Avoiding NY sales tax and UK VAT on purchase

Dan S · Oct 21, 2020

Evitzee
That's the theory, the taxpayer remits the appropriate tax to the state/local authorities on his own initiative. It appears from reading the posts here on OF that US members do an outstanding job in doing this, it seems like close to 100% compliance. Well done, lads. But outside of our forum members the compliance rate is probably something like 0.000001% in the general public. It's great that we have such a stellar bunch of upstanding US taxpayers here on OF!

I suspect that most people in the US aren't even aware that they are supposed to declare and pay their state use tax in a situation like this.

BlackTalon · Oct 21, 2020

I suspect that you are incorrect. At least the ones who are responsible for the tax forms each year know about it. And anyone who has read anything over the last 5 years about online purchasing.

They just conveniently forgot that they read it...

kippyk · Oct 21, 2020

Buy the watch in a no-tax state. Ship the box and receipt to the UK via FedEX.

kkt · Oct 22, 2020

Dan S
I suspect that most people in the US aren't even aware that they are supposed to declare and pay their state use tax in a situation like this.

It is very difficult for people to become aware when awareness is going to cost them extra money...

kkt · Oct 22, 2020

BlackTalon
I suspect that you are incorrect. At least the ones who are responsible for the tax forms each year know about it. And anyone who has read anything over the last 5 years about online purchasing.

Not necessarily. My state has no state income tax, so there is no state tax form we must send each year, and there is no place to report items that should have use tax paid on that form. If we should be paying use tax, we need to download and file a separate form, and there is nothing reminding us in April to look over our purchases for the year.

SpikiSpikester · Oct 22, 2020

kippyk
Buy the watch in a no-tax state. Ship the box and receipt to the UK via FedEX.

...and UK tax charges will be payable on the value stated on the receipt, plus administration charges.

gatorcpa · Oct 22, 2020

It simply amazes me that people will discuss engaging in blatantly illegal activities on a public forum.
gatorcpa

Ottsby · Oct 22, 2020

Risking getting covid to avoid paying required import duties?

STANDY · Oct 22, 2020

Ottsby
Risking getting covid to avoid paying required import duties?

Which country 😗 neither look good at the moment.

MCC · Oct 22, 2020

@gatorcpa , @RonJ-in-VA , @Evitzee thanks for the explanation, it sounds like the different tax rules could seriously affect the costs of a watch from overseas. I am based in the UK and have bought watches from within EU which means there is no tax issues to worry about, it will be interesting to see what happen next year 🍿

pongster · Oct 22, 2020

A Russian Jew had been allowed to emigrate to Israel.

At Moscow airport, customs found a Lenin statue in his baggage and asked him, "What is this?"

The man replied, "What is this? Wrong question comrade. You should have asked : Who is he? This is Comrade Lenin. He laid the foundations of socialism and created the future and prosperity of the Russian people. I am taking it with me as a memory of our hero days."

The Russian customs officer was a bit shamed and let him go without further inspection.

At Tel Aviv airport, the customs officer also asks our friend, "What is this?"

He replies, "What is this? Wrong question Sir. You should be asking 'Who is this?' This is Lenin, a bastard that made me, as a Jew leave Russia. I take this statue with me so I can curse him every day."

The Israeli customs officer said, "I apologize Sir, you can go on."

In Israel, when he arrives at his new house, he puts the statue on a table.

To celebrate his immigration, he invite his friends and relatives to dinner.

One of his friends asks him, "Who is this?"

He replies, "My dear friend, 'Who is this' is a wrong question. You should have asked, What is this? This is ten kilograms of solid gold that I managed to bring with me without customs and tax."

MORAL :-

*Everything remains the same. Nothing has changed. Politics is all about how you choose to tell the story.

Its called Perception Engineering.

If enough people can be made to believe in a lie, then it becomes the ' truth '

gatorcpa · Oct 22, 2020

P pongster
Its called Perception Engineering.

If enough people can be made to believe in a lie, then it becomes the ' truth '

That is one of the most cynical responses I have read in a very long time. Very sad.

If someone is asking questions about how to evade taxes, they know right from wrong. They are looking for approval from the group for what is essentially an immoral act.
gatorcpa

STANDY · Oct 23, 2020

Nowadays customs would X-ray it looking for drugs and the density X-ray would show it was gold and duty would be paid.

Ahhh technology 😉

And it’s called officer intuition.

Funny how people still today try to hide stuff day in day out from Customs officers who deal with passengers day in day out. 9/10 Times a officer will let a honest person walk out the door with no duty charged as its catching the dishonest people that brings the best rewards and stats for agency bosses.