Solid Perfume › Forums › General Lauder Solids Talk › Duty , Tax , Vat In Different Country › Re: Duty , Tax , Vat In Different Country
Hope I can clear this up for all the Aussies and anyone who happens to sell to us. It works like this:
1. Retail price in USA etc, ADD
2. Tax if applicable in USA state ADD
3. Freight to Australia TOTAL and CONVERT to $Au
4. Multiply by 1.05 to add in customs duty on the LOT
5. Total this then multiply by 1.1 to add in GST on the LOT
6. Total to get final price.
7. Depending on how your freight was done you may need to add on the cost of your freight company's completion of the paperwork for customs.
At one stage I paid over $800 Au in taxes and freight just to get my delivery of solids!! I have since worked a spreadsheet to calculate all costs prior to buying in the US – but guess what? Its still usually cheaper to buy in the US!! Generally the service is better also especially if you have a regular representative. At this rate the prices will remain high in Aust because the smaller the market the higher the prices (so says EL). Try to keep an eye out for specials such as the Bergdorf gift card or the Sak's 20% off and buy where US taxes are not applicable. These discounts add up to a lot more when you do the above calculations. You have a lower price on which to get charged customs, GST etc. <img src='style_emoticons//smile.gif’ border=’0′ style=’vertical-align:middle’ alt=’smile.gif’ /> For cheaper prices closer to home try Asia: Singapore and Hong Kong get good prices I believe and the Singapore dollar is worth less than the Aussie dollar. (A couple of years ago a stage coach was only around $450 – 500Au when converted compared to around $800 in Sydney <img src='style_emoticons//biggrin.gif’ border=’0′ style=’vertical-align:middle’ alt=’biggrin.gif’ /> ) And just in case you think you see a flaw in my calculations – yes we do pay GST on customs duty (a tax on a tax)!! <img src='style_emoticons//ohmy.gif’ border=’0′ style=’vertical-align:middle’ alt=’ohmy.gif’ /> <img src='style_emoticons//mad.gif’ border=’0′ style=’vertical-align:middle’ alt=’mad.gif’ />
Good Luck!
Lyndell