Importing products from America

[Weyland]

Thanks Steve, very helpful.

Haha, but Steve's answer is true. If there was a legal way to bypass the tax, everyone would be taking advantage of the loophole.

The only method is to get someone to smuggle the product for you - ala a service like https://grabr.io/ - or stuff whatever you want in your suitcase. If you are bringing in products over a certain dollar amount without declaring them it is illegal though.

 

[Ries]

buy local. Iphones, and laptops, of course, will cost you a lot. But most other things are made here, if you look hard enough. Or, fly up, and bring it back in checked luggage- it will be cheaper, safer, and faster, than any scheme you can come up with.

 

[Pierre Smith]

The only legal way to do what you're trying to is to bring the object with you in your luggage when you travel back and forth to Argentina, and then to hope that you're not hit with a duty levy.

Otherwise, you're asking about criminal smuggling and tax evasion/fraud.

 

[Rich One]

The Deme 2 is back...In spite of the 30% tax on CC purchases , its worth flying to Miami to do your shopping...!

Oficial: Magario quedó al frente del Ejecutivo hasta el sábado por el viaje de Kicillof a Israel

Lo hizo mediante el decreto 25 publicado en el Boletín Oficial del distrito.

www.infotechnology.com

 

[steveinbsas]

The only legal way to do what you're trying to is to bring the object with you in your luggage when you travel back and forth to Argentina, and then to hope that you're not hit with a duty levy.

Otherwise, you're asking about criminal smuggling and tax evasion/fraud.

Or ask a friend or pay a professional buyer to bring something, but they would also have the obligation to declare new items with an aggregate value of $300 USD or more (unless the duty free limit has increased since the last time I entered Argentina) and pay the 50% import duty on the value of the item(s) as determined by the Aduana..

 

[felipet]

You're welcome, even if you fail to realize that employing any "method or service to import products from the US into Argentina without paying import taxes" (except for some new residents or returning citizens bring used goods for personal use) aren o doubt already forbidden by Argentine statutes.

I don't know the exact word(s) in Spanish the Argentine criminal code(s) uses to describe this act, but "smuggling" is he first one in English that came to mind when reading your post...your first post as a member of this forum...asking if anyone knows abut a method or a service to commit tax fraud in Argentina (even if you expressed it in different terms).

You're right; sorry for the sarcastic reply, I just thought there might be a loophole that people use to minimize taxes (not necessarily illegal). It seems that, as you, Weyland, and Pierre Smith said, the only way in and out is through a suitcase. Sometimes living in this country can be pretty frustrating.

Thank you all for the replies!

 

[steveinbsas]

Sometimes living in this country can be pretty frustrating.

Well, now that you're a member, you can vent here...anytime you feel the need!

 

[Iznogud]

Or ask a friend or pay a professional buyer to bring something, but they would also have the obligation to declare new items with an aggregate value of $300 USD or more (unless the duty free limit has increased since the last time I entered Argentina) and pay the 50% import duty on the value of the item(s) as determined by the Aduana..

http://www.afip.gob.ar/informacionVisual/documentos/infografiaRegimenEquipaje.pdf

Macri raised it to $500 and AFAIK it hasn't changed. Clueless about how the 30% surtax is applied on the rest.


Iz

 

[Ries]

as far as I know, the 30% is completely different - it applies to visa card purchases in dollars. The customs people can charge you duty- which is often between 50% and 100% of what THEY think the item is worth. Actual tariff may only be 20% or 30%, but then they can charge you IVA on their estimated sales price, another 21%, and they dont think in terms of Black Friday sales. Then there are often other misc. fees. Average rule of thumb is that by the time you get a Porsche on the street, licensed, in Argentina, its double US retail. A quarter million for a Carrera. The new electric Porsches are averaging $200k out the door in the USA, thats a pretty expensive car here.
Sometimes having a receipt will set a price, sometimes not- its up to them. But they have never once done that to me, travelling on a US passport. They focus their ire on argentines, mostly. A foreigner can usually bring one or two of almost anything. A dozen Iphones, probably not. but 2 laptops, or, say, a home stereo, a sewing machine, pots and pans, new sheets, spices and condiments, art supplies, cameras, phones, monitors, printers, fender guitar amps, (all of which I have brought in without comment) have all been let in without comment.
When you have multiples, things that are pretty clearly for resale, thats when they get picky.

 

[lost]

For getting electronics I do always try the following:

1) First look in MercadoLibre
Some products are not that expensive on ML. For example I remember buying products from Logitech and Kingston where the small differences in prices made no sense to import them (though this may change going forward with new import restrictions).

2) Make a quick trip to Chile and bring it back to Argentina
You do not pay taxes if your are under the duty free limit ($300 by car/$500 by plane). You can also import a laptop or a phone free of taxes (unless this has recently changed with the new government).

3) Buy from Amazon UK, France Germany ...
I bought gaming consoles, computer parts, monitors, Raspberry Pi's and other electronics there. On many of the purchases I got 100% of the prepaid taxes refunded (effectively not paying any taxes). On my most recent purchase (after receiving a partial refund of the prepaid import taxes) I ended up paying $25 taxes for a $160 electronics product (so just 16% - less than the IVA here!).