Is there any tax or customs duties levied against Ukes shipped between European Union countries?
Thanks Mivo. I was thinking that when I planned my next European holiday I could bring a Uke I wanted to sell and save the buyer ( assuming that they are European) a lot of customs duties.
Tax rates that are outrageously high beg to be avoided. How much extra does a European pay for,say, a $2000 Mya Moe Uke that is shipped in from the USA?
...Noteworthy is that the 19% VAT is applied to the shipping and insurance fees as well, not only to the instrument's value. That had struck me as obscure, but apparently it is rightful.
For Germany, it is 19% VAT and 3-something% (probably 3.2% like in the UK) import tax for musical instruments. Noteworthy is that the 19% VAT is applied to the shipping and insurance fees as well, not only to the instrument's value. That had struck me as obscure, but apparently it is rightful. The value of gifts cannot exceed around €45, meaning you cannot bypass the costs by saying something is a gift.
This means that the dollar price of a ukulele does not look as attractive once you have added in shipping and tax.
It would seem that the only advantage in buying 'overseas' and shipping it in is if you are buying a 2nd hand custom that would never be available locally.