Q RE: Customs Duty On A TV At SDQ

angus murray

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I want to take a small (26") TV for friends through SDQ soon. Anyone do this recently? What was your experience w/ Customs? Thanks. I've looked through all the forums and couldn't find any posts addressing the issue of an individual TV.
 

Robert

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Buy it here. By the time customs has added their taxes, it would have been cheaper to buy it here.
 
Jan 9, 2004
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If it fits in your checked luggage...

I want to take a small (26") TV for friends through SDQ soon. Anyone do this recently? What was your experience w/ Customs? Thanks. I've looked through all the forums and couldn't find any posts addressing the issue of an individual TV.


you might not even get stopped/questioned...thus no duty. However, if you are shipping it separately and in its original packaging expect to pay around $250 in duty/taxes for a 26."

For further reference I was quoted $1,000 to ship/guide through customs and deliver a 42" LCD TV. TV duty/taxes are based on screen size and they just look up the price for that size TV pre-loaded in the computer. They could care less whether it is a Pisonic (real brand sold in the D.R.) or Panasonic.


Respectfully,
Playacaribe2
 

angus murray

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Customs Duty On Televisions Through SDQ

I asked a Customs human 3 days ago about duty on televisions while carrying a 16 " through SDQ. He told me that duty is charged on TV's sized 32 inches and up; those under 32 inches PAY NO DUTY. I paid nothing.
 
Jan 9, 2004
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Thanks....

I asked a Customs human 3 days ago about duty on televisions while carrying a 16 " through SDQ. He told me that duty is charged on TV's sized 32 inches and up; those under 32 inches PAY NO DUTY. I paid nothing.

for the update on TV duty and congratulations. Did you indicate or show the "customs human" the TV you were carrying?

And, if there is no duty on TV's under 32," I wonder why they (under 32" TV'S) are all still priced 2/3 times higher than comparable ones being sold in the states.


Respectfully,
Playacaribe2
 

angus murray

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TV's Sold Locally Cost More..

because outfits such as Plaza Lama are unlikely to share cost savings on under 32" units with anyone and would most likely not want the specifics of import duty on such smaller units to become common knowledge. It comes as a bit of a surprise to me that (apparently) no prior contributor to the Forum has asked a Customs human about this specific issue.
 

DavidZ

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because outfits such as Plaza Lama are unlikely to share cost savings on under 32" units with anyone and would most likely not want the specifics of import duty on such smaller units to become common knowledge. It comes as a bit of a surprise to me that (apparently) no prior contributor to the Forum has asked a Customs human about this specific issue.

if anyone can find and post the legal document that states there is no duty on Flat Screen TV's under 32", I think you would make many DR1'ers VERY happy (myself included!).
 
Jan 9, 2004
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We have no need to ask...

because outfits such as Plaza Lama are unlikely to share cost savings on under 32" units with anyone and would most likely not want the specifics of import duty on such smaller units to become common knowledge. It comes as a bit of a surprise to me that (apparently) no prior contributor to the Forum has asked a Customs human about this specific issue.

because Customs/Aduana has always told us how much the duty is/was.

If true, a huge business opportunity is at hand. However, I will remain a skeptic about the info provided to you.

Did the "Customs human" in fact know of and/or see the TV you had in your suitcase?


Respectfully,
Playacaribe2
 

angus murray

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Sep 29, 2008
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TV Unseen By Customs Human,

but a glance by him at the size of my suitcase was enough to tell him that anything within had to measure less than 32".
 

angus murray

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Final Small TV Detail

The customs fellow did ask if the TV was for personal use, a necessary part of importation to avoid duty.
 

Conchman

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I would bet money that if the TV was in a box, they would have charged you customs duty on it. The 32 inch and under exemption only exists in the laziness of the agent, I bet he didnt' want to deal with the paperwork and made that up.
 

ExtremeR

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I asked a Customs human 3 days ago about duty on televisions while carrying a 16 " through SDQ. He told me that duty is charged on TV's sized 32 inches and up; those under 32 inches PAY NO DUTY. I paid nothing.

This is a pretty valuable data that few people knew about, a shame that I am interested in a 42? LCD. If you choose to buy locally forget Plaza Lama and those giants Retail stores, those are thieves caves. There is a lot of small Distributors competing with each other who can offer a competitive price in flat screen TV.
 

angus murray

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Boxed 26" TV Seen Passing Through SDQ

On 09/19 I flew MIA/SDQ w/ a fellow carrying a new boxed 26" TV (forget the brand but there was a large "26" on the side of the box in red) as a carry on. I did not see him beyond baggage claim once we'd arrived but he carried it like a briefcase while waiting for his luggage and certainly made no effort to conceal it. I had no thought at the time I'd soon be taking a TV down but now have to believe he was aware of the size limitation for duty purposes when he bought it.
 

snowbird44

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Ok, now after reading this thread I am getting a little worried. We are planning to bring a 32" flat panel TV with us ( already bought and used) when we go to POP in December. I would hate to have to pay extra money for customs.
 

AlaninDR

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Dec 17, 2002
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My personal experience with customs/aduanas recently is that no tv's are exempt unless they are manufactured in the USA. This is part of DRCAFTA. The big problem is finding a tv that is made in America. Just because you buy it there (in the USA) means nothing, it's where it was manufactured. Obviously rules are applied differently at different locations. Good luck at which ever route you choose.
 

angus murray

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Sep 29, 2008
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Snowbird 44 Et Al..

Post your experiences after arrival w/ whatever TV is brought through. Apocryphal information abounds. The more often detailed factual reports of individual experience reach this Forum, the greater the knowledge base of this area of life in the DR for others to draw upon.
 

CyaBye3015

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Jan 8, 2003
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My personal experience with customs/aduanas recently is that no tv's are exempt unless they are manufactured in the USA. This is part of DRCAFTA. The big problem is finding a tv that is made in America. Just because you buy it there (in the USA) means nothing, it's where it was manufactured. Obviously rules are applied differently at different locations. Good luck at which ever route you choose.

There are NO tv's manufactured in the USA!
 

Tallman1818

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The DR goverment used to exemp taxes (customs duties) during the holiday season in the month of December.
Do they still do this???
 

princess23

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I want to bring a 42'' through SDQ and leave it in DR with my bfs family as i will be moving there soon.... how do you think i could go about this? from scratch... will airlines even let me bring something like that??