Hacker News Reader

Comment by airstrike | Hacker News Reader

Ain't no way shipping and taxes equal 100% of the product's price

So once upon a time my parents in the states sent me, a newly minted ex-pat living in the EU, a package for my birthday. It was mostly cheap plastic kitchen things, a couple of oven mitts and stuff like that. It went to customs. Not only did I have to haul my ass out to the airport, I was charged 120Euro for a box who's entire cost couldn't have been more than 30USD (and I'm being generous). I was informed that if i refused the package, my parents would be charged the full amount. So yes, it's easy to imagine that by the time you get the package in your hands, it costs more than 100% the products price.

That seems an expensive lesson in filling in the customs declaration. Gifts are exempt from customs duties and VAT if they're worth €45 or less, and exempt from duties but not VAT up to €150.

If you ignore a parcel or reject it, it should be returned to the sender.

So you're telling me you've never shipped things internationally before? It happens way more than you, especially, would think

I have, countless times. I've shipped everything from small boxes to containers. If you're paying $500 on taxes on top of your $500 product, you're doing something wrong

Two years ago, I paid around €300 for a pair of original Haori from Japan. The shipping costs where around €60, which was expected, but the taxes and import fees added another €170 to the total expenditure. That's not 100% of the product's price, but it's damn close.

Customs duty on men's/boy's clothes is 12%, VAT is e.g. 24% in Finland.

  €360 * 1.12 * 1.24 = €500

Add on some sort of handling fee for the parcel company, e.g. €10, so it could easily be €150.

Why? Shipping, VAT and all the customs fees will easily double the price of the product by the time it reaches your door.

VAT is 15-20%, customs 5-10%, shipping ~50€, fees for custom handling 10-20€.

It's pricy, but it's not going to double the price.

Even better - some countries have 0% import tax on computers (just VAT). I am not sure if this is an EU-wide regulation (I would expect so, because it is a single market), but in The Netherlands it's 0%.

I recently ordered a keyboard from Taiwan. I got charged the 21% VAT plus a few euro administration costs by the shipper. Mind you, I would have paid the same 21% VAT if I had purchased a similarly priced product in The Netherlands. So, you are down to shipping cost, many companies have different options. Sure, if you want something on your doorstep in 2-3 days, they are going to charge 80-90 USD/Euro shipping, that's simply what it costs.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com