Customs Import Duty

[andy1308]

Hi, I wonder whether anyone has any similar experiences?

I was in London recently for a publishing exhibition, and as a result collected around 100 magazines to bring back to Bangkok. At this point I should say I am in the media/publishing industry. Given the number I opted to send them back via DHL's 25kg Jumbo Box.

These publications are samples of titles that, with a lot of work and investment on our part, might be ones we want to license for the Thai market. They include magazines from all over the world and in at least five different languages including Spanish, Dutch, French, Polish and Italian. They are single editions (no multiple copies) and the box also included a small amount of additional literature like media packs, etc. All in all it cost the best part of 14,000 baht to ship back.

Anyway, despite stating the magazines are commercial samples and not for resale, Customs has decided to impose an Import Duty of 2,750 baht. I am still waiting to find out how that have arrived at this figure - but I assume it's based on cover price and potential value if sold.

I know it's not a lot of money, but does anyone think it's worth appealing against this duty? I am a bit worried because we will be sending and receiving quite a few packages of magazines in the future, although not in such quantities - perhaps 10 or 20 at a time.

Thanks - Andy.

[pampal]

The duty amount is not exorbitant and you should pay it. It would cost you more to appeal and the time wasted is not to your advantage. In the future, the smaller amounts of printed material you send should not be assesed for duty payment.

[andy1308]

Thanks Pampal - I pretty much guessed it wouldn't be worth the hassle. Like I said it's not about the money - just the problems we might have in the future and Customs' apparent way of ignoring the fact these are samples and not for sale.

Andy.

[Chang_paarp]

According to the people that get packages regularly, you will pay duty on some and not on others. Of the ones you pay duty on you will pay different amounts. Overall the rate will be close to realistic.

Edit

If you want to reduce the lottery of duty have the sender put the unified customs code on the customs declaration. If they are sending stuff around the world they should know the code for magazines, it is a standard code.

Edited December 15, 2006 by Chang_paarp

[chuchok]

I would think that you are paying duty on the CIF value.The freight portion would be quite high considering you used a jumbo box.

[mouse]

Actually Thailand is a signatory to the International Florence Accords that control the shipping of printed materials and the last time I looked most printed matter was exempt from all customs duties and taxes. And then they wonder why they loose a lot of print jobs to countries such as Vietnam, China and elsewhere. This is a perfect example of one little guy getting his lunch money and subsequently hurting an entire nation or industry in the process.

I think this is the appropriate link

And this is the Thai link that says to me that you material is exempt form duties and taxes

If it falls under the Florence Agreement: The Florence Agreement is the agreement on the tax and duty free importation of educational, scientific and cultural materials by educational institutes and government agencies. The importation under the Florence Agreement is determined by the “Committee on Tax and Duty Free Allowance of Educational, Scientific and Cultural Materials” appointed by the Cabinet. Goods covered by the Florence Agreement include:

1 Books, publications and documents;

2 Works of Art, and collections in connection with education, science and culture;

3 Audiovisual on in connection with education, science and culture;

4 Scientific equipments; and

5 Articles for the blind.

I would suggest that you pay and then discuss the matter with someone, in the hope that you will eventually get your money back. But by just accepting it as par the course you are condemming the rest of us to having to pay the same unsubstantiated duties and taxes that you pay.

Hope this was helpful and that my research applies to you.

Edited December 15, 2006 by mouse

[redwood13]

Suspect they've charged you 19% duty on the "paper" that you imported, i.e. they didn't categorize the shipment as magazines, samples or printed matter, but merely paper. And Thailand's domestic paper and pulp industry is heavily protected. Since you were willing to spend 14K baht on shipping it must be at a minimum valued at that.

-redwood

[PattayaXpat]

I just received a shipment of Whey protien via UPS who also acted as my customs broker.. The seller declared a value of $58.00 US on the package ( about $100.00 under actual).

I have just been told that my bill will be 4528.00 baht! This is almost as much as I paid for the product and shipment itself. Is there anything I can do to prevent this from happening again? Can I pay and then try to recoup my money?

Thanks Guys!

This shipment should have been classified as food and it is for personal consumption.

Here are the charges:

DUTY AND VAT 1,950.00 BATH

STORAGE FEE TILL 20/12/06. 438.70 BATH

FREIGHT CHARGE - BATH

CUSTOMS FEE 214.00 BATH

CUSTOMS FORMALITY HANDLING 1,284.00 BATH

SAMPLE / EVALUATION 642.00 BATH

TOTAL CHARGE 4,528.70 BATH

The two charges that seem way over the top are:

CUSTOMS FORMALITY HANDLING 1,284.00 BATH

SAMPLE / EVALUATION 642.00 BATH

[cclub75]

The package was sent to your personal name/address, or did you use a company name/address ?

Anyway. UPS/Fedex/DHL are bread and butter for thai customs.

There is little you can do, once your package is tracked.

With a value of 58 USD = 2100 THB. VAT = 147 THB. So it means that custom duty is around 1800 THB = more than 85 %.

Ask what tariff code they used and the percentage.

And you can check on :

http://www.customs.go.th/Tariff/Tariff.jsp

I just received a shipment of Whey protien via UPS who also acted as my customs broker.. The seller declared a value of $58.00 US on the package ( about $100.00 under actual).

I have just been told that my bill will be 4528.00 baht! This is almost as much as I paid for the product and shipment itself. Is there anything I can do to prevent this from happening again? Can I pay and then try to recoup my money?

Thanks Guys!

This shipment should have been classified as food and it is for personal consumption.

Here are the charges:

DUTY AND VAT 1,950.00 BATH

STORAGE FEE TILL 20/12/06. 438.70 BATH

FREIGHT CHARGE - BATH

CUSTOMS FEE 214.00 BATH

CUSTOMS FORMALITY HANDLING 1,284.00 BATH

SAMPLE / EVALUATION 642.00 BATH

TOTAL CHARGE 4,528.70 BATH

The two charges that seem way over the top are:

CUSTOMS FORMALITY HANDLING 1,284.00 BATH

SAMPLE / EVALUATION 642.00 BATH

[PattayaXpat]

Thank You, I'll look in to it.

Do you know what this is? CUSTOMS FORMALITY HANDLING 1,284.00 BATH

I believe that this: SAMPLE / EVALUATION 642.00 BATH is a sample for drug testing...

Edited December 20, 2006 by PattayaXpat

[ZEAK]

I just received a shipment of Whey protien via UPS who also acted as my customs broker.. The seller declared a value of $58.00 US on the package ( about $100.00 under actual).

I have just been told that my bill will be 4528.00 baht! This is almost as much as I paid for the product and shipment itself. Is there anything I can do to prevent this from happening again? Can I pay and then try to recoup my money?

Thanks Guys!

This shipment should have been classified as food and it is for personal consumption.

Here are the charges:

DUTY AND VAT 1,950.00 BATH

STORAGE FEE TILL 20/12/06. 438.70 BATH

FREIGHT CHARGE - BATH

CUSTOMS FEE 214.00 BATH

CUSTOMS FORMALITY HANDLING 1,284.00 BATH

SAMPLE / EVALUATION 642.00 BATH

TOTAL CHARGE 4,528.70 BATH

The two charges that seem way over the top are:

CUSTOMS FORMALITY HANDLING 1,284.00 BATH

SAMPLE / EVALUATION 642.00 BATH

Tell UPS that it is too much, they will talk to customs to get it reduced. I was charged 600B and eventually got them down to 300B that I accepted. For all my shipments now I do not use UPS/DHL, instead normal air mail.

[Crushdepth]

I know it's not a lot of money, but does anyone think it's worth appealing against this duty? I am a bit worried because we will be sending and receiving quite a few packages of magazines in the future, although not in such quantities - perhaps 10 or 20 at a time.

Not worth appealing - they will not release it unless you pay. They once demanded US$ 600 for a single non-commercial poster sent to us by the Oz government. We eventually got it out without paying by getting them to lodge a written complaint, but it took an entire day of my time, plus that of an official from the embassy.

I have just been told that my bill will be 4528.00 baht! This is almost as much as I paid for the product and shipment itself. Is there anything I can do to prevent this from happening again? Can I pay and then try to recoup my money?

If you import stuff through a Thai freight handling company (which isn't really worth it for small quantities) they usually have an established relationship with customs staff. They still pay tea money but they handle it internally so you won't see it or have to deal with it. Basically they can get it through a lot cheaper / with less hassle than you can.

Customs knows no shame, I live for the day when someone puts the cleaners through them.