-JC-

My Feedback: (26)

Anyone with experience purchasing a kit and accessories from Europe as a private individual ? Is there any import duty on RC airplanes or turbines.
What about sales tax once it arrives?

Whats your experience with customs brokers? Do it yourself or use the shipping company

Thanks guys

BaldEagel

In Europe the VAT (Value Added Tax) varies from country too country, In the UK its 17.5% in Germany its 19% this is not applied to exported items so look at the price of what you are buying and deduct the VAT if its already been added, I don't know about US import duties, but in the UK there is no Import duty anymore, but VAT can be applied unless the sender has denoted the item as "Toy Aircraft Parts" on the Custom Forms.

Mike

WhoDaMan

My Feedback: (164)

Hi John:
I can not tell you for other country's but when I got my F-84 from Belgium there was no Vat but the tax people at the airport were looking hard at me, They said that Sweden and Belgium were the two that had no tax on it, That was about 5 years ago

Dave

u2fast

My Feedback: (37)

most of my props and jets come from europe and no tax yet. two are due in any week and the last one i did get was about 8 months ago. i did get a terror alert hold on one of my jets. they let me keep the big red sheet that was slapped on the box. i had to go to customs and say hello. since then, there has been no issue. barry

-JC-

My Feedback: (26)

Thanks for the update.

What about the use tax issue? Is that specific for CA or is that all states? I remember someone was hit with a large tax bill for some kind of import

Wayne22

My Feedback: (2)

apparently Ca can collect state tax on out-of state purchases....domestic purchases from another state are fairly hard to catch, but imports from outside the USA are easy since everything is reported to US customs, is well documented, and easy to audit. The fellow with the big tax bill got caught it an audit after the fact...

David Searles

My Feedback: (49)

John,

The CA Franchise Tax Board will eventually catch up and send you a sales tax bill for international purchases imported thru CA Customs. The tax is based on the value assigned to the product by the seller in the export paperwork. I have imported several aircraft from Germany. A couple of 40 & 50% aerobatic gas prop planes as well as 3 jets over the years. The longest it's taken them to catch up to the paperwork was two years, but they do eventually get you. I think it was about 5% of invoice value, if I remember correctly.

The Customs paperwork is really very simple and the State Customs Office is only about five minutes from LAX, so the last couple of jets I imported, I just did my own paperwork to save the agent fees. Takes maybe an hour at most, once you get the paperwork from the shipper to take it to the Customs office and file.

David S

Ram008

Yes, imported a few kits direct from Germany and paid the fees when picking up the crates from customs at O'Hare.

Bryce Watson

My Feedback: (6)

I received a large import tax bill from the US Government due to an intentional oversite on my part by not returning the ATA Carnet when I received my model back stateside after competing in the 6th Jet World Masters in Hungary back in 2005. I really did not think it was that important, guess I should have read the fine print. Nonetheless, one phone call to the Feds to advise them of my mistake and the bill was wiped clean with an apology. I assured them it would not happen again and all was forgiven. Seems like U.S. government is always watching, especially when it comes to documentation.

Good Luck with your future RC related item imports.

Bryce