Import tax? help :(

lauren8792

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O.G.
Jan 14, 2008
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Hey everyone! I just bought a bag from a mypoupette seller on Ebay, and I read after I won the auction that sometimes an import tax is applied (I know... i should have read it before hand but it was in fine print!). I live in New Jersey in the US, and the item is being shipped from Japan. Does anyone know anything about import taxes when you buy something like this off of ebay from another country???

Any help would be appreciated... i'm a bit confused! thank you :smile:
 
I don't know the situation in the US, but if you import something into Canada you have to pay the same sales tax you would have paid if it had been bought here, plus there may also be customs duties charged with the amount depending on what the item is and where it came from. There is an exception for gifts under a certain value, and Customs doesn't catch every package, but usually we have to pay on that basis.
 
In Germany you have to add the VAT (19%) and another 4% as import tax for bags. My guess is that you would have to add the sales tax for the state you live in and customs duties as well.
Regina
 
Hey everyone! I just bought a bag from a mypoupette seller on Ebay, and I read after I won the auction that sometimes an import tax is applied (I know... i should have read it before hand but it was in fine print!). I live in New Jersey in the US, and the item is being shipped from Japan. Does anyone know anything about import taxes when you buy something like this off of ebay from another country???

Any help would be appreciated... i'm a bit confused! thank you :smile:
hi..
in italy, if on the package there is the label "gift", you don't pay taxes..
maybe is the same in the us.. :yes:
 
Generally if items are marked gift or NCV, then you would not be subjected to import tax. The import tax is normally the goods & service tax & varies from country to country. Some countries also subject tax only if your item is beyond a certain amount in valus.
 
US Customs doesn't always seem to charge Import Tax, I think it's random if they choose to inspect and charge your particular package. I just got a bag from Asia sent through FedEx and I was charged 19% or $57 for an item declared at $300.
 
If your seller agrees to mark it at a low value, then you may not need to pay tax. But of course, you will have to bear the risk of loss/damage since the item cannot be insured for the full amount now. However my experience with Japanese sellers is that all of them will declare the full value.
 
If your seller agrees to mark it at a low value, then you may not need to pay tax. But of course, you will have to bear the risk of loss/damage since the item cannot be insured for the full amount now. However my experience with Japanese sellers is that all of them will declare the full value.

Actually, it's the seller who will bear the risk of loss/damage. All the buyer ever has to do in such cases is file a claim thru PayPal and get all of their money back.
 
Customs are hit and miss and the rules vary from country to country. One thing that does seem pretty uniform across the board is that if you ask the shipper to use their postal service rather than a courier, the hit will be less (and maybe nothing).
 
Generally if items are marked gift or NCV, then you would not be subjected to import tax. The import tax is normally the goods & service tax & varies from country to country. Some countries also subject tax only if your item is beyond a certain amount in valus.


However, it is illegal in the U.S. to falsify a customs form. If it isn't a gift, you really don't want to have it marked as such. It may not get caught, but if it is, there are heavy penalties and fines. Not worth it to me.

There is also the possibility of no fees, some things are and some aren't.