----- Original Message ----- From: "Boris Liberman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, May 08, 2005 7:59 PM
Subject: Re: OT: Import tax
It is common practice in Israel to declare goods as a gift.<
I bet.
>There is
something that people do not notice. The import tax people do know very well how much things are worth. Since they can actually look inside the box, they can still charge the taxes. And they actually do :)
There is another side of this coin. At least in Israel. I've learned that by experience.
If the item is sent to me via UPS or EMS or similar service (I tried these two, but pretty sure about others), it almost always goes to the taxes, no matter how insignificant in value the item is.
If the item is sent to me via USPS (regular non-express mail, could be registered, no matter), it is a gamble. Sometimes I would get my package without taxes involved.
So, I suppose, David, if I were to ask you *not* to use EMS or UPS but use regular USPS instead, you would probably agree, as this is totally legit thing to ask.
My say is simple. It would be unacceptable to assist in hiding from the taxes the way you described. Nonetheless, to post the thing in such a way and on purpose so that the poor fellow would have to pay taxes is, how to put it, inconsiderate.<<
.
Some people might be of the opinion that U.S citizens pay more than enough tax dollars to support Israel as it is - without Israeli citizens dodging import duties that could help to relieve the burden on long-suffering American taxpayers.
