import tax/fee?

[Lasse Hilbrandt]

Here in Denmark the taxes are horrible. If I buy something outside the EU the item will be taxed between 25-40 %

If you Americans bought some tool from Japan, would you have to pay some sort of tax or import fee ?

[Brian Henderson]

Nope, no fees of any kind from anywhere on the planet.

[Jerome Stanek]

Nope, no fees of any kind from anywhere on the planet.

Try buying from China directly and see what the import tax is.

[David Helm]

If we had tarrifs we would still have manufacturing in the U.S.

[Randy Rose]

If we had tarrifs we would still have manufacturing in the U.S.

I understand your point, however there are thousands of U.S. tariffs currently in effect. Every thing from asparagus to woolen clothing.

On the other hand, the O.P. may be asking about a direct tax/fee levied on the end purchaser as opposed to a "hidden" cost folded into the importation of goods.

On a slightly different note, the European V.A.T. ( value added tax) is horrendous ( at least from an "American" viewpoint.)

[Art Mann]

If we had tarrifs we would still have manufacturing in the U.S.

I'm not so sure about that. I shudder to think how much cars would cost and how unreliable they would be without foreign competition. This is coming from a guy who spent a majority of his career designing and building automotive electronics for US manufacturers and who lost his job to foreign competition. I was there for the great automotive upheaval when the US manufacturers finally realized they could no longer convince people to buy poor quality cars by simply advertising more. I was there when the Mexicans and Chinese finally learned how to build electronics on a huge scale that was comparable to US quality for half the price.

[Rich Riddle]

Here in Denmark the taxes are horrible. If I buy something outside the EU the item will be taxed between 25-40 %

If you Americans bought some tool from Japan, would you have to pay some sort of tax or import fee ?
It depends upon what you purchase. I have some decent watches and have purchased some from overseas sellers. Many time watch buyers get hit with both import taxes, import fees, and broker fees when purchasing watches. The broker pays customs and import fees, tacks on his fees, and then collects from you. At times those fees can be prohibitive.

[Brian Henderson]

Try buying from China directly and see what the import tax is.

I don't recall if I've gotten anything from China, but I've gotten things from Japan, all through Europe, Australia and South America and never paid a penny.

[roger wiegand]

Yes, tariffs are very much alive and well albeit much lower than they used to be. Enforcement on small one-off shipments is pretty well nonexistent, which is why some might think they don't exist, but if you shipper accurately fill out the customs forms there will often be a fee to be paid. Most shippers just lie on the form and get away with it. If you start shipping by the container load you'd better become good friends with your customs broker and local officials, and plan on happy hours reading the harmonized code to figure out where your products fall.

For example, here is a link to the tariff table related to woodworking: https://hts.usitc.gov/?query=woodworking

[Jim Becker]

Any applicable import tariffs in the US are pretty much built into the item's price. Sales taxes are collected on items based on individual state tax regulations...averaging 5-6%, give or take. Some states like Delaware do not have sales taxes.

[Gerry Grzadzinski]

Try buying from China directly and see what the import tax is.

..
You can buy a ton of stuff directly from China through Ebay without paying any taxes or fees

[roger wiegand]

..
You can buy a ton of stuff directly from China through Ebay without paying any taxes or fees

Right, but that's not because you don't owe them. In the same way that in most states you owe "use tax" in lieu of sales tax on items purchased out of state. Anyone ever report their purchases and pay the tax other than on a car (where you have to pay before you can register the vehicle)? Anyone ever get prosecuted for not paying? Neither the states nor the feds can afford to go after small time violators, that's why they try to get Amazon et al to collect the taxes for them.

If the seller accurately fills out the customs form USPS or FedEx will collect any duties owed before they deliver the package.

[Jon Nuckles]

Right, but that's not because you don't owe them. In the same way that in most states you owe "use tax" in lieu of sales tax on items purchased out of state. Anyone ever report their purchases and pay the tax other than on a car (where you have to pay before you can register the vehicle)? Anyone ever get prosecuted for not paying? Neither the states nor the feds can afford to go after small time violators, that's why they try to get Amazon et al to collect the taxes for them.

I have learned that many people, judging by posts on this forum and other woodworking sites, think it is acceptable to order online and "save" the taxes. I don't understand it. I declare and pay the tax, which is pretty high here in Illinois. I consider cheating on your taxes to be stealing from people who pay their fair share. I know many think that government is wasteful and taxes are too high. Even if you believe this, failing to pay your fair share doesn't fix that problem, it just shifts the burden to your neighbor. I hope this post isn't seen as political, as all I am saying is that people should obey the law. End of rant.