BarbaraKobzik 0 #1 January 26, 2010 Hi, Does anybody know how things officially work when you buy something outside the US (in Germany) and have it shipped here? (no, not a rig). What kind of taxes do you need to pay? It's for my own use, nothing commercial. And shouldn't I get back the VAT from Germany which by the way is 19% at the moment? It would be great if somebody can help and explain to me how it works, I tried to figure out with Mr Google and others, but haven't really found a clear answer. Thank you so much! Barbara--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It's nice to be important, but it's much more important to be nice. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BarbaraKobzik 0 #2 January 26, 2010 Hellooooo ! Nobody here who can help? Come on, guys and girls, I know it's more boring than all your titts topics, but I really could need some help here, so - anybody has some experience with this? Thanks a lot ! Barbara --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It's nice to be important, but it's much more important to be nice. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tokter 0 #3 January 26, 2010 I'm not an expert, so what I think to know is: If you order something though the mail and it's for personal use then it's tax free up to $200. If you travel and take it with you then up to $800 is tax free. If the value is over $2000 then the import has to be a formal one, at the port where the goods enter the US... I don't know exactly how much they charge you if it's over $200, I think it depends on the item. You should get the VAT back, but I have only done it in person when I was living in Switzerland and bought something in Germany. You have to let the store know that you intent to export the item, they then gave me a form and the receipt. The form I had to get stamped at the customs when I entered CH. Then the next time you are at the store they refund you the money after presenting them the stamped form and receipt. It's probably a similar process if you order it though mail, but I have not done it myself so far... That's all I know, sorry.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ryoder 1,381 #4 January 26, 2010 This topic comes up in the cycling forums, because for some reason, a lot of the online cycling parts shops in the UK have better prices than in the US. Most of the time orders come through w/o a problem. But every so often an order gets slammed with a big tariff. There doesn't seem to be any logic to it."There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrewwhyte 1 #5 January 26, 2010 Generally the import duties depend on where a thing was manufactured rather than where it is imported from. I would figure that out and then go to the US customs website. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
likestojump 3 #6 January 27, 2010 http://www.itintl.com/how-much-does-it-cost-to-import.html in general, if you are having it shipped in for personal use, and it's not an overly expensive item, you will only get charged for clearing customs (UPS/FedEx/DHL), and won't be charged if using the Post Office. - at least hat has been my experience, and I get packages from overseas every few weeks. I had a $500USD declared item came from Austria a few weeks ago - no issues. a $2000 item from Russia this week - no issues. Lots of items from UK/Oz with no issues. results may vary Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BarbaraKobzik 0 #7 January 27, 2010 Thanks a lot. I looked on some of those websites. Obviously it depends on the type of item; there is an entire item list which tells you what kind of tax you need to pay. In my case I wasn't too lucky finding what I need. The item is a stained glass door and window for the house entry somebody in Germany builds for me. It's about 5k Euro. When I looked up "stained glass", I found an ID number for it, and it said "0 % tax" which is great, but it also said "for religious groups". Maybe I should quickly start a religious group, believing in the big blue sky or something like that. Well, seriously, I have absolutely no clue what kind of taxes I might have to pay, and with this amount I for sure need to know upfront. I also count on getting back the German VAT, is that a realistic assumption? It would be great if somebody can tell me how I could find out - I need to know for sure. "Usually this happens, but sometimes not" unfortunately might exceed my budget. Thank you all so much for your help! Barbara--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It's nice to be important, but it's much more important to be nice. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
likestojump 3 #8 January 29, 2010 you shouldn't have to PAY the German VAT to begin with, as the item is being shipped to a non-EU country. If you are considering using a carrier to ship, call http://www.freightquote.com/ and talk to their customs people, they are extremely knowledgeable. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeatlast 0 #9 January 29, 2010 Barbara likestojump is correct - any company that ships goods outside of the EEC can ship them without tax providing they have evidence that the item has left the EEC - ie shipping forms from a major courier etc ... So you shouldn't pay German VAT - as for the American side of things - then the best option is usually to phone the relevant govt dept - they are usually quite helpful - and at least will let you have the OFFICIAL position. Also factor in a small clearing fee or document processing fee as many courier companies seem to charge for this! As for the new religion - why not? Simply ask that all the faithful shall send you 10% of their yearly spend on skydiving related items - you will probably end up very rich Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites