Cigars and Import Duty

[Andy32]

Hi everyone,

 

Ordered some cigars to be shipped from Hong Kong. Arrived today, but the post office have sent an invoice for the import duty and VAT. I ordered 25, with an approximate weight of 8 grams each. My understanding is that import duty only needs to be paid on cigars/tobacco if the weight exceeds 250g. According to my invoice the weight is almost 400g. In other words they have incorrectly weighed the entire package, including the box, and not just the cigars.

 

Anybody got any experience of this? Do you normally pay tax, is it simply unavoidable?

 

Thanks

[NanLaew]

Taxed by weight, including the box unfortunately. I try and do a bit of research on the packaging since some brands go OTT on packaging. If the amount to be paid is already on the 'invoice' and the cigars are at the Post Office, you don't have much option but to pay the Post Office to get them. If you argue with the Post Office, you won't get them, end of.

 

I only ever had to pay once at the Post Office (large box of San Cristobal de la Habana El Morro's). Subsequent 'invoices' were blank meaning they were still at Customs. When I went to collect them there, they didn't charge duty as they could probably gauge from experience that the simple, thin plywood or compressed paper boxes didn't add too much on. They did nail me something like 5 baht/day for storage as you are supposed to collect them within 7-days of notice of the duty notice being issued.

 

The same if you declare them on arrival at Suvarnabhumi; they will weigh the entire package. A buddy of mine broke tried to break their balls and took time to unbox all 4 boxes and they weighed the lot. They let him keep all the cigars but they seized all the packets of Dunkin Donuts coffee that he was bringing for a fellow 'refugee'. If I am packing cigars in my checked baggage, I ditch the box and pack them loose just in case they are in x-ray everything mode. Ziplok bags are handy or as we call them, 'Texas Humidors'.

Edited January 27, 2018 by NanLaew

[Andy32]

Thanks for the reply!

Rightly or wrongly that appears to be the way it’s done here, and therefore I guess I’m paying it. Good to know this before I go in and waste my time trying to argue my point only to end up paying it in the end anyway, after inevitably getting nowhere.


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