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GreenFloyd
Joined: 03 May 2010
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 Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 10:46 pm Post subject: Importing a Laptop ~ Customs Duty and VAT?? |
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Hello,
I plan in buying a laptop and having it imported here. Do you guys know about the customs? Apparently I have to pay a 10% VAT from what I've researched, but that means almost $160.... that's a lot of money. Any way around this? Would it work to have my parents ship it, mark it as a gift, and mark the price down by about half?
Thanks for the help. |
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Eglayzer
Joined: 22 Feb 2009
Location: Gimhae-si, near Busan
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| Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 10:56 pm Post subject: |
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| I buy electronics online all the time. I have them shipped to my sister in the US who I pay to then mail to me. Do not mark it as a gift. They migth tax it as a "new" item or something weird. Just mark it as being worth less than 150$ and as a "used" item. Then you can pretty much import anything except meat. |
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GreenFloyd
Joined: 03 May 2010
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| Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 11:07 pm Post subject: |
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| Even if it's around 15 lbs? They won't inspect the box? |
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Eglayzer
Joined: 22 Feb 2009
Location: Gimhae-si, near Busan
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| Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 11:54 pm Post subject: |
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| I dont think weight has anthing to do with it. I have bought cameras and ipods that way with no problems. If you are really worried about it, have your parents in the US take the computer out of the original box and pack it in something else. This way, it just looks like you are shipping a used laptop. The Korean government can not tax your parents sending you stuff that used, only new items. |
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GreenFloyd
Joined: 03 May 2010
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| Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 4:20 am Post subject: |
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| To be honest I'm sort of concerned with marking a new laptop as a used item for under $150.. especially at the size and weight of it. Won't that set off any red flags? And what if they inspect and catch the lie... then what? What could I mark it as if not a laptop? |
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Eglayzer
Joined: 22 Feb 2009
Location: Gimhae-si, near Busan
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| Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 4:22 am Post subject: |
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| No. Everything will be fine. |
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alljokingaside
Joined: 17 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 7:55 am Post subject: |
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| have them open it up before they send it |
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Kimchifart
Joined: 15 Sep 2010
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| Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 2:53 pm Post subject: Re: Importing a Laptop ~ Customs Duty and VAT?? |
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| GreenFloyd wrote: |
Hello,
I plan in buying a laptop and having it imported here. Do you guys know about the customs? Apparently I have to pay a 10% VAT from what I've researched, but that means almost $160.... that's a lot of money. Any way around this? Would it work to have my parents ship it, mark it as a gift, and mark the price down by about half?
Thanks for the help. |
Get them to DHL it, those courier services aren't checked as often in my experience.
Source: a hunch of mine. |
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hwangsa
Joined: 04 May 2011
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| Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2011 9:23 pm Post subject: Re: Importing a Laptop ~ Customs Duty and VAT?? |
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| Kimchifart wrote: |
| GreenFloyd wrote: |
Hello,
I plan in buying a laptop and having it imported here. Do you guys know about the customs? Apparently I have to pay a 10% VAT from what I've researched, but that means almost $160.... that's a lot of money. Any way around this? Would it work to have my parents ship it, mark it as a gift, and mark the price down by about half?
Thanks for the help. |
Get them to DHL it, those courier services aren't checked as often in my experience.
Source: a hunch of mine. |
Yeah, I've actually had something sent to me through DHL, brand new, valued at over $1000... and mysteriously, it went straight to my house. I think the smaller packages get through a lot easier than the big ones. I've always just had my mom or brother create an invoice and say the item is used and was repaired. This works quite well... (knock on wood) |
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tran.huongthu
Joined: 23 May 2011
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| Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2011 6:34 am Post subject: |
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| What is preventing customs from taxing it regardless? Also isn't it possible that your valuable electronics item gets stolen if someone knows what it is? It seems way too risky to send anything of great value through the mail. |
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Weigookin74
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2011 9:36 pm Post subject: |
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| Why not just buy a laptop here? Duties, taxes, shipping fees of some sort make it unworth it. Think I bought an HP laptop for a million won in the spring at High Mart. I told them to install English Windows 7 and it was done. As a bonus, I can still type in Hanguel if I want to impress some K chicks. (But that's my interest maybe not yours. lol) You just need to slip a North American outlet adapter on it when you go home or go to Best Buy and get a new cord. You're good to go. |
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Weigookin74
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2011 9:38 pm Post subject: |
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| Youngsan might have some ven better deals or at least you might get some things thrown in like English Office (Word, Power point, etc) package or something. You can negotiate it, I have faith in you! |
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alljokingaside
Joined: 17 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2011 8:40 pm Post subject: |
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| Weigookin74 wrote: |
| Why not just buy a laptop here? Duties, taxes, shipping fees of some sort make it unworth it. Think I bought an HP laptop for a million won in the spring at High Mart. I told them to install English Windows 7 and it was done. As a bonus, I can still type in Hanguel if I want to impress some K chicks. (But that's my interest maybe not yours. lol) You just need to slip a North American outlet adapter on it when you go home or go to Best Buy and get a new cord. You're good to go. |
Not true, if you catch deals on laptops from the States (eg the HP 3105m- an amazing ultraportable- for $199 from $440 roughly a month ago) and the specs are usually WAY better for similarly priced items. (at least from what I saw at Lottemart and Costco)
No customs for laptops, but you will pay a VAT at 10% (total costs inc. shipping). I managed to convince the customs official to tax me on the base price, w/o tax though.
If marked as a gift, it should come through untaxed, though don't quote me on that. (I did get a something else pushed through, marked as "gift," though my contact did quote the price below $130)
If it's marked as used, you should be fine though. Have your contact open it beforehand and send the invoice separately (just a paranoid robot, I am). This method, I imagine, can make things a bit more up in the air should anything go wrong though (insurance purposes)
Also, if you have the seller (of purchasing through a seller) send the invoice separately, then it'd look more like "gift" than "item for deceptive waygook bandit" |
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strange_brew
Joined: 12 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2011 9:26 pm Post subject: |
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| Weigookin74 wrote: |
| Why not just buy a laptop here? Duties, taxes, shipping fees of some sort make it unworth it. Think I bought an HP laptop for a million won in the spring at High Mart. I told them to install English Windows 7 and it was done. As a bonus, I can still type in Hanguel if I want to impress some K chicks. (But that's my interest maybe not yours. lol) You just need to slip a North American outlet adapter on it when you go home or go to Best Buy and get a new cord. You're good to go. |
Because prices here are ridiculous. Even after paying shipping, if you can avoid their stupid import taxes, it is much cheaper for a much better machine. |
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GreenFloyd
Joined: 03 May 2010
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| Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2011 6:30 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the help guys.
Yeah, I wanted to buy it here, but I can find a much better computer from Xoticpc.com than anywhere in Korea. I'm looking for a powerful gaming laptop. Although I would love to have hanguel capabilities, but I think I can probably figure out how to do that with some language packs.
I think I'll have my mom open the package, rustle things around, take out the price tags and invoices, and then ship it as a used gift. Sounds like the best thing to do.
Btw, how will I get billed for VAT if I do? Will they call me? Send me an invoice? Will I have to go to Seoul to pick up my package? Ack. |
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