Custom/duty fees for US residents? Do they exist??

So, I'm running a GO on another thread and noticing the total is getting up there. I've already tried to scour the internet for actual clearly written info on this. I know coming from Japan you pay taxes on souvenirs or items brought over if its over a few thousand... but just to ease my mind, wanted to see what (if any) is the limit for US residents importing (well buying items then having them shipped into the US).

 

Non US dollfie people always mention duty/customs fees and being in the US that thought never really occurred to me. XD I mean i could always just split my GO into two different orders so they'd ship separately to avoid the risk, but eh why do it if I don't have to?

 

Any info is appreciated : )

AFAIK most import regulations are for commercial use, and don't apply to personal goods. But there's a section that mentions imports over $2000 in value being a "formal entry" and requires extensive paperwork.

 

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/basic_trade/internet_purchases.xml

 

Since your total isn't anywhere near that yet I wouldn't really worry. Lots of people import DDs that cost more than the GO has gotten to yet.

AFAIK most import regulations are for commercial use, and don't apply to personal goods. But there's a section that mentions imports over $2000 in value being a "formal entry" and requires extensive paperwork.

 

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/basic_trade/internet_purchases.xml

 

Since your total isn't anywhere near that yet I wouldn't really worry. Lots of people import DDs that cost more than the GO has gotten to yet.

 

OK awesome.. I was pretty sure there wouldn't be b/c my friend buys resin dolls all the time and the tickets on those are quite quite high... lol. But just wanted to check to ease my nerves lol

 

Thanks for putting my mind at ease!

US customs usually seems related to the things that we view are internal industries. So, we have quotas on things like cotton fabric bolts and if you order more than around $250 worth of clothing from overseas usually you'll get charged there.

 

Dolls though, and their accessories, are duty free.

I bought Natsuki v.2 on my last trip over to Japan, and I had the clerk fill out a duty-free receipt just in case, but she was never checked, so I was able to bring her home with no problem.

I've never been charged customs yet on packages from Volks, Parabox, Coolcat, Dollheart, SQLabs...just to name some off the top of my head. Some of those included 2 dolls so the purchase amount wasn't low.

 

Hopefully it stays that way regarding dolls & customs in the US.

To my understanding, hobby items like figures and dolls are excluded from customs fees on their way into the US. That doesn't mean they won't be inspected; they're just not supposed to charge you for it. There's probably some threshold value where they assume you're running a business ($10K is the number that comes to mind, though I'm not 100% sure where I heard that; trying to look up a bit now.) Apparently if your incoming package is worth over $2K, there's some additional paperwork involved, but what I'm reading indicates that it's still below the personal vs commercial threshold. (http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/basic_trade/internet_purchases.xml)

To my understanding, hobby items like figures and dolls are excluded from customs fees on their way into the US. That doesn't mean they won't be inspected; they're just not supposed to charge you for it. There's probably some threshold value where they assume you're running a business ($10K is the number that comes to mind, though I'm not 100% sure where I heard that; trying to look up a bit now.) Apparently if your incoming package is worth over $2K, there's some additional paperwork involved, but what I'm reading indicates that it's still below the personal vs commercial threshold. (http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/basic_trade/internet_purchases.xml)

 

Thank you, Poofiemus (how, exactly do you pronounce that, by the way?). I have also been wondering about this for a while. We've ordered a number of things from Asia, and never been hit with customs/duty fees, but kept hearing horror stories from our European and Canadian friends, so were never quite sure when we might get surprised. Good to know it will most likely never be an issue for us.

Thank you, Poofiemus (how, exactly do you pronounce that, by the way?). I have also been wondering about this for a while. We've ordered a number of things from Asia, and never been hit with customs/duty fees, but kept hearing horror stories from our European and Canadian friends, so were never quite sure when we might get surprised. Good to know it will most likely never be an issue for us.

 

You shouldn't be affected too much by the custom stories of Europe and Canada. Idk about Canada, but here in Europe you'll get charged for almost everything you'll bring from outside. Parcels and goods from trips alike. Non-commercial counts as well. There are only a few exceptions to that, and some countries are more strict than others. My pal from Austria is very lucky and most of the time she doesn't have to pay anything for dolls she gets, meanwhile in Germany you'll be asked to pay taxes for something as little as 40USD (if the packet isn't marked down).

 

America is pretty lucky when it comes to importing things. I never heard anyone complain about taxes on dolls or doll accessories. I think there are only very, very few states who actually put taxes on imports below thousands of dollars?

America is pretty lucky when it comes to importing things. I never heard anyone complain about taxes on dolls or doll accessories. I think there are only very, very few states who actually put taxes on imports below thousands of dollars?

 

Customs are a federal issue in the USA, so the rules are the same in all states.

 

Some states do have rules where you're supposed to pay state sales tax on all imported items (whether imported from another state or from another country), but I don't know anyone who's honest about their internet purchases when tax time roles around since it's all self-reported.

 

ETA: You might hear some individuals complaining about taxes in the USA, but that's because they're making a local purchase. Every time I buy from We Love Dolls, I have to pay 5.5% WI sales tax, because we're both in Wisconsin. Same deal with California residents who buy from VolkUSA -- they have to pay CA sales tax (not sure the rate?).

Some states do have rules where you're supposed to pay state sales tax on all imported items (whether imported from another state or from another country), but I don't know anyone who's honest about their internet purchases when tax time roles around since it's all self-reported.

 

Buh yeah... we're supposed to report any sales tax not taken from places such as Amazon or any other major retailers if they don't...

.. I'm.. always on top of things like that... honest. XD

Customs are a federal issue in the USA, so the rules are the same in all states.

 

Some states do have rules where you're supposed to pay state sales tax on all imported items (whether imported from another state or from another country), but I don't know anyone who's honest about their internet purchases when tax time roles around since it's all self-reported.

 

ETA: You might hear some individuals complaining about taxes in the USA, but that's because they're making a local purchase. Every time I buy from We Love Dolls, I have to pay 5.5% WI sales tax, because we're both in Wisconsin. Same deal with California residents who buy from VolkUSA -- they have to pay CA sales tax (not sure the rate?).

 

Buh yeah... we're supposed to report any sales tax not taken from places such as Amazon or any other major retailers if they don't...

.. I'm.. always on top of things like that... honest. XD

 

Oh I see. So that's how it works over there. Thanks for clarifying it for me! Learnt something new today.

Wow, I hear people talk about customs a lot, it never occurred to me that none of them were from the US...

Erg, in Canada I've been hit with customs fees now and then, mostly from stuff I got from the US (even on a second hand doll, why on earth should I be taxed for that?)

Yeah, from what I've gathered reading on forums, Canadian customs are really. . .um. . . quirky. I vaguely recall someone saying that they got charged far more frequently when getting stuff sent in from one mail carrier than another, for instance.

 

Cauldroness, it's weird, but I don't think I've very often gotten charged my state sales tax on online orders. (Thankfully, given how stupid-high it is here--after you add on city and county, there's not a place here that has under 8.8%, and some cities are over 10%.) I know states are missing out a lot of revenue with that stuff, but I can also see how it slips through the cracks--must be a pain to track, probably more costly to enforce than they would get back out of it.

 

But yeah, no customs duties on hobby items is one of the nice things about living in the US. Guess we have to have something to balance out our health care snafu? ^^;

 

(Oh, and Ravendruid, it's pronounced poof-ee-muss. Think really bad fake Latin. XD)

Poofiemus, they should only charge you sales tax on your online orders if you and the store you're buying from are both located in the same state. I almost never get charged either, because very few stores I buy from are actually located in Wisconsin.

 

However, the way it works in most states is that every year, on your state tax return, you're supposed to tell them how much you bought tax-free, and then you're supposed to pay taxes on those items. Which almost no one does, because why would you voluntarily pay more taxes? (And the state has no way to know if you're lying, unless you get an audit.)

Poofiemus, they should only charge you sales tax on your online orders if you and the store you're buying from are both located in the same state. I almost never get charged either, because very few stores I buy from are actually located in Wisconsin.

 

However, the way it works in most states is that every year, on your state tax return, you're supposed to tell them how much you bought tax-free, and then you're supposed to pay taxes on those items. Which almost no one does, because why would you voluntarily pay more taxes? (And the state has no way to know if you're lying, unless you get an audit.)

 

Virginia taxes on things you buy online that you could readily buy from a store in Virginia. Which at least exempts dolls. But it's there to adjust for things like books and dvds. I actually pay because I feel that because of the discount I'm getting online I'm still saving money overall, just not quite as much.

One drawback of living in Washington State, where Amazon has such a huge presence, is that we almost always get hit with sales tax when we order from them, at about 8.8%. A couple other big online retailers, too, just can't pull the names out of my head at the moment. It's gotten to the point where I just automatically add 10% to the price of everything in my head and it's a just a really nice surprise when it comes out less.

 

Poofiemus, they should only charge you sales tax on your online orders if you and the store you're buying from are both located in the same state. I almost never get charged either, because very few stores I buy from are actually located in Wisconsin.

 

Actually, in the past few years a handful of states have passed laws trying to get all online retailers to collect taxes based on the state the customer is ordering from, but the last I heard, every one of them is being challenged in courts, and I don't think any have been resolved yet. I can understand why the retailers would object, it would be a huge pain to track. So far, for me, the only places that have charged tax are business that have some sort of physical presence in the state, even if I'm ordering from a warehouse in CA from a company based in OR, who just happens to have one small retail outlet here in WA.

Actually, in the past few years a handful of states have passed laws trying to get all online retailers to collect taxes based on the state the customer is ordering from, but the last I heard, every one of them is being challenged in courts, and I don't think any have been resolved yet. I can understand why the retailers would object, it would be a huge pain to track. So far, for me, the only places that have charged tax are business that have some sort of physical presence in the state, even if I'm ordering from a warehouse in CA from a company based in OR, who just happens to have one small retail outlet here in WA.

 

I'm looking forward to them doing this in VA. I guess the good thing is that Amazon has an export function so you can review your previous years' purchases in a spreadsheet and filter it accordingly.

 

I've had sales tax charged by some online retailers who don't have physical store locations. Lenovo and Newegg being the first two that come to mind.

 

And yes... I've been called an idiot by some people for actually wanting to pay taxes. But then I just figured I was odd because my body will crave kale or chard instead of chocolate or pastry.

Yeah, I should have said "they should only charge you sales tax on your online orders if you and the store you're buying from (or one of its branches/outlets/warehouses/etc.) are both located in the same state." But the store still has to have some kind of legal presence in your state, otherwise known as a tax nexus.

 

If there's no Lenovo or Newegg in your state, and they're still charging you taxes, they probably have a warehouse, office, manufacturing plant, or other branch in your state. The recent lawsuits have all been about what is or isn't a tax nexus, but no state is claiming that they have the right to collect sales tax from ALL companies nationwide. Only those companies that have a nexus in their state. It just so happens that the state says "This is a nexus!" and the company says "No it's not!" and boom it goes to court.

Heh... yeah, I get to pay 8.25% tax every time I order or win something from Kerbey Lane. Sadly the physical store closed recently, but luckily Rochelle was able to keep the Volks part of it going.

 

Poofiemus, I think the $10K you're thinking of is currency. I did a lot of walks through customs when we were stationed in Germany (each and every time you enter a country, and even when you take a military space available flight you get shuffled through... and those customs guys don't seem to care how much of your time they're wasting. BWI is the WORST!), and the customs' forms always ask if you're carrying more than $10,000 in currency, foreign or otherwise. I think the threshold for us was $900 duty free, or at least you got inspected when you declared more than that (but then again that may have had something to do with the SOFA Act with the host country). They're real sticklers for the dang rules, too. I had throw out a jar of my favorite horseradish sauce because it had "dairy" in it, and a bag of beef jerky, because you can't take meat/dairy/various other food items into the arrival country. And they either hand check or x-ray your bags again (in the military facilities... major airports were more selective based on what you wrote on your form). Makes me wish I'd kept one of the forms so I could quote from it.

 

As far as taxes go, I think maybe all states should institute a flat 5% tax across the board (similar to a VAT) for all internet purchases, that's built into the item's price. That way, everyone's at least paying some tax, because let's face it, most states have taken a pretty decent hit in revenue because of tax free internet sales. Companies would then just report store and internet sales, and pay the appropriate taxes for each based on where the company is located (or which warehouse the item was shipped from). Maybe there would be some sort of discount or incentive for buying local, to help stimulate each states sales revenue (and keep Washington from raking in the majority of the moollah with Amazon XD).

If WA is raking in the dough from Amazon, they sure aren't sharing it. Not on this side of the mountains at least. Rave and I are getting our footing again after he was out of work for over a year. It almost seems like Amazon likes sending me stuff from within the state just so they can get me with the tax (that more often than not I forget...)

 

I'm relieved to know about the whole customs fees issue with the US. I was highly concerned over ordering Kos-Mos and Momo that somehow we would get dinged with an unexpected fee before they could come home. I've been trying to figure out how to plan for that possibility, and math isn't my strong suit.

 

~Sister Kyoya

I'm relieved to know about the whole customs fees issue with the US. I was highly concerned over ordering Kos-Mos and Momo that somehow we would get dinged with an unexpected fee before they could come home. I've been trying to figure out how to plan for that possibility, and math isn't my strong suit.

 

Yeah, no worries about customs fees. You won't have to pay that. Shipping will probably be somewhere around $60 per doll.

 

The only thing that's unpredictable is the yen exchange rate, since Volks International isn't charging until the fall. That means that the doll can suddenly be more expensive than today's rates, or cheaper. We just don't know.

 

FWIW, the yen has weakened a LOT since I moved here to Japan, largely due to the new political party that got in office recently. It was about 76 yen to the dollar in September. As of today, it's the incredibly high 92. And it's just keeps going in that direction. I'm getting more and more optimistic for it getting to that 100 yen to the dollar price point.

FWIW, the yen has weakened a LOT since I moved here to Japan, largely due to the new political party that got in office recently. It was about 76 yen to the dollar in September. As of today, it's the incredibly high 92. And it's just keeps going in that direction. I'm getting more and more optimistic for it getting to that 100 yen to the dollar price point.

 

Yeah, I've noticed that lately too! After seeing the rate stuck around 78-80 for so long, seeing it shift so quickly is pretty amazing. I just hope it sticks decently and doesn't make an equally dramatic reversal. It may be a good idea for people who preordered Xenosaga stuff from Volks International to buy a couple hundred bucks' worth of yen now; that way it'll take some of the sting out if the USD/JPY reverses, but you won't be out too much if it climbs up toward the 100 mark in the autumn instead.

100 yen to the dollar would certainly make conversions a lot easier to figure out. I'm hoping it hits there and stays.

Re: Yen to dollar exchange rate.

 

I'm going to assume it will depend on whether we go into sequestration and our overall growth. If we keep going like we are, I'm going to expect us to hit 94 and sit there. If we go into sequestration though? I think we'll drop down to at best 82. If the Japanese economy has a huge boost in exports by doing the devaluation AND we have sequestration, I wouldn't be surprised if we went back down to under 80.