’m not sure if I will have to pay sales tax once it arrives. But they told me I will have to pay duties tax once it arrives in USA but didn’t tell me what it is. Anyone know what duties cost for clothing to USA?

Why do some places charge sales tax (and why am I paying sales tax when buying from Italian store out of USA?) and some places like Baltini charge both sales tax AND 10% duties upfront but Matches only charge sales tax but says duties in already included ?
 
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#2
I’m buying gifts for my SO. I included screenshots for reference. These websites all charge sales tax. But Italist charges the most duties at 18%. Baltini charges duties at 10%. Matches only charges sales tax and indicates that the duties charges are already included so no additional 10% or 18% duties tax. I don’t want to be surprised once item arrives with a duties tax with Matches. So why is Italist and Baltini collecting additional 10-18% in duties and why is it such a variance?

Zaps said no sales tax at all. They claim UPS will charge 2% for duties once the item arrives. Not 10% like Baltini charges upfront or 18% like Italist charges upfront. How can Zaps operate this way?
 

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#3
I read here that “Because that particular online store does not have an actual physical presence within your state, it does not need to charge you sales tax”

I’m in CA. Cettir e charges sales tax but they are located in Melbourne Australia. They have no presence in CA but why do they charge sales tax? Baltini is located in Las Vegas Nevada. They have no presence in CA but why do they charge sales tax? Matches is supposedly going out of business but need to confirm. They are based in London and have no presence in CA but why do they charge sales tax?

Is anyone familiar with how online shopping and sales tax (sometimes lack of sales tax like from Zaps) and lack of duties charge (from Cettir e and Matches) work?
 
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#4
You may have more luck posting in this main thread about the topic. Also, start reading going from the end backwards, since things change over time and the most recent posts will be the most accurate.

Tips/Advice for customs, VAT, etc.

Can anyone help to advise? I have a friend going to London who will assist me in purchasing a few items but I need to find out the final costs first. Anyone? Please......
forum.purseblog.com forum.purseblog.com

I hate to answer your questions specifically, because it will include some speculation, but I do know a few things for sure. It is currently required for many states, including California, that you are charged local sales tax for an online purchase, even if the store does not have a presence in your state. It is the same for me in Washington state. I am charged local Seattle sales tax for online purchases. You can do a Google search to find out about which states require this. For Customs fees, some sites simply estimate the Customs, it may be an overestimation, or they may be categorizing the item differently than another site does, because each item is taxed at a different rate for Customs depending on the exact category and make up of the item, including for example; what material it is made out of, whether it has buttons or zippers, what the buttons are made out of, etc. The document is hundreds of pages long, and you need to go to the specific applicable section for each item, and then go to the subcategories to determine which is closest to your item to figure out the percentage fee for any particular item. Even so, they may categorize it incorrectly. The shipper fills out the forms. Even large department stores often get it wrong in my experience. One other thing to consider is that some states have a “use tax” as well that you need to pay when an item comes into the state overseas (perhaps domestically as well?), and I believe that California is one of those states. Try doing your search for the term “use tax” and see what you can find out.
 
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#7
I was trying to figure out what USA charges for duties for clothing but couldn’t find the answer. Anyone know? Zaps said I can order then give them the order number and they will charge me 2% of the entire order as duties. Otherwise UPS will charge me some undisclosed percentage (can’t figure out) once it arrives. Not sure what’s more advantageous since I don’t know what UPS will charge.
 
#8
charchar888 said:
I was trying to figure out what USA charges for duties for clothing but couldn’t find the answer. Anyone know? Zaps said I can order then give them the order number and they will charge me 2% of the entire order as duties. Otherwise UPS will charge me some undisclosed percentage (can’t figure out) once it arrives. Not sure what’s more advantageous since I don’t know what UPS will charge.
Click to expand...

Harmonized Tariff Schedule

hts.usitc.gov hts.usitc.gov
You can search through the customs table for the exact specs. It’s not totally straightforward, for example a wool jacket might be 7.2%, a cotton jacket may be 9.3%, a cotton jacket with a zipper may be 11%, a cotton jacket with metal buttons may be 5.5%, a wool jacket with enamel buttons may be 12%. I am just making up these percentages, but that’s how the custom duty calculation works. Regardless, the cheapest I have ever been taxed is around 6%, so if you can get 2%, I would take it.
 
#9
nicole0612 said:

Harmonized Tariff Schedule

hts.usitc.gov hts.usitc.gov
You can search through the customs table for the exact specs. It’s not totally straightforward, for example a wool jacket might be 7.2%, a cotton jacket may be 9.3%, a cotton jacket with a zipper may be 11%, a cotton jacket with metal buttons may be 5.5%, a wool jacket with enamel buttons may be 12%. I am just making up these percentages, but that’s how the custom duty calculation works. Regardless, the cheapest I have ever been taxed is around 6%, so if you can get 2%, I would take it.
Click to expand...

But how does it work? I buy the item, I pay for it. Zaps ask me to send them the order number. Do they charge me a separate transaction for 2%?

How do I know once the product arrives, UPS won’t ask me for another 10-18% (like what the other websites charge) before they will release it? I googled Zaps and they seem to be a legit website, I just don’t know how UPS can hold my item hostage or not. Does paying Zaps another 2% guarantee I won’t be charged another duties upon arrival? How do I have proof?

They still didn’t tell me how they can get away without charging sales tax when every other website charges sales tax and duties. Can I also be liable for sales tax once it arrives?
 
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#10
charchar888 said:
But how does it work? I buy the item, I pay for it. Zaps ask me to send them the order number. Do they charge me a separate transaction for 2%?

How do I know once the product arrives, UPS won’t ask me for another 10-18% (like what the other websites charge) before they will release it? I googled Zaps and they seem to be a legit website, I just don’t know how UPS can hold my item hostage or not. Does paying Zaps another 2% guarantee I won’t be charged another duties upon arrival? How do I have proof?

They still didn’t tell me how they can get away without charging sales tax when every other website charges sales tax and duties. Can I also be liable for sales tax once it arrives?
Click to expand...
Sorry, I cannot answer any of these questions for you. I think if you need to be totally sure, you should not purchase internationally.
 
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