Customs Duties payment and tax On Ham Radio Equipment

[A71AN]

I did read once one of the Threads here that Ham Radio is a service for the communities and then it is a happy.

If so why should a Ham pay customs and tax on buying his equipment?

More over, when equipment exported abroad why the tax included, for example, when I go to buy something from a shop on the state side, the price advertised do include the tax which the local person will have to pay, and when it is exported abroad the buyer have to pay tax on his imported equipment again, so why those shops do not drop the tax for exported items?

Don’t you think if Ham Radio is a service first then a hobby should be free of tax and customs duties?

Please I need your opinion about this matter

Thank you and wishing you all of the best


73 my friends

[KC6ZLV]

If you walk into a store in the US you will be charged sales tax, if that jurisdiction has a sales tax. If you order over the internet chances are they will not charge you sales tax.

Actually, if you walk into a store and request they ship it to an address out of state (or foreign), they will probably drop the sales tax if they sell over the internet.

Taxes in other countries, well, that is up to each individual country. Some are really adamant about collecting taxes, some aren't.

In order to understand why they do this you have to take into consideration the type of individual (politician) that thinks everything you bring into your country should be taxed, which is, they think someone bringing a radio home is getting away with something (not paying taxes), or they have a mental disorder that makes them think everyone is going to start doing it, which is absurd.

[K8ERV]

If you order over the internet chances are they will not charge you sales tax..

Wish you would explain that to Dell when they charged me $43 tax on my laptop. I went thru 3 agents and two phone hang-ups, to no avail. Don't think Dell has a Nexus in Colorado. Bummer.


TOM K8ERV Montrose Colo

[WW3QB]

Wish you would explain that to Dell when they charged me $43 tax on my laptop. I went thru 3 agents and two phone hang-ups, to no avail. Don't think Dell has a Nexus in Colorado. Bummer.

Dell has a state government purchasing office in Littleton (and most states).

[K1CJS]

Wish you would explain that to Dell when they charged me $43 tax on my laptop. I went thru 3 agents and two phone hang-ups, to no avail. Don't think Dell has a Nexus in Colorado. Bummer.


TOM K8ERV Montrose Colo

There are some companies that will charge the state sales tax and then NOT remit it to the state. It has been known to happen--and some of them have been prosecuted for it. I'm not saying that Dell does it, but they sure as heck have some VERY questionable and creative charges that they impose on customers that deal directly with their 'financing' division.

I've gotten socked with those nebulous charges to the tune of over $300.00, and I absolutely refuse to do any further business with Dell because of them.

To the original question, even if the ham radio hobby is considered a service, and that 'service' benefits the community--ham radio is also (some would say first) considered a HOBBY, and as such there is no requirement that the ham radio hobbiest participate in any sort of community service.

Any other materials or equipment purchased for personal purposes such as a hobby is subject to Customs tariffs, so ham radio equipment should not be considered an exception to the rules. If it was, then there would be people who want exceptions made for just about everything, and that just isn't practical--or possible.

[K1CJS]

If you walk into a store in the US you will be charged sales tax, if that jurisdiction has a sales tax. If you order over the internet chances are they will not charge you sales tax......

If the company has a presence in a state (and is therefore registered as a 'resident' business in the state) that has a sales tax and they sell to a person who lives in that state, they are required to collect the sales tax on that sale whether or not it is an 'in person' sale or a sale through the mails or internet.

Granted, that isn't always followed. There again, many companies locate in states where there is no sales tax so they can sell freely to anyone anywhere and not have to bother with collecting and remitting sales taxes.

[N2RJ]

The law in my former home country (Trinidad and Tobago) is that all ham radio equipment is duty free.

Of course the actual customs officials are notoriously corrupt, so they will probably end up charging you duty anyway or threaten to seize your equipment.

I know especially that when foreigners are bringing in equipment they want to charge them a bond to bring the equipment in.

CUSTOMS ACT CHAPTER 78:01
EFFECTIVE 1st January 1991

TABLE OF EXEMPTION FROM DUTY - Continued

Item
General Heading: No. Goods exempt from payment of Customs Duty

Television Broad-
Casting and Amateur
Radio Operators
Goods for 40
(i) Instruments apparatus, equipment and
materials, including records and tapes
for radio and television broadcasting,
imported by on behalf of any radio or
television broadcasting company as
approved by Cabinet and admitted as
such by the Comptroller.

(ii) Amateur radio equipment for use by
holders of valid licences granted by
the Director of Telecommunications to
keep, install, erect or use an amateur
wireless transmitter and admitted by
the Comptroller.





I am wondering if that is the case in Qatar as well?

You'd have to check with your local authorities though.

But yes, I believe that amateur radio equipment should be not only duty free, but exempt from sales tax.

But for me it is a moot point anyway since most of my equipment is procured from stores that are out of state, which means that the stores don't collect any sales tax from me.

[N2RJ]

More over, when equipment exported abroad why the tax included, for example, when I go to buy something from a shop on the state side, the price advertised do include the tax which the local person will have to pay, and when it is exported abroad the buyer have to pay tax on his imported equipment again, so why those shops do not drop the tax for exported items?

If you are ordering equipment to be shipped overseas from the states, stores shouldn't collect any sales tax from you.

If they are doing so, you can probably report them to their state's tax department (or have someone stateside do so).

If you are buying in an actual store front (called a "brick and mortar store" which means a store with a physical location that you can walk into, pay money and walk out with your items) they can and will collect sales tax from you.

So the best way to avoid sales tax is to simply order the items to be shipped overseas.

[NN3W]

I did read once one of the Threads here that Ham Radio is a service for the communities and then it is a happy.

If so why should a Ham pay customs and tax on buying his equipment?

More over, when equipment exported abroad why the tax included, for example, when I go to buy something from a shop on the state side, the price advertised do include the tax which the local person will have to pay, and when it is exported abroad the buyer have to pay tax on his imported equipment again, so why those shops do not drop the tax for exported items?

Don’t you think if Ham Radio is a service first then a hobby should be free of tax and customs duties?

Please I need your opinion about this matter

Thank you and wishing you all of the best


73 my friends


They should not be charging your for sales tax on goods that are shipped out of the state or out of the country.

As to import duties, that is a different issue entirely. That is up to your customs authority, and is payable by the importer of record.

[A71AN]

They should not be charging your for sales tax on goods that are shipped out of the state or out of the country.

As to import duties, that is a different issue entirely. That is up to your customs authority, and is payable by the importer of record.


Thank you my friend, when you see the prices advertized on the net, do that include the tax or the tax added to the buyers later on ?

Thank you my friend and wishing you all of the best


73

[N2RJ]

Thank you my friend, when you see the prices advertized on the net, do that include the tax or the tax added to the buyers later on ?

Thank you my friend and wishing you all of the best


73

Tax is always added later on.

The prices on the net do not include tax.

[K8ERV]

Dell has a state government purchasing office in Littleton (and most states).

Maybe I can encourage them to shut down?

TOM K8ERV Montrose Colo

[wb5ydk]

Usually (but not always) the advertised prices in the U.S. don't include sales tax. They are added on to the purchase. State sales tax amounts vary from state to state. There is no national sales tax in the U.S.

[NN3W]

Thank you my friend, when you see the prices advertized on the net, do that include the tax or the tax added to the buyers later on ?

Thank you my friend and wishing you all of the best


73

Prices are almost always listed before sales tax. There is no VAT tax in the USA, so everything is the base price.

Of course, you still have import duties. According to my WTO database, radio transmitters and parts are assessed a 5.00% tariff for entries into Qatar.

[K8ERV]

There is no national sales tax in the U.S.

I can hardly wait!

TOM K8ERV Montrose Colo

[G0GQK]

The only reason that amateur radio in the USA is called a service is because in documents they couldn't think of any other name for it. In most cases it is regarded as a hobby, most American amateurs regard it as a hobby,like the rest of the world outside America. If it were a service it would be organised like the forestry service, or the coastguard, or the National Guard or any of the vast number of government services.

G0GQK

[PA5COR]

In the EEC countries in Europe no im-port tax for amateur radio equipment is due, just VAT.
I do order lots of stuff from the USA, an simple statement on te customs slip that the equipment is for amateur radio use only is enough.

Just had my 3-500ZG from RFParts, as in the avatar, for half the price as asked by dealers here.

73,
Cor

[cu2jt]

I live in a place where it is hard to get a 47 ohm resistor, not to mention a high voltage variable capacitor. Luckily, I have an American friend who helps me out now and then.

Last month, I asked him to get me spare tubes for my AL-811 amplifier. I found an US dealer who sold 3 matched 811A's at $149, which is about 75 Euros. When the tubes arrived, I had to pay 57 Euros in customs, sales tax and the courier who brought them to my house. Bad luck and very expensive tubes.

I try to buy all radio stuff from dealers within the European Union (no customs) but most Eu dealers still live in a world where the Euro and US dollar had the same value.