Have you had to pay hefty customs fees when buying from Japan?

[paulbarden]

I prefer not to buy from outside the USA, but it seems I cannot find a decent Super Ikonta 531/2 in this country, so I've identified one offered by a seller in Japan. As the title of this post asks, I wonder - since I know some of you have experience with this - whether you've had to pay hefty customs fees for equipment bought from Japan?

[darr]

No extra fees, Paul.
I have made many purchases from Japan with great success.

[DannL-USA]

Never encountered any customs fees. From about 2005 to as recent as last week. Their putting it on my tab. ;-)

[Mark J]

In the UK you pay 20% Vat plus customs handling fees on Japanese purchases, above some threshold value which i haven't yet identified !

[r.e.]

In the UK you pay 20% Vat plus customs handling fees on Japanese purchases, above some threshold value which i haven't yet identified !

The UK government, like most western governments, collects VAT (similar to what Americans call sales tax) on imports, and it has the systems in place to do it. Americans are just getting used to paying sales tax on imports from the state next door, let alone from Japan. Until fairly recently, avoidance of sales tax was a national sport. On imports from another country, including earlier this year from Western Europe for an item worth US$3500, I have never been charged sales tax. Charging me might require co-operation within Congress, it would certainly require co-operation between the federal and state governments, plus there would have to be a system in place to actually collect it. At least one of those is missing.

I'd be surprised if the UK charges duty on photo equipment imported from Japan, and I would think that the amount is insignificant compared to the VAT if it does. If I'm wrong about that, it wouldn't be the first time; I'd just be surprised.

[B.S.Kumar]

I'd be surprised if the UK charges duty on photo equipment imported from Japan, and I would think that the amount is insignificant compared to the VAT if it does. If I'm wrong about that, it wouldn't be the first time; I'd just be surprised.

The EU and many other countries charge relatively low customs duty on photographic equipment, usually between 4-6%. However, VAT or some variant of it is almost always charged. VAT is quite hefty at 19-23%, and this is what makes my European customers complain about "customs duties". They forget that they would be charged VAT if they bought the same item from a shop in their own country. And even an individual would factor in the VAT he paid earlier into his current selling price.

In some other countries like India and Brazil the total of duty, VAT and other charges can reach 48%.

Kumar

[r.e.]

In some other countries like India and Brazil the total of duty, VAT and other charges can reach 48%.

Kumar

That's why I limited my remarks to "western governments", although I realise that I'm oversimplifying. With European VAT at 20%, I see ~5% duty as a relatively minor part of the equation. I guess the European camera manufacturers still have some political pull. I wonder whether Japan imposes a reciprocal duty. Do you know whether the EU duty on Japanese cameras survives the fairly new EU-Japan free trade agreement, or will it disappear as implementation of the agreement proceeds?

[nitroplait]

…
VAT or some variant of it is almost always charged. VAT is quite hefty at 19-23%, and this is what makes my European customers complain about "customs duties". They forget that they would be charged VAT if they bought the same item from a shop in their own country.
Kumar

Actually VAT is 25% in the EU country where I live :-(
I think it is only the inexperienced EU online shoppers who gets surprised they have to pay VAT on imports incl postage, but now that eBay has started automatically charging VAT on EU imports, people may grow accustomed to a more seamless import procedure. As a buyer you don’t have to pay the handling premium and wait for the item to clear when the VAT is charged at the time of buying, which eliminates most surprises.

I should add that used items sold inside EU is normally not charged with VAT and nor are sales between private parties which makes it less attractive to import used items.
It could be that some EU buyers think they buy privately from a private person and the same no VAT situation should apply?

When importing new items to EU the exporter is expected to deduct their local VAT/Sales Tax.

[B.S.Kumar]

Actually VAT is 25% in the EU country where I live :-(
I think it is only the inexperienced EU online shoppers who gets surprised they have to pay VAT on imports incl postage, but now that eBay has started automatically charging VAT on EU imports, people may grow accustomed to a more seamless import procedure. As a buyer you don’t have to pay the handling premium and wait for the item to clear when the VAT is charged at the time of buying, which eliminates most surprises.

I should add that used items sold inside EU is normally not charged with VAT and nor are sales between private parties which makes it less attractive to import used items.
It could be that some EU buyers think they buy privately from a private person and the same no VAT situation should apply?

When importing new items to EU the exporter is expected to deduct their local VAT/Sales Tax.

There is a special "margin scheme" for used goods: https://vatcompliance.co/margin-scheme/ Shops usually include the VAT within the selling price, so buyers think they are not paying VAT. See 5. Prices on this page: https://www.mpb.com/en-uk/help/terms-and-conditions While the UK is no longer part of the EU, the basic VAT structure is the same.

The EU has a rule obliging overseas exporters selling to EU customers must apply VAT, deduct it and deposit the collected VAT with the respective EU authorities. Fortunately, the threshold is fairly high, and at least so far I am exempt. Online platforms like eBay and Amazon are required to do this leading to the "seamless" experience.

Kumar

[r.e.]

I should add that used items sold inside EU is normally not charged with VAT and nor are sales between private parties which makes it less attractive to import used items.

In the U.S., a business that sells used goods is required to charge sales tax. eBay, while on paper just a facilitator, now charges a buyer sales tax even when the vendor is a private individual selling his own stuff, such as a camera that he no longer needs. From a buyer's perspective, this makes eBay a less attractive platform than platforms, such as the classifieds here, where the seller and buyer carry out the transaction directly. There's no effective way to collect sales tax when the parties to a sale are private individuals and there isn't a middleman like eBay.