no import tax duties on camera gear in EU

bastic

bastic

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in 2008 USA, Japan and Taiwan complained to WTO that EU is wrongly adding import duty to electronics....

i took them a while but finally WTO said that EU can not add those to cameras, mobiles and some other electronics.

EU has some time to appeal....but maybe soon and finally we can expect prices on dSLR's to drop :)
 
The manufacturers will just keep more of it
 
bastic said:
in 2008 USA, Japan and Taiwan complained to WTO that EU is wrongly adding import duty to electronics....

i took them a while but finally WTO said that EU can not add those to cameras, mobiles and some other electronics.

EU has some time to appeal....but maybe soon and finally we can expect prices on dSLR's to drop :)
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probably by around 2.5% and just in time for the VAT increase...:lol:
 
There isn't any import duty on DSLR's now....zero rated and have been for a year or so. Lenses attract duty at 6% though.

Bob
 
Canon Bob said:
There isn't any import duty on DSLR's now....zero rated and have been for a year or so. Lenses attract duty at 6% though.

Bob
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So why do we all pay extortionately more than our american or asian friends?
 
There is no import duty payable on DSLR but there is on lenses ect. VAT is still payable though. The difference in prices between the USA and UK is not that great for Cameras although it will fluctuate a lot depending on the currency exchange prices.
As an example the current B & H price for a 7D is $1539.95 + the local taxes. At today's exchange rate that takes it over the £1k.

The thing when comparing say UK prices with USA prices is that the Weaker the pound is against the Dollar then the more favourable the UK price seems.
 
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daugirdas said:
So why do we all pay extortionately more than our american or asian friends?
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I am not sure there is a lot of difference between the USA and UK for Cameras.
A couple of quick examples from the B & H prices
1D4
$5000 + the local tax (I think around 6%) - £3419 at todays exchange rate
UK best = £3432 according to camerapricebusters

5DII
B & H = $2500 + 6% = $2650 at exchange rate = £1709
UK best = £1675 according to camerapricebusters
 
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The US prices are normally ex Tax whereas ours are shown with VAT already added on.

Adam
 
Roy C said:
I am not sure there is a lot of difference between the USA and UK for Cameras.
A couple of quick examples from the B & H prices
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Naughty Roy. Fancy using facts to support your argument. Everybody knows that such things are more expensive in the UK - they must be, it said so in the Daily Mule.
 
The thing when comparing say UK prices with USA prices is that the Weaker the pound is against the Dollar then the more favourable the UK price seems
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And vice-versa..

I know when we where getting nearly two dollars to the pound some years ago then buying stateside was worth it, as the pound has weakened its become less and less of a viable option.

I bought what was an £800 guitar here from a Florida company with the local discounted price, exchange rate, shipping, insurance and import duty/vat it only cost me £365 at the time, a huge saving.

The other downside now is American companies are forced to charge VAT directly themselves, a lot don't like doing that, its also worth noting that VAT rates vary within Europe.
Technically a lens is optical goods, and thus zero rated though try convincing customs its an optical item, I've been able to do so for astronomy eyepieces, but failed when it comes to lenses.
 
iancandler said:
The other downside now is American companies are forced to charge VAT directly themselves, a lot don't like doing that, its also worth noting that VAT rates vary within Europe.
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Yes, American companies should charge VAT for purchases available for download. For hardware the VAT is charged by the delivery company - for an exorbitant fee (I've been charged anything from £8 to £15).

Different VAT levels in the EU help explain some strnage anomalies - like the fact that buying the DVD version of Photoshop is actually cheaper than buying the download version. Because the download version comes from 'even more of a rip-off' Eire, where VAT is higher.
 
Roy C said:
I am not sure there is a lot of difference between the USA and UK for Cameras.
A couple of quick examples from the B & H prices
1D4
$5000 + the local tax (I think around 6%) - £3419 at todays exchange rate
UK best = £3432 according to camerapricebusters

5DII
B & H = $2500 + 6% = $2650 at exchange rate = £1709
UK best = £1675 according to camerapricebusters
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NY is closer to 8% sales tax.
 
iancandler said:
And vice-versa..
I know when we where getting nearly two dollars to the pound some years ago then buying stateside was worth it, as the pound has weakened its become less and less of a viable option.
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Yep, the exchange rate counts for a lot and over just the past five years or so has fluctuated between just over one dollar to the pound and nearly two dollars to the pound as you say. The actual cost of goods in both the UK and the USA can stay the same but currency fluctuation will make them appear very different.
Just last year there was a time when the pound went down to about 1.1 pounds to the dollar and Camera prices appeared some what cheaper in the UK than the states.
The thing that has pushed the prices up for both the states and the UK over the past year has been the strength of the yen against just about all major currencies.

Overall the US will always get better prices than us because of the sheer size of the market - a market like the UK would be small potatoes for the likes of Canon and Nikon when compared to the US.
Even in this country there are variations due to the size of the community - I live in the back waters of North Devon and you pay top price for just about everything Camera wise, thank goodness for the Internet !
 
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Just last year there was a time when the pound went down to about 1.1 pounds to the dollar and Camera prices appeared some what cheaper in the UK than the states.
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Sorry that is just plain untrue

The lowest the UK£ Has reached against the Dollar in the last 24 months is 1 UK = 1.42 US

The Nearest to 1.1 to 1 was 1985

dollar-verylong.gif


And I can assure you as someone who's home is in the UK but has his wages paid by my US Employer into my US$ Bank account, I keep a VERY careful eye on the exchange rate, and at the moment the 1.5/1 is giving me a pay ridse of nearly 25% over the 2/1 it was a few years ago
 
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Roy C said:
Yes you are right, the lowest it got was 1.35 in the second week of January last year.
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Cheers, Bu66er I missed out at 1.35 then I managed to draw some out from my US Account at 1.42 but I missed the 1.35. Everytime It goes down it makes pay day so much nicer, I was crying in my beer when it was over 2.1/1!
 
malla1962 said:
Live on the moon mate but if you walk in to a shop in NY, any shop in NY and you will pay the Sales Tax. Been there and done it.
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But you can always claim it back.

I live in TX and always order my equipment from out of state as I don't have to pay tax.
 
andrewc said:
UK mains chargers are made out of gold and unobtainium.
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That must be why they are so much better than all the other chargers. North American ones in particular, a couple of bits of flimsy metal stuck into a bit of wobbly plastic. It never seems to be able to keep itself in a plughole properly without any force applied to it, let alone being bashed around a little!:thumbsdown:

As for prices, it's all rubbish. It's the lack of tax (mostly) on the display prices that makes it seem cheap. Ever time I go over there I'm always suprised at how expensive stuff actually is over there.
 
AB22 Easy Tiger said:
But you can always claim it back.

I live in TX and always order my equipment from out of state as I don't have to pay tax.
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I have never managed to claim it back!But I now get gear shipped from NY to my mates in Michigan and not pay it in the first place.
 
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