[LargeFormat] Import duty and VAT on Ebay purchases

[Hornford, Dave]

Les,
You get to escape because there is no US Federal sales tax. As a
practical rule state sales taxes are only applicable if the seller
maintains a business presence in the state (why you will see x% for
residents of ___ state). Where you can get caught is on import
duties/tariffs on classes of goods.

I recently had a surprise with the purchase of 35mm reels for a Jobo
25xx tank. The package was opened by customs and each reel had a price
tag of $17 on it so I was assessed tax on $170 + the fee although the
purchase was only for $12. Took 3 months for the refund to arrive.

Dave Hornford=20
"There's an inverse relationship between how good something is for you,
and how much fun it is."=20
   --- Calvin and Hobbes

-----Original Message-----
From: Les Newcomer [mailto:lnphoto@twmi.rr.com]=20
Subject: Re: [LargeFormat] Import duty and VAT ON Ebay purchases


My experiences will be useless.... I've bought stuff on ebay from
England,
  Germany, Australia, and Austria, and I did a retail purchase over the
net=20
from the Netherlands.

All of the ebay purchases were small in size, the largest was a nixie
tube=20
clock I bought though Germany and the package was roughly 12x12x16".
the=20
retail purchase was several kitchen knives.

All were tossed in my mailbox or on my porch when I got home. No men in=20
dark glasses and suits with an earphone in one ear ever asked me to=20
contribute to the federal government.  I fully expected the knives to
get=20
hit, but they went from there to Detroit in 4 days.....faster than most
of=20
my ebay purchases that travel 1/4 of the distance.