Customs and Duties?

Hi, All:

Just wondering -- I'm getting charged $200 in import taxes for the
SMGTe. Would it have been any different if I ordered the thing myself
from HP Velotechnik direct, or gone to Germany to pick it up and schlep
it over the plane??

TIA!

"NYC XYZ" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi, All:

Just wondering -- I'm getting charged $200 in import taxes for the
SMGTe. Would it have been any different if I ordered the thing myself
from HP Velotechnik direct, or gone to Germany to pick it up and schlep
it over the plane??

Someone previously mentioned having a bike sent in pieces
being classified for import duty as "bicycle parts". For instance,
buy the wheels separately. Also someone mentioned if you
import a bike as "used", it may be taxed less.

The personal exemption for returning US citizens is $800.
Family members residing at the same address may combine
their exemptions.

So, take two or three family members with you, buy the
bike, ride is around Germany for a week or so and then
bring it back free of import duties!

Then if you could arrange to sell it at a loss on ebay
a few weeks later, I'm sure a number of people would
be happy to take it off your hands! %^P

Jon Meinecke

"NYC XYZ" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi, All:

Just wondering -- I'm getting charged $200 in import taxes for the
SMGTe. Would it have been any different if I ordered the thing myself
from HP Velotechnik direct, or gone to Germany to pick it up and schlep
it over the plane??

Someone previously mentioned having a bike sent in pieces
being classified for import duty as "bicycle parts". For instance,
buy the wheels separately. Also someone mentioned if you
import a bike as "used", it may be taxed less.

The personal exemption for returning US citizens is $800.
Family members residing at the same address may combine
their exemptions.

So, take two or three family members with you, buy the
bike, ride is around Germany for a week or so and then
bring it back free of import duties!

Then if you could arrange to sell it at a loss on ebay
a few weeks later, I'm sure a number of people would
be happy to take it off your hands! %^P

Jon Meinecke

LOL!

That reminds me...do you know how come newspapers like the Times (of
London, New York, etc.) came to be so big?

Apparently there had been a tax on each page of a newspaper over a
hundred years ago, so newspapers started printing on larger-sized
paper!

It's amazing the things they can think of to tax....

Jon Meinecke said:

Someone previously mentioned having a bike sent in pieces
being classified for import duty as "bicycle parts". For instance,
buy the wheels separately. Also someone mentioned if you
import a bike as "used", it may be taxed less.

The personal exemption for returning US citizens is $800.
Family members residing at the same address may combine
their exemptions.

So, take two or three family members with you, buy the
bike, ride is around Germany for a week or so and then
bring it back free of import duties!

Then if you could arrange to sell it at a loss on ebay
a few weeks later, I'm sure a number of people would
be happy to take it off your hands! %^P

Jon Meinecke