Customs again, UPS

its arbitrary

It seems that everyone pays a different amount. Rarely is it good. There is supposed to be a book of values they consult but it still seems random. My wife is Dominican was able to get customs reduced for an English friend but it was only about %20 percent less. Still a saving. If its a lot try and get a clever well spoken Dominican to go down and negotiate for you. Dominicans will nearly always pay less and will bargain on and on. Good luck and buckle up!!!!!

I have found a limit of 200$ per order for no tax. Perhaps good to order accessories separately.
I have found a week to clear customs. UPS should get a bill for you and you may need to prepay. I have found CPS better.
Fax UPS the tracking number, copy of invoice, copy of credit card deduction etc.
CPS charge about 6 dollars a pound approx plus taxes etc.
You have to collect from CPS office but they will negotiate with customs for you.
Always better to do it by fax.
You may need to deposit customs charge plus clearance charge etc. at a local bank to obtain release and fax the bank receipt. Quite normal really.
Yandandu

miozio, DR customs charge for everything that is in package, based on invoice amount, including shipping. DR customs will charge you tax including on UPS shipping. I don't know if the $1000+ you quoted was shipping included or not, but DR customs will assess tax on the TOTAL invoice amount. That's why it's good to use free shipping options with various stores, who can ship free to Miami.

For example, photographic and movie cameras are 24% in total tax: 8% duty tax + 16% ITBIS for a total of 24% of total invoice value.

9007.91.00 - - De c?maras 8.00% 0.00% S CAMARAS Y PROYECTORES CINEMATOGRAFICOS, INCLUSO CON GRABADOR O REPRODUCTOR DE SONIDO INCORPORADOS. CAMARAS:

video recorders are 56% in total tax: 20% duty, 20% luxury tax and 16% ITBIS.
8521.10.00 - De cinta magn?tica 20.00% 20.00% S APARATOS DE GRABACION O REPRODUCCION DE IMAGEN Y SONIDO (VIDEOS),INCLUSO CON RECEPTOR DE SE?ALES DEIMAGEN Y SONIDO INCORPORADO.
(This is for video and dvd recorders). But the key word is aparato (device) and recording of video and sound.

So this description can be both applied to video/dvd recorders as well as video cameras. That's maybe why UPS was not sure what the tax duty will be assessed. In the first case it would be 24% total with VAT and customs duty, and in the second case it would be 56% total with VAT and customs duty. Good luck!

Direcci?n General de Aduanas - DGA


If you ship $$$$ article to DR you should ship it via Miami through one of many mail forwarders, because shipping charges Miami-DR are NOT calculated/included for customs purposes (the shipping charges are levied after the article passes customs). If you ship by Fedex, UPS, etc. the DR customs will include into the total package value the amount of shipping charge paid to the courier company for the international portion of your shipping.

It is my understanding that taxes are assessed on shipping even on the price of shipping by Miami to DR freight forwarders. Please correct me if I am wrong on that.

Despite schedules showing the taxes that should be charged, the actual charges do seem to be arbitrary and will likely be different each time you send the same taxable items. A total lack of transparency in the system.

As for trying out your video camera at the customs office, I envision a good plot for Saturday Night Live in the making.

Not so bad - there is a clearance charge as well as the tax.
Still it is hoped the the tax goes to schools etc.
It's only 790 dollars.
Yanandu.

miozio said:

The final verdict against common sense is RD$ 29.240

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I assume you meant 29,240 pesos.

Looks like you were correct, it would have been cheaper (Less than half that amount) to do a round trip Air flight and carry it in as personal belongings.

ok, so am i to assume everything and anything shipped into DR goes thru this process?

Anything with a declared value over $200 will get the royal treatment! One of my clients sent me some cigar rings and decalred the value to be like 1290 dollars. Theywanted close to 30,000 pesos in duties. I think they are still rotting in Customs...

Never listen to those of us who have lived, worked, suffered it all...Just think like a foreigner whose country makes most things work logically and even rationally...Remember the old comic strip: Grin and Bear It!

HB

Hillbilly said:

Anything with a declared value over $200 will get the royal treatment! One of my clients sent me some cigar rings and decalred the value to be like 1290 dollars. Theywanted close to 30,000 pesos in duties. I think they are still rotting in Customs...

Never listen to those of us who have lived, worked, suffered it all...Just think like a foreigner whose country makes most things work logically and even rationally...Remember the old comic strip: Grin and Bear It!

HB

Click to expand...

There is no tax on basic foodstuffs, little income tax and little property tax in the DR. So imports of luxury items carry some burden.

Only some states have a sales tax in the USA but in many countries there is a Value Added Tax of 20%.

US has one-off customs clearance fees and import duties on some products as well. If you import a motorcycle from China to US customs is quite expensive.
:bunny:

Yanandu

ok, so that means if we decide to ship are personal belongings there we will be charges for each items value?

MWpending said:

ok, so that means if we decide to ship are personal belongings there we will be charges for each items value?

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No, on granting of a cedula one container of personal belongings is allowed in free of duty plus a car you have owned in the country of origin for at least 3 years.
This works - I have seen containers full of expensive items come in duty free.

Yanandu

Having residency allows you to...

yanandu said:

No, on granting of a cedula one container of personal belongings is allowed in free of duty plus a car you have owned in the country of origin for at least 3 years.
This works - I have seen containers full of expensive items come in duty free.

Yanandu

Click to expand...

bring in your personal household items free of duty...but not totally free. Just be aware, there will be other expenses.

As to a vehicle, I believe any vehicle that you have owned for at least one year prior to shipping is also allowed. Proof comes in the form of a registration....and, I am told, the five year rule is not applicable under the residency provision (under D.R. law a vehicle over 5 years old cannot normally be brought in).


Respectfully,
Playacaribe2