Customs and duties are some of the most hotly contested topics on local blogs recently, and I can’t help but relate it to my (our?) hobby of amassing toys and CDs produced in Japan. I’ve been hit by the tax man pretty hard too, so of course I’d do everything legitimate in my power to save a buck or two.
If you’re wary of your parcels from online stores getting taxed, there are two ways to avoid them — however keep in mind that this isn’t guaranteed to work 100% of the time. One way is to keep your shipments small, at just under USD 50. These are considered low-value shipments and are less likely to be taxed. Another way is to have the parcel shipped via SAL — which is much slower and not trackable, but is also more likely to fly under the radar and reach your doorstep without getting taxed.
So how do you know if your parcel is being held for customs? If your parcel was sent via EMS and has not reached you three days after it was mailed out, then it was probably flagged for inspection. You can confirm this via three methods: 1) you can check the JAPAN POST or USPS website to check on your parcel via its tracking number; 2) you can wait for your claim voucher to arrive via snail mail; or 3) you can call the EMS call center at (+632) 854-3580 and give them your parcel tracking number for confirmation.
If your parcel is detained at the Bureau of Customs, you have to trek all the way to their office at the EMS Sorting Facility on MIA Road, Pasay City (MAP). Don’t forget to bring your claim voucher, or a printout of the page on the tracking website, and two valid IDs. Once there, you will be asked to open your parcel to determine the value, and then taxes and fees will be levied on the contents.
Generally, the calculations run like this:
[total USD value of parcel * 10% customs dues] + [total USD value of parcel * 12% VAT] + [PhP 750 customs miscellaneous fees] + [PhP 35 Philpost releasing fee]
So if your item is valued at USD 100, and assuming that the conversion rate is PhP 50 to USD 1, you have to pay: [USD 10] + [USD 12] + [PhP 750] + [PhP 35] = PhP1885. Good luck trying to fish that out of your wallet without weeping silently.
I know that it’s my duty as a citizen to pay taxes and dues, and it really wouldn’t be such a big deal if they weren’t so high. Also, I could live with myself better if I knew that the money was going to good use, like building schools or shoring up local businesses. Instead, they go to the pockets of corrupt government officials and greedy politicians.
It’s a lose-lose situation for regular folks like you and me 😦
Starting 31st December 2010, I may no longer be able to regularly reply to queries posted on this thread. However, most cases have already been tackled previously, so I suggest you read through the comments log to find your answers, instead of posting a new question. Thank you very much!
JPOP Manila 
So I just got my Pinkys earlier and have them with me in the office, I just left the box heh. The tax man seemed to be much better compared to the one I was talking to over the phone yesterday. The computation of taxes are indeed painful ._. tho he gave me some discount… He also gave me some tips on how to avoid having the item “supected” or something so that EMS would just send it to your door. Total Price of everthing more or less amounts to the same if I were to purchase the items locally, at least I was able to get a rare artbook that I haven’t seen anywhere ^_^ so that alone is already worth the trouble of trekking to that lonely facility by the airport.
I guess I’d just order my anime figures from play-asia, how I wish play-asia had Pinkys in stock too.
Oh btw, question on HLJ’s FedEx, how come I don’t see it listed as a shipping method when I view an item? I want to see the extimated freight charges if I were to ship with FedEx. I’m awaiting the May Pinky releases, I wish they’d be available locally so that I wouldn’t have to hassle myself again >_>
*Off topic:
Any one with a white yukata Pinky that I could borrow or buy?
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Hi, I have a question, for example that my order shipped through EMS doesn’t get taxed, do they deliver it to my home or do I still have to go and pick it up?
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yes, the parcel will be delivered directly to your residence.
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thank GOD I found your site!!!
I was looking for information about EMS…
I’am planning to buy from EBAY and the seller is from JAPAN..
I want to buy a camera worth $169, most probably i would get taxed right?
packages lost during shipment are rare right? please help.
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if it’s shipped via EMS no matter how expensive the parcel it is it never gets lost. and yes, based on the declared price of the item it will most likely be taxed. you can ask your ebay seller to lower the declared price of the item to save on customs fees, but that will also reduce its insurance value — so if the item is broken during transit you can’t reclaim its full value.
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What are the chances that I will get taxed? Is it safe to assume that if I just keep the package under $50 I won’t get taxed? Will it always work? Thanks.
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keeping the parcel under USD 50 works most of the time, but not all of the time.
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Hi!
I am from Iloilo, I ordered 14 pairs of shoes from China. The packages were sent on the 26th and 29th of April. They were sent through EMS. My questions are:
1. How many days would it take for the package to arrive here in the Philippines?
2. Where should I claim my package? The local post office or the Customs House?
3. If it wont arrive here in Iloilo, should I go to the EMS office at Pasay?
Thank You!
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EMS should take about 3-7 business days, however since the parcel was sent from china (and they are notorious for delays) you’ll need to wait up to ten days or so.
as far as i know, visayas and mindanao parcels are cleared through a local customs depot in cebu — you’ll have to wait for the notice from them before proceeding with the claiming.
the pasay clearing office is mostly for parcels for manila and luzon, but occasionally they also get large parcels meant for vis-min. it’s best to consult with your local post office by giving them a call.
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help! my package was send to my house but i wasnt home and they said that i should go to the post office and just pick it up there, will my package be ok? you think they would tax me?
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i think not since your parcel was already sent to you, you just weren’t around to receive it. you just have to pay the php 35 phil post fee and you’re free to take your parcel home~
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should be I the one accepting the package or can someone else (for example, the guard at my building) do it for me?
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the addressee has to receive the parcel. if you need someone else to sign for it, you need to make out a letter of authority stating that the bearer has been authorized by you to receive the parcel for you. then both he and you need to supply two IDs each for verification purposes, plus photocopies of all of them since the post office sometimes asks for those too. hope that helps~
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hi magnetic rose,
good day, i find your qas very helpful in enlightening people with EMS, honestly, i also experienced this hell day with them.
i bought 2 louis vuitton from ebay, the items are from japan, the seller declared less than the priginal price i bought, but apparnetly the old custom lady shark officer with her aweful angry face charged me with a jaw dropping P4, 000.00, it was really a big amount.
well, i got my lv bags and went home with a broke wallet.
i would not suggest EMS, because it was a very horryfying experience.
more power to you and godbless.
warm regards,
kim
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wow that is pricey — but think of it this way: you still saved some money by buying luxury goods on ebay instead of from a store 🙂 enjoy your new handbags 😀
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ordered some stuff from korea amounting $200.
It’s a bunch of shoes, cds and nail polishes. ❤
Going to customs tomorrow. Will update you on what happens.
I'm bringing a lawyer with me just in case. Hope they won't harass me then. 😀
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bringing a lawyer might be a bit much ^^;; just act cool and don’t be too confrontational so that they don’t notice you and overcharge your parcel. good luck!
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i ordered 3 shoes and 1 bag from this seller from china. $180 in total including shipping fee, but he said that he declared it $10 each item and as gift.
i also ordered 13pcs of clothes from china but from a different seller, worth $109 including shipping fee.i’m not sure if it was declared as gift but the seller said it will be declared in lower value.
both are paid same day and shipped same day.
both packages’ status on ems tracking is “despatched from sorting center” and it’s been like that since may 16, 2010, and it’s not yet delivered. i talked to them (May 20)and said that it’s on its way to manila.
will i receive both packages on the same day?
will i be charged for tax?
and is there other way for me to track my packages?
thank you:)
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given the erratic nature of PHILPOST, it’s very difficult to predict if multiple parcels arrive at the same time. as for tracking, ask your sellers to send you the tracking number and input it at this website to check up on your parcels: http://www.ems.com.cn/qcgzOutQueryAction.do?reqCode=gotoSearchE
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i already have the tracking number, and the status is still the same, “Despatch from Sorting Center ” it’s been like that since may 16. how will i know if my items already arrived here in manila? it’s hard to contact the PO..they’re also not answering
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i believe your parcels are still in china. if the tracking site says “arrival at central post office” it’s already in manila and is either on its way to you or being held by customs for taxation. as for the EMS office, they accept calls from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM from monday to friday — just keep hitting redial until you manage to get someone since the trunkline is always busy and there are only two or three people in their call center.
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A parcel containing two tennis rackets were sent to me from China through EMS, the actual cost plus shipping was $112. The address indicated was Los Banos, Laguna. Three weeks after the parcel was sent a notice from the local post office came telling me that I had to pay taxes of P 3000. I learned that customs valued the items at $300 and computed the taxes based on that value. Is there any way that the taxes could still be reduced or should I just treat this as one of the many sad stories of EMS?
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ouch — it looks like someone from the office knows how much tennis rackets are worth and jacked the prices up accordingly 😦 anyway, once customs officers have made the initial calculations there’s pretty much nothing you can do but pay up 😦
P.S. what model rackets were they? 🙂 just curious, you don’t have to answer if it makes you feel uncomfortable 🙂
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1 week in china? darn! i need the items this week 😦 last may 21 i asked where’s the package because the status is still in “DESPATCH” status, he said that its on its way to manila and he said that he also checked it to ems, it’s already sent “daw” here in philippines. how long does it take ba dapat para dumating dito sa pinas?
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That’s the sad part these rackets from China are the knockoffs of the real ones, or clones. Their playability is not the same as the real one but they are made in the same factory. The actual value is only $84 plus $28 shipping. The rackets are the current BLX models from Wilson, K-Tour 90 and K Six One 95. The form from the customs was attached to the parcel when it was sent from Pasay to Laguna, in fairness the calculation was itemized (same as the formula you shred with us) and written on a Standard form (BC Form No. 116, Statement and Receipts of Duties Collected on Informal Entry). I was hoping to make an appeal to them but going by your experience maybe this will be a futile exercise.
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@ Moe
Just to share, basically we had the same problem, my item was dispatched from China May 1 (It read “despatch from sorting center”), after that the the tracking information was not updated anymore. I also tried calling EMS here but to no avail. Then on May 18 I received the claim note from out local post office informing me of the taxes I had to pay. It seems that even though item are declared gifts the customs people still open them up and have their own valuation scheme. Most probably your items were held for inspection just like mine. Most probably it is already in the country. I just hope they don’t tax you excessively.
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Correction the rackets are BLX Tour 90 and BLX Six one 95.
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@ alex ah original k-sixs are expensive, especially in the local market. i understand why you’d like to settle on a cheaper version, so its doubly sad that the customs office are eliminating your savings by taxing you.
also, friends and i used to play on yonex rackets, because coming from japan the prices and the shipping cost less even if they were original 🙂
@ moe unfortunately the chinese ems office is not as reliable in sending out parcels as the japanese (3-7 business days) or the americans (7-10 business days).
if the parcel has not been delivered after fourteen days, chances are your local customs already has it and are just waiting for you to pick them up (they do sent a written notice) and pay for the dues.
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My package is marked at tracking as “In Customs”. Does it mean I’m supposed to expect a claim voucher soon? The gundams I ordered only total to about 7600yen. I’m guessing I would have to pay taxes? If so I’m dead, i’m just a kid who asked his dad to buy online since I promised it was cheaper.
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oh my…kailangan panaman ng customer ko ung dress before 29th. hahaaaay.may nabasa din ako in some forums na, talagang pinapatagal nila yung items sa customs so they can charge you ng malaki sa storage fee? is that true? i also read that some receives their package within 4days lang daw from china also. 😦 customs, customs, customs, mga buhaya talaga..
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@ magnetic_rose, with the tax I still had a relatively good price..really Yonex rackets are less expensive coming from Japan, Yonex are some of the best quality rackets in my opinion
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if inaddress ko ba yung package to UST post office, dadaan pa ba sa Pasay yun? or mas mapapadali ko makukuha yung item?
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@ Moe
I think the problem begins by choosing EMS, usually ito offer ng Chinese sellers because of the big discounts they get, kaso pag dating dito sa Pinas it is sadly unreliable. The people at the local post told me everything passes through customs so it might be very difficult to get these items without such problems. Even with DHL, Fedex etc. the items will still pass customs, except that the couriers pay the tax in advance and charge it to you. One option is that if you have a friend in China who has a forwarder you can request him to ship the item through that forwarder, that way yung charge nung forwarder sa kanya all in na wala ng sakit ng ulo, but you have to have that contact in China.
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ow, yun ang prob, i don’t know any friends/relatives in china..i’m going back to school na, nakadorm ako, eh i’m still planning to continue selling online. okay ba kung sa UST post office ko nalang i-address then pick it up there? kasi kung iaaddress ko pa sa dorm ko, malamang hhold pa ulit un, then baka ipapick up pa sa lawton post office okaya sa pasay…so hassle. eh kung papapick up rin lng naman, naisip ko UST post office nalang, is that a good idea?
kasi tingin ko (correct me if i’m wrong)
pag private couriers ang pinili ko, malaki din bbyarang tax, then di kapa makakahaggle, kasi diba you’ll pay kung magkano man ang chinarge sakanila..but faster and reliable and door to door..
pag EMS naman, you can haggle the tax, un nga lang you have to pick it up. and matagal.
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all parcels held up by customs for taxation need to be picked up at the pasay sorting facility regardless of where in metro manila it was addressed, so i don’t think it will make much difference if you choose to address it to your permanent residence or your dorm facility…
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I’m thinking it’s less likely that they’ll jack up the taxes if I buy from online sites right like HMV, CDJapan? There’s no way they’re going to say it was undervalued.
Has anyone ever tried using EMS from CDJapan? I’ve tried HMV’s and I wasn’t taxed so I’m kinda hoping the same happens for my parcel from CDJapan.
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actually, the customs office is just as likely to tax purchases from online stores, especially if the store logos are emblazoned on the shipping boxes. the taxation depends on whether it was a large shipment , and not from the store that shipped it. i’ve had parcels from both HMV and CDJapan taxed as well as untaxed, and the larger the shipment the higher chance of it being caught in the customs drag net and charged with the appropriate taxes.
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What I mean is, should I be worried that they suddenly overvalue my parcel even if it came from online shops? I’ve read cases (like the one above) that they charge a lot for tax because they claim the parcel was undervalued.
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@skylight online stores usually include a shipping invoice so there’s no danger of the item being overvalued during the tax calculation, unlike — say, EBAY purchases.
@moe sorry but that is an addressing concern and not a taxation problem, and i’ve had no experience tackling those kinds of situations so your guess is as good as mine.
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i mean, sa Post office ng UST ko nalang iaddress? like have P.O. box there. or kung pwede kahit hindi na P.O. box, basta naka address sa UST post office..?
anyway this is my update regarding my package
tumawag ako sa post office para tanungin kung andun na ung package ko.
sabi OO, pwede na ung package ko. ung isa ha ung puro damit.
ready napala ipick up (as of May 21 pa!) pero wala pang pinapadalang claim stub, anu bayan!
tapos tinanong ko narin ung isang package na puro Replica boots, at isang bag na regalo ko sa mama ko.
sabi, ‘AY MA’AM, MAY PROBLEMA PO ITONG ISA, WALA PONG NAME AND ADDRESS TRACKING NUMBER LANG”
me: “ha? eh pano yan? asan na ba?”
cs: “wala po nakasulat, kaya po nakahold”
me: “nasa Philippines naba?”
cs: “yes ma’am, kaso hindi maideliver kasi walang address”
me: “kahit ano walang nakasulat? kahit Manila? paranaque?Philippines?”
cs: “wala po talaga ma’am, tracking number lang talaga”
me: “okay teka ha tanong ko sender ko”
me to sender: “there’s a problem with the package you sent”
sender: “what?”
me: “the post said, there is no name and address written, just the tracking number”
sender: “post there in philippines?”
me: “yes”
sender: “that’s amazing, how they do that! i wrote your name and address by myself”
me: “i don’t know, that’s what they told me”
sender: “HOW DID IT ARRIVED PHILIPPINES IF THERE IS NO ADDRESS!”
(oo nga ano! chaka diba, kung walang address, irereturn to sender yun?di makakalabas ng bansa yun)
me: “wait, i’ll talk to the customer service again”
me to customer service ng Philpost:
me: Ms, sabi ng supplier ko..pano daw nakarating dyan kung walang name and address”
cs: “di ko nga po alam eh, baka po nagkaproblema lang sa something” (she really used the word something)
me: eh pano ngayon yan?
cs: sbhin nyo po sa sender nyo na iemail samin ung Name and Address pati Tracking number para malamn w/c package un, pati po yung name ng sender
me: okay, ano email?
cs: ph.ems.cs@gmail.com
me to sender:
me: they told me to ask you to send my whole name, address, tracking number and your name too as a sender.
sender: okay, what’s the email?
me: ph.ems.cs@gmail.com
sender: okay, i’ll send it now. i’ll also send it to you
me: thank you so much
sender: okay, check your mail!
——————————————————
eto yung email:
Dear You:
Good day for you.
I am so sorry about all.as my friend Monique Sison checked all over,the parcel of tracking number of EE285017910CN now is in your post and without name or address.that you cannot send the parcel to the destination.you can refer to the attachment that the scan of the bill.the parcel noted”GIFT 10$”
Here is my friend name and address detail.
First Name : Monique
Last Name : Sison
Country : Philippines
Shipping Address : (sorry, can’t post my address here)
Paranaque City, Metro Manila
Postal Code / Zip : 1700
Email Address: hey_its_moe@yahoo.com
Phone Number: 0916*******
My name is Zhuangli(my chinese name) from China.my phone is 86-0136669*****,you can freely to call me any time to check all.
. Looking forwards to handle all the things,and let my friend get the parcel soon,
Thanks very much
Best regards
Zhuangli
—————————
me to customer sercive ng philpost:
me: hello eto yung kanina, ung sa package na walang name and address
cs: yes ma’am
me: diba hindi masesend yung package kung wlang name and address?? pano nakarating yan dito? diba return to sender dapat yan?
cs: ma’am di ko po kasi nakikita ung package mo mismo, pero sa record mo no name and address, eh may name and address po dapat yan sa record.
me: eh pano nga nakaratin yan dito?
cs: baka po accidente natanggal
me: ano bayan, pakiayos nalang ha kailangan ko kasi yan ngayon na sana.
cs: di napo kasi makukuha today 5pm napo kasi
me: bukas pwede na?
cs: yes ma’am isabay nyo nadin sa pagkuha ng isa, pakifollow up nalang ng email.
me: nasend na ngayon, pakicheck, sinama pa ng sender ko yung resibo ng EMS sa email ha! baka pa ano pa idahilan nyo
cs: sige po ayusin po namin yan bukas
me: sige. pakiayos na ha!thank you
cs: you’re welcome ma’am
okay..so kinausap ko rin kuya ko regarding this..sabi nya, baka daw kasi gusto kunin talaga ng post office since branded boots yun.(replica nga lang) medyo may alam kuya ko ssa customs kasi balak din non mag customs eh HAHA kaya yun..so ano tingin nyo? bakit nga ba walang name and address? eh pinadala sakin ung resibo nung EMS package ko sa email.. sooooo?
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I hope you don’t mind me asking, what did you order from CDJapan and HMV that got you taxed? How much was parcel value?
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i’ve had a lot of parcels sent to me, but the two latest were a photobook from HMV (untaxed, JPY 8000 value), and two DVDs from CDJapan (taxed, JPY 10000 value).
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I’ve only had 2 orders from HMV and both weren’t taxed and I’m thinking maybe it’s the way they packed my items using only an envelope?
CDJapan on the other hand usually puts them in a box so I’m quite hesistant to use EMS whenever I buy from them. Also there are items which have free posters and they get shipped in a larger box so I’m afraid it might catch the eye of customs.
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@magnetic rose
Due to my experience with China sellers I am planning to buy this time from Singapore. If the seller ships through Singapore Speedpost will this still pass through the dreaded customs crocs? Or will this just go straight to the local post?
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uh all parcels have to go through customs unfortunately, it’s up to them if they’re releasing it without charging you or not…
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So its really like Russian roullette with customs….
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hlo. how many days do i expect for may package to be staying at the customs? i tracked it and it says its been with customs for three days now 😦
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if it’s been with them for the past three days, you can go ahead and pick it up without waiting for the notice by making a print-out of the tracking page plus bringing two valid IDS (and the cash for the taxes >.> ) with you to the pasay EMS sorting facility.
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tnx so much magnetic_rose.
my seller declared that the bag is worth %100 and she emailed me a custom form declaring that it is a gift worth $100 for a used bag. will i still be taxed? and the computation is same as above: [total USD value of parcel * 10% customs dues] + [total USD value of parcel * 12% VAT] + [PhP 750 customs miscellaneous fees] + [PhP 35 Philpost releasing fee]
i called EMS and they told me to email them whick they will forward to customs to release/clear my package and an authorization for the package to be delivered thru the local post office.
what will be the best thing for me to do? go to MIA road or just email EMS…
i think this will be my first and last online shopping…
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unfortunately if the customs office get a hold of it you will be taxed the full cost of your purchase 😦 to claim it, you will have to go to the pasay office and pay the customs dues. please bring a print out of the tracking page plus two IDs, and the cash you need to pay for the fees.
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grabe ang customs d2 sa Pinas…masyadong CORRUPT!! I got a package from US actually its just my prize for a nail art contest that I joined.. the parcel value is 60$.. I am so surprised when they computed the total parcel value including shipping & insurance of $100.58!!!! ganun ba tlga ang computation pati shipping & insurance sinasama sa total value of parcel??? theyre asking me to pay 1,540 for the package that I won for a nail art contest which only consist of 4 nail polish, 2 mary kay mini eye shadow, 2 mary kay lip gloss!!!grabe!! sa laki ng babayaran kong tax parang binili kona rin ung prize ko!!!!!ok lang sana magbayad ng tax tama lang sana ung computation saka kung may nakikitang improvement sa office nila… ang abgal na nga ng proseso nila sobrang init pa & mga mukhang pera!! i couldnt image na ung computation nila na pinakita sakin eh nasa scratch paper lang!!!! lahat ba ng registered mail sa ems exchange center bumabagsak???
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so sorry to hear about what happened. however, if i remember correctly medical goods and equipment, personal electronics, and luxury items like apparel, handbags, accessories, and yes — cosmetics, are given a higher tax charge than the 10% given to CDs, books, DVDs, and toys 😦
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hi… this is still concerning my package from hongkong via ems.
i checked the tracking and it says IN TRANSIT after 7 days in customs for inspection. doest it mean they will deliver it to me at home here in pampanga? and does it mean i will not be taxed? 🙂
ive been calling ems office to no avail…
this is my first international transaction and much of the info that i have are purely from the internet.
tnx so much
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@ruri — yup, it’s on its way to you and you will not be taxed. congratulations!
@sig — ouch, that sucks for you and your friend both 😦
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A few months ago, I ordered a kendo gi online from a shop in Los Angeles. The product cost US$40 and the customs bureau didn’t charge me a peso for the shipment.
However, with the Bogu i ordered online, it was a different story.
I bought bogu online from a shop based in Korea. When DHL delivered my ordered product, I got charged Php3,800 for the parcel with declared value of US$130 (the true price of the bogu is US$450. Cr@p! That’s quite a fortune! But I guess I’m still lucky. A batchmate of mine in Kendo purchased his bogu online as well and when dhl delivered his ordered product, he was charged Php6000 by the customs bureau.
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After reading all the posts above, I really worry the amount of tax these customs crocs will charge me. My parcel was declared USD 344.26 or JP Yen 31,500.00 from Niiza Japan and was sent thru japan post EMS. Based on the computation, I’ll have to pay Php 4,344.62. That’s about 27% plus the value of my parcel.
All the more praying that a 7.2 x 3.1 x 11.9 inches
x (H) x (D) size box would just be invisible and passby the eyes of these customs people.
Keep you posted.
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i had a package from china sent thru ups last may 31 and it arrived june 5 delivered to my home, i had to shell out P2,423 for taxes for a package worth only 150$, 37% of the package already.
my new package from china was sent thru ems unfortunately, i don’t have any idea reagarding its services,(good thing i read this blog, thanks miss magnetic_rose), the package was shipped last june 7, based on the online tracking,it left china on the 10th (despatch from sorting center,beijing), so assuming that it reached phil. by the 11th or 12th, it hasn’t been taken care of the phil. ems due to the long weekend,(i was already talking to my supplier in china, i was upset because the package was taking too long and since i paid for a UPS shipment,i was expecting it to be shipped by UPS and not by EMS,because if it was shipped thru UPS, i would’ve gotten the package last june 11/12) i went to my local post office and they advised me to call the pasay office, and damn! i wasn’t able to get thru the busy line,hoping to be able get thru their busy line,i’m bracing myself for the taxes, the value is only 100$, hopefully, within p1k only.
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=_= I find the computation strange. I bought a book from Amazon UK ( 18Pounds) and only paid 35Php for the Customs fee. Then, I bought 2 volumes of Manga from AmazonJP (390*2 +3,000 Yen Shipping Fee) and I must pay custom charges amounting to 2,000 Php.
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welcome to the philippines — where the government does not make much sense >.>
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Hi,
I ordered a cd in a dvd case in cdjapan. It costs 3619yen plus 1200 shipping. The total is 4,519 yen or $49.05. Do you think i will be taxed?? And in case i will , there is always an ems delivery in our post office, and there is also a customs personel inside the parcel office (before walang ganun), do you think i dont need to go to Pasay and just pay my tax here in Marikina City? Thanks.
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After reading all you thoughts and experiences towards EMS, I hurriedly email cdjapan to change my shipping method. from EMS to Registered Airmail. I will never get my orders delivered thru EMS. I am very scared trying their service. Thank you all peeps for all your posts especially to magnetic-rose. Thanks!!
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hey magnetic_rose
I just had a package from japan sent to me last June 10. While tracking it, the page says it arrived in the Philippines on the 14th and is now “In Customs”. A couple of days later, on the 16th, it says “retention”. what gives? does that mean they suddenly became interested in my gundam model?
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@dion sometimes parcels worth less that USD 50 sent via EMS are not taxed. but if you don’t feel comfortable with EMS then registered mail is a good alternative.
@jedd the package has been retained by the customs office, and you have to pay taxes for it to be released.
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@magnetic_rose no seriously? oh well, thanks for the help. It didn’t help I guess that the seller marked it as a “gift”.
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Thanks magnetic-rose. I will never use EMS ay my shipping method after i read the things about ems in this forum. Thank You all!
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My package arrived here last June 2. It’s a seiyuu magazine and a shoujo manga magazine (with a 付録ストラップ) http://ameblo.jp/zubaa/entry-10541795072.html I ordered through Amazon JP and asked a friend to resend. I still haven’t received it or gotten a notice and according to the tracking site, there was no one to receive it and they brought it back.
6月2日 ご不在のため持ち戻り
Still no update on whether it’s in customs or not, but I have a huge feeling it’s in the Pasay office. I haven’t called them up yet because it’s really hard for me to call here. (I’ve got no landline at home)
Think I should just head straight to the Pasay office armed with my tracking number and IDs?
I seriously don’t want to lose this package… That mag’s out of stock everywhere and the next issue’s already gonna be out soon. 😐
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since the parcel was returned to the sender according to the tracking site, it’s possible that the package is not with customs, but rather — it was wrongly addressed and therefore sent back to your friend in japan. check with your friend in japan if he or she has received the returned parcel, and have it sent to you again — double checking the address this time.
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No, no… It says the addressee is not around. And checked in the English tracking site which has funky English, it says something that doesn’t even serve as a translation to 不在–“Attempted delivery”. I doubt they’ll send it all the way back to Japan just because the addressee wasn’t around.
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