Bypassing local custom taxes?

[reigndeerz]

Hi all,

I don''t live in the States, but my sister is currently residing in the States.

I was thinking if it was possible to purchase a diamond online, and have it mailed to my sister, before getting her to send it to me via an insured DHL package.

By doing so, would I be able to bypass my local custom taxes? I did some quick calculations, and I would be able to save almost $100 of taxes from the stone''s online retail price of $2300, after accounting for the insured shipping.

Would I have any troubles doing the above?

thanks

 

[Todd Gray]

Date: 11/2/2009 9:52:53 AM
Author:reigndeerz
I was thinking if it was possible to purchase a diamond online, and have it mailed to my sister, before getting her to send it to me via an insured DHL package.

Okay, you''ve got 22 views and apparently nobody wants to point out the obvious, so I''ll bite... Have you stopped to consider the fact that U.S. Customs and most likely the customs department of the country in which you reside, demand declaration of contents for international packages? And most packages are either subjected to X-ray or simply being opened for the contents to be inspected?

And the fact that insured shipping will result in clear declaration of content value - in which case, the customs department is going to want to know what is in the box AND is going to collect a duty from you anyway?!?!

AND the fact that the cost of insured international shipping is probably going to be in the range of $57.00 USD anyway - oh, and the fact that the standard insurance policy for DHL probably has an exclusion for jewelry items valued at more than $500.00 USD hidden on page 500 of their shipping policy written in something like seven point print?

AND if you and your sister are caught attempting to smuggle a diamond through U.S. Customs and that of whatever country you reside in, that the act is most likely a felony? Best case scenario is probably that you lose the diamond and get fined no less than three times the amount of whatever the customs import tax would be - worse case scenario is a stack of legal bills and maybe some jail time?

Yea, that''s a hundred bucks well saved... I don''t mean to be a total jerk, but I don''t want a thread like this to get somebody else into trouble so I''m going to answer it REAL STRAIGHT & REAL DIRECT.

 

[4ever]

It dosn''t matter if the diamond company sends it to you directly or if your sister sends it, you still need to declare what''s in the package. They will most likely check anyway, especially since it will be insured.

Even if your sister was to mark the contence as a gift (which people often do to avoid paying inport taxes) you would have to pay tax on it because it would be well over the acceptable value of a tax free ''gift''.

I know it sucks to pay a lot of money just to get your bling into the country (I resently have to fork over $300 to the govt for a necklace) but your can''t get around it and it''s probably pretty illigal to do so.

Suck it up and pay the money.