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Comment by nikhizzle | Hacker News Reader

The article excludes the cost of import duty, and other taxes (see daedalus's comment). It is a false argument to say that if I didn't pay tax things could be cheaper eg. if I break the law I can get a cheaper iPhone.

Getting caught for breaking the law is a stochastic system, but the expected value is lower than most people think.

Edit: How far are people willing to take this? Should we share an article saying someone got a free iPhone by buying a machine gun and stealing a truck full of iPhones? Where is the efficient frontier of breaking the law vs cheaper goods?

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I don't know what the actual rates are in India, but I remember some 10-15 years ago I bought a bunch of camera gear from the US because it was much cheaper than buying it locally in France.

The delivery was via UPS or Fedex so they handled the customs. In the end, paying VAT and taxes (which were levied on the whole price, including shipping!) it was still cheaper than buying locally.

One of the products was a heavy tripod and head. Another fun fact about this: the tripod was actually made in Italy by an Italian brand...

I tried declaring a $3k server equipment once at Mumbai airport. Exceptionally difficult to pay the correct amount ($1k or so - it was 7 years ago so amount might be off) and get a receipt, they wanted me to pay $50.

$1k with the receipt, $50 without? Damn what kind of paper is that receipt printed on....

The "without receipt" payment is likely just pocketed by the agent.

personal effects are non taxable across borders in most tax regimes

so legally this is fine

True, but they often put stipulations on it. I know for Singapore, you had to have owned the item for at least 3 months. Otherwise it was considered to be a new item imported and duty needed to be paid.

I have no idea how that was actually enforced.

Same, I believe, for Switzerland - you need to have (and be able to demonstrate if asked) owned the item for a set period of time before entering.

6 months in Switzerland.

neither do they ;)

Flying somewhere else to buy something is not paying tax, and it doesn't break the law.

Taxation is theft!

Depends on the legitimacy of government

Property is theft from the commons - and here this is doubly untrue: the taxes are a reasonable level on a global mega-corporation with millions of people in near-slave conditions.

Public road is a crime!

what else...

Free oxygen is communism!

In that case, you using any publicly funded service or good - including education, roads and defence, is theft.

I'm stealing free protection afforded by the galactic empire to the galaxy i was born in if i don't pay the already free protection they offer.

Freedom is theft!

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