[Elecraft] Import duties on amateur radio items

[TF3KX]

Hi, Dave - thanks for the compliments on our country.  Hope you will be able
to make it for a visit some other time...

You are right in that our taxes (the VAT in this case) are tough and they
are taken "as far as they can".  But to be fair, I believe the system is
also reasonable to some extent, in that broken things, things that need to
be returned or things that are sent as replacements, will only bear the VAT
to the extent of their value.  I have not had much experience with
broken/returned equipment (fortunately), but I believe that if an item
arrives non-functional and needs to be returned I will get the VAT refunded,
or the VAT will be retained by the customs and I will then not pay the VAT
again on the replacement when it arrives.

In the case of the transistor and missing capacitor from Elecraft I could
convince them up front that this was simply a part of the original K2
purchase and had been missing/defect there, and thus I did not have to make
any additional payments.  But my point is that a small envelope that has a
sticker with $1 designation for the content would not automatically be sent
to my home address.  Instead it was about to go through the routine process
with all its paperwork and expenses - in other words, there is no minimum
here below which small shipments are simply exempt.

Well - I guess this is getting a bit off tangent for the Elecraft
reflector...

73 - Kristinn, TF3KX


T. David Yarnes wrote:
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "TF3KX" <kristinn1 at gmail.com>
> To: <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Tuesday, April 08, 2008 11:12 AM
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Import duties on amateur radio items
> 
> 
>>
>> The "import duty" is not the problem, but the VAT 
>> (somewhat similar to the US
>> sales tax), which is exceedingly high in many European 
>> countries.
>>
>> I wonder if anyone tops the Icelandic VAT, 24.5%, which is 
>> added on the
>> total package value:  Content price + shipping + 
>> insurance.  Additionally, I
>> may be charged for the paperwork ($10-20), and to top it 
>> all they may
>> occasionally request a permit from the Post and Telegraph 
>> Authorities for
>> "radio components".  This is what I had to go through when 
>> ordering my K2 a
>> couple of months ago.
> 
> 
> Kristinn,
> 
> Oooooooooh!  That's nasty!  And they charge VAT on your 
> shipping and insurance too!  Very punitive I would say.  I 
> guess the U.K. does that too.  I can sort of understand 
> including shipping, as it is a cost of acquisiton. 
> Insurance, though, seems like a bit of a stretch.  But both 
> seem inequitable if you consider the (fortunate) person who 
> can carry the product in, and avoid the VAT charge for 
> shipping and insurance.  On the other hand, taxes are rarely 
> equitable!
> 
> This raises a question in my mind for you VAT payers.  If 
> you pay the VAT, and then discover that your item has been 
> more or less destroyed in shipping, do you get any refund on 
> the VAT?  What happens on the replacement item, assuming you 
> get one?  Perhaps your comment about the replacement part 
> suggests you wouldn't pay the VAT twice.
> 
> I know Iceland is expensive, and the economy is fragile to 
> some extent, but I didn't realize it was so harsh on its 
> citizens who are forced to import many things, or go 
> without.  However, I know it's a beautiful place with a 
> fascinating history.  We did try to go there a few years 
> ago.  Unfortunately, our cruise ship ran into a hurricane. 
> We apparently got within about 150 miles of Reykjavik, and 
> the captain had to give up.  The props on the ship came out 
> of the water twice!  So, missed the chance to make a small 
> contribution to the economy there.  Very disappointing.
> 
> 
> Dave W7AQK
> 
> 
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