Import Tax Laws?

[pitipur]

Hey all, I tried searching import tax but didnt find anything relevant. My question is, if I have a tourist friend entering, can he legally bring in imported items, as long as he is willing to pay a tax? The reason I ask is because I'm interested in ordering 100-200 of a small, inexpensive item to sell here ($2-3 a piece, nothing electronic...more like a handmade item you might find at a feria) and I have a friend coming who could bring the box for me (so I dont have to deal with the product coming through the mail), but can customs tell him at the airport that he can't bring it in since it might be obvious that it's for sale, or is it "allowed" to bring items for sale as long as you pay some customs tax?

I don't mind paying the tax, and I understand that customs probably has the right to deny any item they feel like, but are there any laws around this, assuming they do let the box through? Anyone ever brought anything like this?

Thanks in advance.

 

[HenryNisental]

send the stuff by mail,pick it up in Retiro and pay the 50% tax. EASY

 

[pitipur]

send the stuff by mail,pick it up in Retiro and pay the 50% tax. EASY

Yeah Ive just read too many horror stories about the items "going missing", or the hours/days/weeks of waiting and still never being able to claim the items.

But, can I also just pay the 50% tax having someone bring it in without the worry?

 

[lucha54]

why would you have to pay for someone to 'bring it in'?

 

[pitipur]

why would you have to pay for someone to 'bring it in'?

maybe i dont, maybe customs doesnt notice or doesn't care...thats what im asking, if anyones had any trouble doing this before. again i realize that what happens to one person does not necessarily happen to another but...

 

[pitipur]

anyone had any experience in anything like this?

 

[Dublin2BuenosAires]

In September we brought, in our suitcases, the following back from EU.

1. Various printed linens in metre rolls
2. 3 or 4 specific tools which cannot be bought in Arg.
3. Boxes of upholstery tacks
4. Lots of kids clothes and frozen dolls from Disney.

Passed through aduana without an issue. Bought an extra suitcase over there, i.e. returned with an extra bag.

You'll be fine, your friend will breeze through.

 

[TWB103]

Its probaly 50 50 whether custome charge you the 50% tax or not rather like items going missing in the post or not. I came into the country with 2 laptops a couple of years ago and customs didnt even bat an eyelid. Ive also recieved every single parcel Ive ordered from overseas in the last 5 years. Maybe 50 in total. Maybe its luck. They werent tampered with either but having said that waiting 4 months+, worrying if youll get it safe and sound and spending 3 hours trying to release parcel is a ballache. Like most things in this country theres no hard and fast rule you just have to choose a path and deal with the consequences. Another thing theres a limit to just 2 foreign purchases a year now. Extreme but thats the way it is.

 

[pitipur]

ok, so it sounds like the consensus is that worst case, they will charge me the tax, but I'll still be able to bring in the items -- that's what I was worried about, whether or not they'll let it through at all. thanks all (but happy to hear anyone else's experiences as well)

 

[johnw100]

I`d say anything brought in bulk will raise suspicions. They`ll probably ask you what theyre worth and if its not much they`ll let you pass. If you can keep receipts because otherwise theyll charge you for what they think theyre worth locally.
But saying that, I once bought in 25 led light bulbs for our house, didnt cause them to stop me after the case was scanned which I was quite amazed by.