Importing electronic goods?

pops1980

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Whats the normal procedure for importing electronic goods?

My Dad is sending me a laptop and even if I have to pay the 50% tax its still cheaper for me than buying a new one here.

Do you get it sent to the post office and the tax automatically gets adeed?

Who decides the value of the laptop?

Also, I met some American guy who actually went to the Post Office manager in Rosario and personally spoke to her saying he was a tourist passing through Argentina briefly and she waived the tax for him completely.
 
Post office might avoid taxes, but it is riskier than Fedex or UPS. I know people that use Global Priority and that seems to almost always get here. Also, beware that if you send a transformer you will be having to pay something like $1000 USD for electrical inspections on top of taxes. In general, it is a risk trying to send anything to this country. Not long ago, I lost an envelope with a check which was cashed in Spain 2 weeks after it was sent.

If you attach an invoice and they believe you, that is the value they will tax it on. If not, they will decide (and probably will be more).


pops1980 said:
Whats the normal procedure for importing electronic goods?

My Dad is sending me a laptop and even if I have to pay the 50% tax its still cheaper for me than buying a new one here.

Do you get it sent to the post office and the tax automatically gets adeed?

Who decides the value of the laptop?

Also, I met some American guy who actually went to the Post Office manager in Rosario and personally spoke to her saying he was a tourist passing through Argentina briefly and she waived the tax for him completely.
 
Where do you live ?
Capital (if in Capital, centrical barrios or the ones nearby Gal Paz ?), suburbs, Rosario ?

This might affect the process
 
I recommend you "cop out" and arrange for a friend/acquaintance to bring it in their private luggage as a used/personal item. Perhaps you can find someone thru BAIN or baexpats. Sorry, there is no surer/safer way. I recently used Fed Ex to (try to) import a small external hard disk containing 200GB of documents I needed for my consultoria and Fed Ex could not get it unstuck from EZE. Requires special trip to EZE, paperwork, pleading, and fees/bribes, with uncertain outcome. Similarly a Porteña friend told me at her work (Intnl bank) they have given up trying to get electronic hardware/computers in with DHL, Fed Ex, USPS, etc. The outcome is unpredictable. So they resort to "private courier" as I describe above. It doesn't seem "right" or "fair", but it works.
 
Thirded regarding getting someone to bring it.
If that's not possible it really isn't a good idea to post it - by DHL or other carrier it's probably going to end up costing more than buying one here and by Post Office you're probably no better than 50/50 that you'll ever see it again.

How long you planning on being here and what are you going to use it for? You can get a pretty good Asus netbook here for about US$400 which will be fine for surfing, emailing, skypeing, blogging etc.
 
Thanks guys. I am in BA but leaving soon to the provinces, then I go to Chile/Bolivia- does anyone know the import taxes in those nations?
 
Import taxes are irrelevant if you have your laptop with you and are just 'passing through.' If you're just on an extended trip, travelling around South America, buy yourself a US$400 netbook here and nobody's going to even ask you about it when you cross borders.
 
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