Import duties/taxes/fines

TheCasketMan

Keyblade Apprentice
OP
Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2011
Messages
945
Trophies
1
Location
Orlando, FL
XP
2,580
Country
United States
Will I be charged extra if I import a new 3ds TO the United States FROM Europe? I do not have any experience importing stuff, so I do not how to deal with import taxes or any fines IF I get one.
 

FAST6191

Techromancer
Editorial Team
Joined
Nov 21, 2005
Messages
36,795
Trophies
5
XP
28,507
Country
United Kingdom
We could go long into accounting and general concepts, and there may also be something you are supposed to declare in taxes if you are doing the law abiding citizen bit. However for low value items like this then it will probably be in line with base sales tax (and that may be an imagined value so you might have to go justify it with a bank statement/receipt), technically such a thing being called use tax in the US/Florida ( http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/taxes/consumer.html ) though it is probably the most evaded tax anywhere in the US.

Whether you get charged it... that would be a gamble really. Least likely is you wandering back through an airport with it, shipping is far more likely to see it pinged (though still not likely) and if you do not declare use tax yourself then for low value items like this whatever company is shipping it when stateside will usually get you to come to a depot to pay for it (or possibly pay online and have it shipped on). Depending upon what goes you might also be able to avoid having to pay European sales tax (usually around 20% but can be higher depending upon where you are buying it) which should offset 6% that quite nicely.
 

Phantombrainm

Member
Newcomer
Joined
Mar 27, 2013
Messages
16
Trophies
0
Age
46
XP
127
Country
Gambia, The
Why are you gonna buy new 3DS´es from Germany while I'm importing from Australia? Strange world ;)

Also N3DS ist not out here yet? And they won't use your US region so your local games won't run?
 

jefffisher

Well-Known Member
Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2006
Messages
1,621
Trophies
1
XP
2,073
Country
United States
I just want to be sure, since I do not want to be surprised with a big amount. If I do get charged, who will collect the import tax, the postman or do I have to mail in the money?
there are never any import taxes on video games in america, you could literally import 20,000 of them and wont pay a cent in taxes.
the only taxes on video games are regular state sales tax which only apply if you are buying from in state.
 

prowler

Sony
Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2009
Messages
9,475
Trophies
3
Location
Ragol
XP
3,294
Country
Zimbabwe

jefffisher

Well-Known Member
Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2006
Messages
1,621
Trophies
1
XP
2,073
Country
United States
You'll get custom taxed on a 3DS. As with everything in the US, the charge all depends on the state.

User posted a review of the 3DS and kindly updated us of his custom charge https://gbatemp.net/review/new-3ds-xl-aus-american-import.240/ and there has been other reports on being charged all over the internet.
you mean the $2 mentioned? he didn't have to pay that it's included in the $17 shipping play asia charges it's not extra, and i don't know where it goes but it's not a tax and doesn't go to the united states government maybe the shipper keeps it for something maybe its a fee play asia had to pay to get it out of australia and they're passing the cost into the customers.
i know it sounds weird to you as a european but americans typically do not pay import taxes, and TheCasketMan will not have to pay anything extra on top of normal shipping fees if he buys a 3ds from germany now.https://gbatemp.net/members/thecasketman.283622/
 

flarn2006

Well-Known Member
Member
Joined
Apr 6, 2014
Messages
394
Trophies
0
Age
31
XP
558
Country
United States
Why would you have to pay a fine? In case your English isn't very good, a fine isn't like a tax or a duty; it's something you have to pay as a penalty for breaking a law.
 

FAST6191

Techromancer
Editorial Team
Joined
Nov 21, 2005
Messages
36,795
Trophies
5
XP
28,507
Country
United Kingdom
Why would you have to pay a fine? In case your English isn't very good, a fine isn't like a tax or a duty; it's something you have to pay as a penalty for breaking a law.
In some places you do get the "because we caught you" bonus money, likewise with the "we took care of it for you" thing you occasionally see if not fines then extra fees.
 

Site & Scene News

Popular threads in this forum

General chit-chat
Help Users
    SylverReZ @ SylverReZ: Yeah, it's not going to happen suddenly, it takes a while for somebody to buy it, ofc.