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 
of the top of my head less than ten, i think; i rely on EMS shipments more.
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Hi there magnetic rose,
i have this problem i purchased some goods from malaysia and the seller used a what they called Local Priority Service, well at first i don’t know about that. when i looked at the courier’s website it says there that it is a private courier company i dont know if its EMS or what.. and i need to pay the insurance fee for the package to be released.where can i pay this insurance thing? sabi ng courier, yung customs agents daw ang humihingi ng payment. after the payment has been done they will deliver it to my doorstep using our local courier company like air21.
thanks! i hope you can help me on this..
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hi mr_dawson. unfortunately i’ve never had anything shipped from malaysia, nor have i experienced having something shipped via “local priority service” 😦 i’m afraid i won’t be able to provide much help — sorry 😦
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its okay! thanks for your prompt response btw..
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no worries — i hope you will be able to find someone who can answer your question 🙂
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Hi,
I would like to know which would be the better option – to go to Pasay or to wait for the package to arrive in our local post office? I shipped through EMS last Saturday and it arrived after 4 days. I live here in San Mateo, Rizal though and it’s too much of a hassle to go to the EMS office. I would appreciate any suggestion. Thanks!
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if your parcel has been tagged by the customs office in pasay and retained for taxation, there is not getting around it and you will have to pick it up there; only untaxed parcels will be forwarded to your shipping address in rizal.
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Hi magnetic_rose,
Just want to ask, my item when tracked shows, released by custom yesterday and today shows “phone7” – attempted delivery, do you think this will be delivered direcxtly to my adress here in pampanga? or something else happened that i need to go to ems in pasay?.. thanks..
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attempted delivery means that the postman tried to deliver it to your doorstep but was unable to — either because nobody was home, or somebody was home but had no ID of your to show so they can claim your parcel. they may try to deliver it again on another day, but if it is not claimed immediately they will send it back to the sorting facility in pasay and you will have to go there and claim it yourself.
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Local shops that sells imported items from Japan has to pay the custom for taxes on the items they sell too, right?
How come they seem to sell items much cheaper than when you buy an item from Japan yourself?
Like, for example,
GreattoysOnline sells a figure for 4250php.
When I buy that same figure that they are selling from a shop online that is based on Japan,
I would spend a bit less
[but almost the same price as how much they are selling it].
I would get the item online for 8016yen (4248.50php) That includes the shipping fee.
8016yen is approximately $95.00.
So…I would be taxed 1730php.
Add that to the item I bought,
I’d be spending 5980php T_T
I don’t get how they could sell an item for a cheaper price when they have to pay for tax too…
Them buying the item for a cheaper price is possible
but seem unlikely, unless their shop is friends the item manufacturer or something…
Have some thoughts on this?
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sorry, i don’t work for the customs office so your guess is as good as mine…
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~_~; I hear ya.
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Hi!
I ordered from Play-asia last Sunday a PS3 Game (ACE R worth 4k Php). Aug 24 it got shipped. I chose the Free Airmail and Economy Bubble. Will this still go through customs? Or will it be delivered straight to my address? Has anyone experienced the same thing? How many weeks did it take?
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i alway choose the fed-ex option with play-asia so i don’t have any opinions on their free ship option — sorry, you’ll be better off asking somebody else.
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Hiya!
Have you ever bought from Hobby Search?
If yes, did your purchase ended up on the customs?
Thanks!
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sorry — i have never purchased items from hobbysearch; i prefer HLJ.
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*sigh*
The first time I planned to order Manga or figures from
Japan or the US, I checked how much would customs charge you.
After reading blog after blog that says
“They charge too much”
I just started ordering from someone that lives here
in the Philippines, and has a contact in both Japan and US,
so they can ask them to order there, then send it here.
Saves a lot more cash that way.
How come customs tax so much?
>.<
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some people in the bureau of customs see it as get rich quick scheme.
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Hi, I’m sending a gift (clothes) to a friend in Manila from Sweden, and of course I’ll mark the package as “Gift” package, but the thing is that I need to put a value on the customs declaration form, which is about $140, wondering if my friend will be paying any tax on the package when it comes to her? Thank you!
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Hi magnetic_rose,
I have a question regarding EMS packages. I have read that regardless of where you are, when customs flagged your package for inspection, you’d have to go to Pasay to claim it. The thing is, I live in Pangasinan, do you think they’d still charge me for taxes knowing that I live far away from Manila?
Or just send the parcel to our post office here and put the taxes I have to pay in the white paper notice?
I had an experience buying from Amazon for a perfume in the past and I had to claim it in the post office here in our town with a minimal tax value. But this time I’m expecting a parcel from China declared at $35.
Thank u for your kind response!
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@justme — if the customs office sees it fit to charge duties on your parcel, whether it was declared as a gift or not the recipient will have to pay to get it released.
@candylove — all parcels tagged by the pasay office have to be claimed there (unless they are addressed to visayas or mindanao). the distance you have to travel to go and claim the parcel does not affect the amount you have to pay — whatever amount the calculations come up to, it will have to be paid for the parcel to be released.
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I never had any problem with my parcels from abroad coursed through cebu city post office while I was in Cebu. As in nothing, the value may be less than 50 US or more than 200US. The person in charge just handed me the parcel, asked me to pay the 35pesos and signed the logbook. The last time I claimed a parcel while in Cebu was last year 2009.
I had my terrible encounter with corrupt post office personnel here in novaliches just recently, twice to be exact. In both incidents, the personnel, asked me to pay customs tariff and dues. But of course I never did, I just gave the most, 200pesos for the first incident, the second incident I just handed her 50 pesos.
I’m just wondering why, novaliches post office ask to pay me tariff while in cebu city , i was never asked although the parcels contain typically same things…
are post office personnel in manila more corrupt than in cebu city? hahahaha… go republic of Cebu!!!
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just wanna ask po…are you given official receipts when you pay the taxes in customs?
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yes, you will be given an official government receipt plus a customs manifesto with a breakdown of all the charges (it looks like a contract printed on NSO paper).
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wooww.. yun pala calculation ng tax. O__o parang 22%+ ng item at 750 na pang meriend ng mga taga customs, at 35 pesos para sa pamasahe nila. O__o. waaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh! I received an item via UPS kasi, yung item valued around $900 USD lng. Ang tax na binayaran ko is PHP8,100.00! Damn!
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lol i wouldn’t say that about the PhP 750 miscellaneous fee and PhP 35 philpost fee — but if you went “under the table” with the same amounts, then yeah those definitely went into their pockets and stomachs >.>
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the tracking site said my package is with cmec ems mla yesterday. then one of my friends who is also an online seller said i call them up na to inquire about my package. i called them and said its with the customs daw for examination. its a 6.5kg package with 8packs of socks. declared value is $48 dollars even though i purchased it for $160.5. my friend also told me to bring a proof of payment.(mine shows the $160.5) but i have an invoice from my supplier with a declared value of $48. will i be taxed so much? my friend said the computation will be based on info given to them like the proof of payment and the like…
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got my package. they taxed 2504.00 out of me. they’re scary…and the officer said its 15% tax and 12% vat then there are insurance and more…she didnt give me a discount or even the chance to ask for it properly..i mean she was cutting me off when i voiced out something…and the post charge is not 35php anymore, its 40php now, people…ugh!
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they increased the rates to 15%?! that’s highway robbery! >.>
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morning po ask ko po sana pano kuha yung ems ko sa inyo? pwede po send nyo na lang d2 sa pguagua pampanga d2 ko na lang po bayaran use items namn po yung mga yun. emi yokokawa po yung sender sagot namn po pls busy po kasi me d po me makapunta ng pasay. nung sept14 pa po nasa inyo yung e.m.s ko amf…
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morning po ask ko po sana pano kuha yung ems ko sa inyo? pwede po send nyo na lang dto sa guagua pampanga dito ko na lang po bayaran use items naman po yung mga yun. emi yokokawa po yung sender sagot namn po pls busy po kasi me di po me makapunta ng pasay. nung sept 14 pa po nasa inyo yung e.m.s ko amf…
hi dandel. una sa lahat, wag pong magspam ng comments please. nakasulat na po sa comment box na UNDER MODERATION ang lahat ng first comments kaya pag di po lumitaw agad magtuto po tayong mag-antay. pinagkabitkabit ko na din po lahat ng sinabi mo dito sa apat na comment na napost mo para masagutan ko. inayos ko na din po yung salita kasi hindi ako marunong umintindi ng WER NA U D2 NA ME EWOW POH — kasi hindi ako magaling tagalog.
pangalawa, pag ang package po e nasa customs, kahit na magpumilit po kayo hindi nila ipapadala sa yo yun hanggat di po nagbabayad ng tax. kaya nga po kelangan sunduin sa pasay yung package — para mabayaran yung tax. pag bayad na, ibibigay din nila yun sa yo at pwede mo na pong iuwi. hindi po dahilan na busy kayo para ipadala agad ng custom sa yo yung package nyo — e di sana lahat tayo nakukuha natin agad yung package natin kasi lahat naman tayo busy. meron nge e galing pa ng abra nagpupunta ng pasay para lang makakuha ng package, kaya wag po tayong magpa-importante.
pangatlo, kung nagbasa po kayo ng post at lahat ng comments e malalaman niyo po na hindi ako ang customs office ng pasay. ni hindi nga po ako empleyado ng customs. kaya kahit na magpumilit po kayo wala akong magagawa para marelease yung package nyo. hindi ko rin po kilala si emi yokokawa kaya kahit na ipaglandakan niya po ang pangalan niya hindi ko po kayo matutulungan.
huli sa lahat, wag po tayong magmura sa blog ng ibang tao. buti sana kung facebook account nyo to at pwede kayong magmura hanggang mamula mukha nyo. onting respeto lang po. ikaw na nga po yung nagtatanong ikaw pa po yung galit. at sa totoo lang po nakakainis nang sumagot sa mga taong tulad nyo na hindi na nga marunong magbasa ng post (kasi sa totoo lang lahat ng tanong nyo po nasagutan na e), nagmumura pa po pag hindi nasagutan agad ang tanong.
if you need further assistance, i’m afraid i can no longer help you; please go ask somebody else.
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Hi magnetic rose,
I purchased cosmetic items from ebay for 70usd including USPS.
I believe USPS would land at EMS’ yard,yes?
It is in a small box, how do you know what taxes apply to my package?
Ad valorem things give me worry.
Regards.
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i’ve had one parcel worth USD 120 shipped via USPS priority that made it to me without getting taxed. if your parcel does not catch the eye of the inspectors at the customs office, there is a chance your parcel will reach you without getting taxed. just sit tight and keep your fingers crossed. good luck!
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@magnetic_rose: i’ve bought also from Ebay shipped via USPS, I hope it will arrived without getting taxed. 🙂
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Hello po,
Im thankful i was able to visit this site… same reason sa ibang naka post dito.
I have a package na darating ang it’s only worth around USD63.76 (including shipment).
2.1kg lang naman po, at mga 12items of blouses for my personal consumption.
The items were shipped from China through UPS.
Mga ano po ang probability na ma tax sya? parang kinakabahan din kc ako, di masyadong malaki ang nagastos ko, baka lolobo because of customs tax. tnx
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it’s sent via UPS so if it’s taxed, UPS will pay for it for you and then charge you for it upon delivery.
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Hello, I have read that you once had a parcel delivered via USPS priority.May I know how long did it take before you received your parcelfrom the date it was shiiped put from the US? Does the mailman delivered it to your shipping address or did you picked it up at the post office?? Are tshirts taxed “heavily” too? Thank you very much and God bless.
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it took approximately six working days. i received it directly because the parcel was not taxed. apparel are taxed a different rate to toys, so i have no idea how much you will be charged. good luck!
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Thank you again!!!
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The “Total USD Value of Parcel” doesn’t include the shipping fee that the seller charged, right?
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it includes shipping fees.
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I’ve had my nightmarish experience na rin with the BOC(Bureau of Customs). I have to pay over 3,000 pesos for a pair of Demonia boots and a cloak my uncle sent me from Vanc.Canada. I’m really amazed on how they compute all those numbers manually when they have computers around them. This was my 3rd time to receive a package from my uncle and my first time to claim it in the BOC area of Post Office. If I remember it correctly, yung first two packages eh dumaan po sa PhilPost and the 3rd one sa EMS. Magkaiba po ba yung dalawa kaya yung first two package were delivered straight to my residence?
I hope authorities from the Customs read this post and all the comments. Nakakahilo at nakakalula talaga dealing with the BOC system. I think dapat matagal nang nareview yung sobrang kumplikadong sistema ng pagtanggap at pagpapadala ng mga parcels and packages dito sa atin. Ang gulo kasi kaya madalas madali din makalusot yung mga empleyado na illegal ang gawain.
Just my two cents.
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And oh, may I add that the BOC website is not working. Its so frustrating when you don’t know where to address your grievances properly. Anyhoo, after a thorough research, I got hold of the BOC Commissioner’s contact details. I’m not sure if he is still the commissioner in the current administration though.
Angelito A. Alvarez
Commissioner
Address : Bureau of Customs Building, Port Area, South Harbor, Manila
Telephone : (632) 526-6355
Fax : (632) 527-4511
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I’ve had two different experience about this.
First was last September 24 where me and my friends had to claim at Customs our goods from HMV Japan. Sadly, HMV doesn’t underdeclare the value of the item so we paid Php2300 for 2 concert DVDs and two CD singles which is kind of okay anyway, since the actual value in Yen was Y15000. Though when I checked the receipt, I was seriously battling with my mind where’d they got all the figures they used for computing. They also took the invoice.
As for the second one, which was actually just a while ago, I received my package as it was delivered directly on our doorstep. My friend from Suginami sent me some concert goods this Monday and I have already established in my mind that I’d troop to Customs if it won’t arrive by Thursday.
The mailman charged me Php40.00 for the Philpost fee, which I poutingly questioned in silence. Apparently, the price now hiked up from Php35.00. I didn’t mind though, as I happily marched back inside the house and opened my package 🙂
It’s not that bad. Like what you’ve said, It’s just a hit and miss. Having it marked as gift and have the value declared lower helps, but I also think that if it isn’t obvious that you made some online shopping, they’d let the small stuff pass. Thanks for this article 🙂
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Question:
Are the customs miscellaneous fees fixed regardless of the quantity of items shipped at the same time?
Info:
From what I read from other importers, yes they’ve hiked up the philpost fee from 35 to 40 pesos.
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yes, the miscellaneous fees are fixed as PhP 750 — unless they increased those too like the philpost releasing fee (PhP 40 from PhP 35 at the time this post was written).
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Here’s my own horror story:
I took advantage of Paypal’s free shipping promo and ordered 2 cds from CDJapan. Value is at 5300Y.
3 days after CDJapan informed me that the packaged was shipped, I received a Debit Memo from FEDEx demanding that I pay 2,800Php. I find the amount ridiculously high. I requested for the breakdown of the duties and taxes which they promptly gave to me.
What’s pulled the price up was an entry labelled Freight and it cost 101.85. Where did this come from? How come I am being charged for freight when I am not the one who sent the package?
I called FedEx to inquire, telling them that I just want to understand the breakdown. They kept passing my inquiry around. That happened last Friday. Come Monday I called them 3 times and they still have yet to give me answer. They keep on telling me to wait for their call.
I am still waiting. In the meantime, my package is somewhere out there accumulating storage fees.
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Hi again~ I just have a couple of questions before purchasing from AmiAmi:
1. How was SAL for you? Have you ever lost items and were you taxed a lot through it?
2. How long did your SAL shipments took?
3. Were your SAL shipments delivered in your house or did you have to get them in your local post office?
Sorry for the questions. AmiAmi does not undervalue their prices and indicates the shipping price for their items that’s why I’m a bit worried. They do offer registered SAL that’s trackable, though. Thanks in advance 😀
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1) i’ve lost only one item, and the store (YESASIA) replaced it for me. as far as i can remember i was never taxed for a SAL shipment, although a friend was already taxed twice for using SAL.
2) two weeks to a month.
3) all of them were picked up at the local post office. SAL is technically “registered mail” and all registered mail must be picked up by the owner at the post office with the notification and a couple of IDs in tow.
good luck with your parcel!
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Whew, good for you and that keeps me at ease (shipments too scary in this country ^^). Thanks again for answering (and so fast too 😀 )
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checking ems tracking
26-Oct-2010 Philippines Arrived and is beingprocessed.
27-Oct-2010 Philippines Pending customs inspection.
does this mean im facing horror of taxation
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yep, pretty much.
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hello! i just bought from CDJapan and i chose SAL as my shipping method because of it’s cheapness, of course.
i was reading through the comments here and found out that most buyers who choose SAL usually pick up their items in the post office. aren’t the items delivered directly to the buyer’s house?
and if ever my items would be in the post office already, how would i know when to pick them up? do they send me a letter or something?
thanks!
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SAL is technically registered mail, and all registered mail must be picked up at the local post office — no exceptions. the owner will need to present a government ID to the post office for them to release the letter or parcel to him. the local post office will send a notification letter to your address (residential or work) to inform you that your parcel is ready for pick-up.
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oh i see! thank you for answering! i was wondering how i’d know if my parcel is with them na eh. buti nlng at nkita ko tong site na to.
ay! nga pala, i’m planning to order po sa YesAsia and it totals to $46.47. sa tingin niyo po, may babayaran kaya akong tax?
and also po, in your experience, mga ilang days bago dumating yung parcel na bibilhin ko from yesasia? thanks!
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under USD 50 should be fine 🙂 SAL from YES ASIA takes anywhere from two to four weeks; if your parcel still not with you after one month, it’s time to email YES ASIA to help track your package down. good luck!
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oooh. thanks again!
one more pa po! hahaha. 😀
uhmm. i’m currently considering to cancel my orders in CDJapan and order the same items in YesAsia. do you think i should do it?
what i mean is, does SAL shipping from YesAsia arrive faster than that of CDJapan? and is it much safer to order from YesAsia than from CDJapan?’cause i’ve read comments that their parcels form CDJapan got lost and they never got it back. but you said you have a friend who lost her parcel but YesAsia replaced it right?
thanks!
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i always have my parcels from CDJAPAN sent via EMS and they always arrive sooner than SAL from YES ASIA, so i have no idea how reliable SAL shipping from CDJAPAN is — sorry 😦
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ooooh. okay. thanks anyway! your site has been of big help to me, a fangirl who’s a newbie at online shopping. 🙂
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no worries — good luck and have fun shopping online!
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hello again! i’m considering changing the shipping method of the items i bought from CDJapan. i’m planning to change it from SAL to EMS. the total amount of my order does not exceed $50. would i still be paying taxes for that? thanks! looking forward to your reply. 😀
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all EMS parcels have to go through the philpost sorting and customs inspection facility — it’s up to them if they choose to tax your parcel or not.
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Hi I find this post very helpful. I usually have no problems with EMS shipping since most of the items I order online are small. But now I have an idea why my package has not arrived, 4 days after the seller has sent it. It is currently in “retention” status, so I guess I’m fated to experience the hell most people here have gone through -ouch!- I did ask the ebay seller to declare a $50 price on my parcel, but i guess the size of the package doesn’t excuse it from getting taxed. I order an LD box set and it comes with freebies, I’m estimating the size of the box is 15″x15″x4″. Anybody here have any idea how much I have to shelve out if they won’t buy the $50 price? Thanks a bunch. Makarma na sana ang mga corrupt customs officials!
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if the customs officials don’t buy your story that the item is only valued at 50 USD, they will usually impose an arbitrary amount that they have determined. sometimes they check online to see what the prices are (shocking, i know — some of these old coots actually know how to use GOOGLE), convert that to peso, and declare that as the item’s value. however, if you’re lucky and they don’t spare the item a second glance, you may get away with paying taxes for just USD 50 + miscellaneous fees.
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hi to all,
guys pls help me my friend kasi ako sa japan,pnadalan nya ko ng laptop, kaso i dont have the tracking number, bumalik yung friend ko dun sa pinuntahan nyang office ayw na ibigay sakanya kxe raw,wla na maipakita document friend ko o yung mismong resibo nun its been 2 weeks wla prin yung pacage mag hihintay b ako ng kartero? pra ipadala sakin yung sulat
hope to here from you guyz thankz..
arlaine18!!
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guys, please help me. may friend kasi ako sa japan, pinadalhan nya ko ng laptop. kaso i don’t have the tracking number. bumalik yung friend ko dun sa pinuntahan nyang office, ayaw na ibigay sa kanya kasi raw wala na maipakita document friend ko o yung mismong resibo nun. it’s been 2 weeks wala parin yung package. maghihintay ba ako ng kartero para ipadala sakin yung sulat?
if the package was returned to the original sender because it was sent to the wrong address or person, the post office will not release any parcel back to the sender until he or she presents the tracking number OR a government ID, for security reasons. if your friend really sent you a parcel, and if it really was sent back to japan, the local post office should be able to track his parcel down with just his name and address — although having the tracking number is the most convenient.
EMS parcels usually arrive in three to five business days. if it’s been two weeks and you have not even received a claiming voucher from the post office so you can pick up your parcel and pay for the taxes, it was probably sent back to the sender because of the reasons i stated above. or, it was not sent in the first place since you do not even have a tracking number. EMS parcels DO NOT get lost, and if they do the post office will have to pay you the amount of the parcel’s declared value as reparations for the loss.
lastly please refrain from using SMS shortcuts when commenting — you have a full-sized keyboard in front of you so please use it. also, please use punctuation marks as it is very difficult to understand run on sentences. thanks!
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nung, oct.24, pa kasi yun, nung pinadala, tumawag naman po ako sa pasay, ang sabi dun puro holiday, daw kaya ganun tlaga katagal, so kaya ngayon nag hihintay parin ako.
sabi nila mag hntay daw po ako ng sulat galing sa knila if ready to pic up ndaw yung item ko.bumalik kasi yung friend ko dun sa mismong pinag padalahan nya. ayaw ibigay sakanya yung trac. number, kasi wla ndaw yung resibo, na binigay sakanya dati. na guguluhan tuloy ako.
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since you don’t have the tracking number (which will really speed things up for you if you had it), i’m afraid the only solution is to wait for the claim voucher or notice to arrive at your address and claim your item at the pasay city sorting center. good luck!
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ok thank you verry much..
wait ko nlang po.. salamat ^_^ v
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(shocking, i know — some of these old coots actually know how to use GOOGLE) -LOL!!!
Thanks so much for this info. But thank God, I didn’t have to go through all of this. Hours after I post my question, our local postman notified me to claim my parcel at the post office, he couldn’t bring it with him because it was big. Man it was a lot bigger than I expected, and I didn’t have to pay for anything other than the P40 postal fee, whew!
I do feel for those who went through the hell of claiming their parcels at the customs though. The high tax is one thing, the waiting time and the trouble of going there is another. I do agree with you that it’s perfectly fine to pay tax as long as I know it’ll go to a good cause, but sadly, it goes straight to the pockets of corrupt officials.
I really learned a lot from this post, at least I know what to do and what to avoid next. Thanks again.
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sir do i have to pay tax for a gift which came from china?
yes, it has a value but i did not buy it, so what are the consequences?
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please see above comments; your question has already been answered. anyway, gifts are also taxable — no exemptions.
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