Since the weekend, the German customs authorities at the airports have increasingly been dealing with buyers of the Apple Vision Pro headset who are trying to bring their device into the country without paying the mandatory import sales tax. At Berlin Airport BER, the customs officers there said on Wednesday that around eight people had been caught since the weekend.
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This can be extremely painful: In addition to the additional payment of the import sales tax, there is a risk of a fine and, in particular, the confiscation of the device. In Berlin, due to the current delay in processing, this means that the Vision Pro (including accessories if necessary) will remain in the evidence chamber for a good year while the criminal tax proceedings are ongoing. The headset costs at least $3,500 in the US plus local sales tax.
Free limit clearly broken
For imports over the Free limit for private individuals, which is 430 euros (total) for air travel, import sales tax of 19 percent must be paid. However, there are no customs duties for computers like the Vision Pro. In order to do everything correctly, you have to go to the “red zone” with the device and then declare it there (including the invoice). If you try to go through the “green zone” out of the arrivals area and customs stops the buyer, it will be expensive. Then there is a risk of criminal tax proceedings including confiscation of the goods while they are ongoing.
Advance registration for private individuals is not necessary. The situation is different for companies and self-employed people who introduce their device for their company. There is no allowance here and the import must be carried out in advance via an – unfortunately complex – Online Form be registered. It is important to choose the correct customs office – in Berlin, for example, at BER it is not the actual customs office, but the control unit there. “Sender” is the Apple store where you purchased the device. If several imports are carried out per year, this is a so-called EORI identification number necessary. This can be applied for online at customs (via Elster certificate).
Customs likes to use Apple Pay
Registration may take a while depending on how busy the control unit is currently. After processing, payment is made: This is possible both in cash and by card; The border guards also normally accept contactless payments (via Apple Pay if necessary). Companies and self-employed people receive a receipt for the import, which they can then claim when making their VAT return in order to get the tax back if necessary.
By the way, you won’t see the sales tax paid in the USA again – most states here don’t have a refund when you leave the country. If you want to save here, get your device in a state that has no sales tax, such as New Hampshire. In New York you pay a comparatively high 8.875 percent.
(bsc)
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2024-02-08 17:27:08
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