VAT from China?

[bgoldin]

Hey All,

If I buy a card on eBay for $2500 being shipped from China, do I need to pay a VAT in addition to my state tax?

[DynaEtch]

I’m not 100% sure so don’t quote me on it, but I think eBay now makes it clear whether there will be extra fees or duties prior to buying….if you go to the shipping line in the listing, it says something like “no extra duty or fees will be added to the price”. So look for that.

[RL 1953]

with all the fakes and counterfeits that come from china, your brave for buying a $2500 card

[bgoldin]

Thank you for all the information. Warning heard, thank you. The seller has over 320K items sold, which sounds like so much to me. Also, they have 16K followers. The card is PSA graded with a QR code and bar code on the label. Shouldn't all that make me feel confident?

It does say this though:
International shipment of items may be subject to customs processing and additional charges.

[DynaEtch]

Originally Posted by bgoldin

Thank you for all the information. Warning heard, thank you. The seller has over 320K items sold, which sounds like so much to me. Also, they have 16K followers. The card is PSA graded with a QR code and bar code on the label. Shouldn't all that make me feel confident?

It does say this though:
International shipment of items may be subject to customs processing and additional charges.

There are a lot of legit big-volume sellers from China with trading cards these days….I have bought a lot from them on eBay and never a problem.

Mine don’t charge extra in fees beyond the price stated in listing, but I’m in the US…could be different where you are. Since it does have that disclaimer, looks like extra fees might be possible. For a high end card might be worth discussing this with the seller if they are able to communicate through the language barrier…even maybe agree that you could buy it but if the fees go up too much post-sale to have it canceled. Maybe a seller would agree to that, idk.

[bgoldin]

Thank you for the advice. I reached out to the seller and they said they only charge for shipping and can help me under declare. They also said International shopping buyers should all have a portion of the import tax. I don't understand what they meant in regards to an import tax. I could use some help to know if I pay that, and if so, how much it would be.

Originally Posted by DynaEtch

There are a lot of legit big-volume sellers from China with trading cards these days….I have bought a lot from them on eBay and never a problem.

Mine don’t charge extra in fees beyond the price stated in listing, but I’m in the US…could be different where you are. Since it does have that disclaimer, looks like extra fees might be possible. For a high end card might be worth discussing this with the seller if they are able to communicate through the language barrier…even maybe agree that you could buy it but if the fees go up too much post-sale to have it canceled. Maybe a seller would agree to that, idk.

[NatsSBR]

If you are shipping to the United States, I would strongly recommend against asking the seller to under declare the value of the package. I think this would be a federal crime -- and with high current tariffs and the de minimis exception likely not available for smaller purchases, you would be playing with fire.

[bgoldin]

I agree and don’t want any added risk to the transaction. I didn’t ask the seller. They brought it up and offered to me. The card is an auction ending tonight.

I just want to know an estimate of how much I would be responsible for, regarding any import or custom tax, in addition to the auction price, shipping and taxes.

I know the exact cant be figured, but I have no idea what the ballpark is. The card should sell for around $2500.

[bgoldin]

Originally Posted by NatsSBR

If you are shipping to the United States, I would strongly recommend against asking the seller to under declare the value of the package. I think this would be a federal crime -- and with high current tariffs and the de minimis exception likely not available for smaller purchases, you would be playing with fire.

I agree and don’t want any added risk to the transaction. I didn’t ask the seller. They brought it up and offered to me. The card is an auction ending tonight.

I just want to know an estimate of how much I would be responsible for, regarding any import or custom tax, in addition to the auction price, shipping and taxes.

I know the exact cant be figured, but I have no idea what the ballpark is. The card should sell for around $2500.

[NatsSBR]

Originally Posted by bgoldin

I know the exact cant be figured, but I have no idea what the ballpark is. The card should sell for around $2500.

The current tariff rate on goods from China is 30%, so for right now you should probably expect to pay that (i.e., about $750 in customs fees). However, depending on what the card is, you MIGHT be able to make the argument that it isn't Chinese-origin merchandise and get out of paying the China rate. I haven't encountered this scenario, but I could easily see this depending on which specific customs official processes your package and any appeals you try to file.

The current scenario is 30% on top of the sale price, as well as sales tax. If the tariff rate changes before your card crosses the border, you could wind up paying either a higher or lower rate on delivery.

[bgoldin]

Originally Posted by NatsSBR

The current tariff rate on goods from China is 30%, so for right now you should probably expect to pay that (i.e., about $750 in customs fees). However, depending on what the card is, you MIGHT be able to make the argument that it isn't Chinese-origin merchandise and get out of paying the China rate. I haven't encountered this scenario, but I could easily see this depending on which specific customs official processes your package and any appeals you try to file.

The current scenario is 30% on top of the sale price, as well as sales tax. If the tariff rate changes before your card crosses the border, you could wind up paying either a higher or lower rate on delivery.

Interesting, it is a 90’s card made by Fleer/Skybox.

[NatsSBR]

Originally Posted by bgoldin

Interesting, it is a 90’s card made by Fleer/Skybox.

If that's the case, and if you are hit by tariffs, I'd try to make the case that you are importing previously exported U.S.-origin goods. A claim would be very dependent on the circumstances for this card (e.g., which PSA facility graded and slabbed the card? when did the card get to China? if it was slabbed in the United States, does the seller have documentation proving this, and will he share it with you?)

You can go pretty far down the rabbit hole with trade policy implementation, especially now: https://www.cbp.gov/trade/programs-a...ubheading-9801

I have no idea what your chances of a successful claim will be. I'd budget for a 30% tariff if I were you.

[bgoldin]

Originally Posted by NatsSBR

If that's the case, and if you are hit by tariffs, I'd try to make the case that you are importing previously exported U.S.-origin goods. A claim would be very dependent on the circumstances for this card (e.g., which PSA facility graded and slabbed the card? when did the card get to China? if it was slabbed in the United States, does the seller have documentation proving this, and will he share it with you?)

You can go pretty far down the rabbit hole with trade policy implementation, especially now: https://www.cbp.gov/trade/programs-a...ubheading-9801

I have no idea what your chances of a successful claim will be. I'd budget for a 30% tariff if I were you.

Sounds good, thank you for all the helpful information.