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Sign up with Google Sign up with FacebookQ: How often do you pay tax on parcels sent to you
I sent my GF my old iphone 3. I just wrote gift on the parcel. She said it wasn't opened ,but post office knew it was a phone and charged her 150RMB. (tax?) I still can't get any answer as to weither she will pay a tax for anything I send. Is everything set to China taxed?
12 years 17 weeks ago in Health & Safety - China
Never paid tax on anything, and have had phones and laptops sent.
Articles sent to China from abroad are subject to different rates of import taxes, depending on article and value. Makes no difference you mark it as a gift or not. What will help some is that you provide the invoice also if "USED" to prove it was purchased months or years ago, that will reduce the value, thus the tax.
You can find easily enough on Internet many places with lists of commodities that are taxed, and tax amount, to large to cover here.
When I came to China, I mailed myself prior to departure from there a Celestron telescope I had for years. It had cost me around $ 300 USD when new, and when arrived here first I was asked for a large tax sum, but after showing the invoice with the purchase date it was lowered to 110 yuan.
On Customs declaration, mark each item as "sample", and keep description generic. For example, claim "sample cream" instead of toothpaste. And keep the total value under $ 100 US dollars. As long as you do not use some trigger words like "electronics". electric, laptop, etc the parcel may not be taxed if it bothers you. But be aware, if you really go way out and do not have some accuracy, you run the risk of have the parcel confiscated because of contraband.
iPhones, or any Apple product in particular have the import tax heavily applied as a face measure of stamping out the Apple grey market here. If you sent her anything else, it would probably not be taxed at all.
Sangoku:
You're indeed right. Not only through parcel, Apple products are taxed, but through the customs too when you arrive at the airport.