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11-05-2013, 05:12 PM   #1
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Import tax from US to EU?

Since finding a store that will do markdown is hard enough, suppose I import a k-3 and I have to pay taxes. How much would the taxes be? One listing on fleabay offered a service where they pay the fees so it goes through customs without a hassle. In that the tax/fee was listed as $680 something. Is that for real?

11-05-2013, 05:17 PM   #2
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You may want to contact EU customs. There may or may not be import duty depending on the treaty arrangements with the U.S. for cameras. With any luck, a few of our EU users may chime in on this thread.


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11-05-2013, 05:34 PM   #3
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QuoteOriginally posted by tripodquest Quote
In that the tax/fee was listed as $680 something. Is that for real?
As far as I remember, you need to pay a custom over the full price (with shipping) and the VAT on everything. I doesn't pay, but you can always try to smuggle it.
11-05-2013, 05:35 PM   #4
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In addition to import duty (if any), you are very likely to get hit with sales tax/VAT, so don't forget to factor that into your math.

11-05-2013, 05:36 PM   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by tripodquest Quote
Since finding a store that will do markdown is hard enough, suppose I import a k-3 and I have to pay taxes. How much would the taxes be? One listing on fleabay offered a service where they pay the fees so it goes through customs without a hassle. In that the tax/fee was listed as $680 something. Is that for real?
If you buy from bh, they calculate it at checkout. Id give it a shot!

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11-05-2013, 05:46 PM   #6
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QuoteOriginally posted by Adam Quote
If you buy from bh, they calculate it at checkout. Id give it a shot!
B&H says: Duties & Tax: $292.22 with that and the cheapest shipping the total would come to... $50 less than if i bought it in the EU. Not worth it... Is there any chance the price will drop in the next couple of months? I know none of you can see into the future but you probably have some experience from when the previous models were first launched and when their prices dropped. What do all of you think?
11-05-2013, 05:56 PM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by tripodquest Quote
Is there any chance the price will drop in the next couple of months?
I depends on a market situation, but I would not expect significant drops until 6-10 months.

11-05-2013, 06:07 PM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by jaad75 Quote
I depends on a market situation, but I would not expect significant drops until 6-10 months.
i thought as much... well, one can always hope. maybe someone buys a k-3 and something unexpected happens and they have to sell it cheaper? (but then i probably wouldn't buy because i'd think they're selling it because it was somehow faulty) so unfair! you get it for $1300 and all you have to do is take a taxi. it sells for $1700+ here and importing is about $50 cheaper.
11-05-2013, 06:08 PM   #9
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Yep, US prices seem really sweet to us Europeans, but shipping, import taxes, VAT.. and also long shipping times, having a harder time with warranty.. just not worth it
With luck you can find a cheaper price in EU zone, for example in some tax havens, or play the pound/euro difference to your advantage.. and some stores might have rebate offers, but it might be hard to track one down.
11-05-2013, 06:09 PM   #10
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Come live in Australia. We pay nothing until we get to $1,000 and then it is a flat 10% and a few minor admin fees.
11-05-2013, 06:16 PM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by Bob from Aus Quote
Come live in Australia. We pay nothing until we get to $1,000 and then it is a flat 10% and a few minor admin fees.
You also pay $2000-$4000 rents in Sydney... and everythings pretty expensive. Unless you live in the Outbacks... other than that lucky you
QuoteOriginally posted by Na Horuk Quote
Yep, US prices seem really sweet to us Europeans, but shipping, import taxes, VAT.. and also long shipping times, having a harder time with warranty.. just not worth it
With luck you can find a cheaper price in EU zone, for example in some tax havens, or play the pound/euro difference to your advantage.. and some stores might have rebate offers, but it might be hard to track one down.
Europe sucks, the prices are incredibly high and everything from outside the EU gets taxes so much that the final price is the same as buying it from somewhere in the EU. pound/euro difference is usually not enough, I think i checked the k-3 £ price and it was about the same as the € price. if you can find a cheap £k-3 post it in the price watch Pentax Price Watch - PentaxForums.com
11-05-2013, 08:23 PM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by tripodquest Quote
You also pay $2000-$4000 rents in Sydney... and everythings pretty expensive. Unless you live in the Outbacks... other than that lucky you
I assume you mean that as a monthly rent in the expensive suburbs. You wouldn't pay that out here where I live.

I haven't paid rent for over 40 years since we bought our first home for $15,000 - so I'm a bit out of touch with the rental market.
11-06-2013, 12:48 AM   #13
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In Denmark at least, they add 25% sales tax and customs on top of that. If you have it shipped without a customs declaration, you are fined with the double amount.

On the plus side then, I have three children and school is free all the way, including university tuition - so I can probably pay the extra camera expenses with some of what I save on that account?
(Right, I won't pursue that line of argument any further outside the off-topic forums! )
11-06-2013, 01:41 AM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by tripodquest Quote
Since finding a store that will do markdown is hard enough, suppose I import a k-3 and I have to pay taxes. How much would the taxes be? One listing on fleabay offered a service where they pay the fees so it goes through customs without a hassle. In that the tax/fee was listed as $680 something. Is that for real?
It's not worth it, especially if there's a problem. First, you get a two year warranty within the EU. I don't know what country you're in, but the typically lowest prices on Pentax are in NL and FR. The DE/AT/CH distributor is a disaster and when there are markdowns/promotions/rebates, they scam by making dealers raise the prices. I see this every single time they do the rebate programs- the formerly lower price gets raised ON THE FIRST DAY of the eligible rebate period to well beyond the rebate amount. Luckily, I used a brick and mortar sponsor of the German forum via a price-checking site, who was something nuts, like 130 Euros lower, plus I got the rebate. That was the last one at that price, so there might have been some lag before their new pricing took effect, but I was lucky and sniped it.

The only way I'd get it from the US like that is if I went there (which I frequently do). Then I'd look into buying an extended, worldwide warranty.

Also note that someone above said "EU Customs". There is no "EU Customs", per se. Each individual country in the EU and sometimes overlapping Schengen Area are charged with managing their own ports of entry. So you have to go to the customs office of the port it might come through (which is not always cut and dry, depending on where you are). Then your country's VAT is different and they also base things on the local pricing. It's more hassle than it's worth, really.
11-06-2013, 02:05 AM   #15
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For digital cameras there shouldn't be any import duties: (TARIC Measure Information)
For some reason the EU has decided that there is no internal digital camera market to protect. It's the VAT that gets you.

There is import duty on lenses though, which makes lenses from outside the EU even more uninteresting then cameras.
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