SARS - Customs & Import Duties

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Darko

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Hope this is the right section.

I have recently ordered some soccer replica clothing from Pro Direct UK. The items are not available in SA, which is why I went the import route.

The total amount for the parcel is around 650 GBP. I ordered with a few friends to save on shipping. We all ordered the same thing.

The customs office now want over R8k, which is almost 650 GBP to release the parcel.

Can anyone explain to me why they want so much? The stuff isn't available here, and I am not taking money away from any local suppliers.

According to SARS it's 10% + 14% right?

Now Dawn Wing have taken over a week to process this, which I also don't understand. It seems like no one at that company knows what's going on.

Not really sure what I'm asking for here. Or perhaps I'm just venting.

Is there anywhere that I can query this with SARS perhaps just remove Dawn Wing from the equation all together?
 
Import duty on clothes is 40% then you pay 14% VAT on the total amount.

Also had a lovely surprise when I ordered a hoody from the US, ended up costing me over a grand to get a R600 item of clothing.
 
I thought it was 45% for clothes, but yea. Import duties is what adding to the burden.

Cant comment on Dawn wing's service, but my parcels through other delivery services had hiccups sometimes because of customs.
 
Darko said:
Hope this is the right section.

I have recently ordered some soccer replica clothing from Pro Direct UK. The items are not available in SA, which is why I went the import route.

The total amount for the parcel is around 650 GBP. I ordered with a few friends to save on shipping. We all ordered the same thing.

The customs office now want over R8k, which is almost 650 GBP to release the parcel.

Can anyone explain to me why they want so much? The stuff isn't available here, and I am not taking money away from any local suppliers.

According to SARS it's 10% + 14% right?

Now Dawn Wing have taken over a week to process this, which I also don't understand. It seems like no one at that company knows what's going on.

Not really sure what I'm asking for here. Or perhaps I'm just venting.

Is there anywhere that I can query this with SARS perhaps just remove Dawn Wing from the equation all together?
Click to expand...

The issue stems from the big retail chains.

In the past, certain types of garments and textiles could be produced locally.

Unfortunately, the retail chains started buying under invoiced goods from China.
http://www.ncrfsa.org/perspective-downloads/sundaytimes711.pdf
http://www.sactwu.org.za/files/SARS Memorandum.pdf
http://www.sars.gov.za/AllDocs/Docu...detained in SARS crackdown - 4 April 2011.pdf

These garments were then sold at the same prices, but are of inferior quality. Testing was done to show this and in the meantime, some 45 000 jobs were lost and our manufacturing just died.. http://diammi.com/government/consequences-chinese-infiltration-in-south-africa/

The garments on the other hand arrive under invoiced and SARS people who interfered were being killed.
http://www.witness.co.za/?showcontent&global[_id]=54155

The result of all of this is that China creates employment and the retailers make huge profits while SARS lost revenue.
Chinas unemployment has been at around 4,5% for the past few years (http://www.statista.com/statistics/270320/unemployment-rate-in-china/) while here at home our unempolyment has been rising - textiles and clothing were not the only casualties of the China syndrome ..... http://www.tradingeconomics.com/south-africa/unemployment-rate

The SA consumer now has to make up the tax revenue shortfall for the under invoicing.(Consider that Ed***s made 38% GM last year - did you get a 38% salary hike?)
Google some of the other retailers to find their profitability, .... remembering that your issue is a symptom of their profitability.

In short - the problem sits with retail. This has been documented in SACTWU, Texfed and B&M Analyst reports.

Unfortunately you are now being unfairly screwed over for the sins of the retailers. And as we accept the Chinese goods, so SARS loses money and so tariffs increase to cover the under invoicing, and the more the SA consumer gets screwed.

This is a fight I have with the DTI and SARS on a daily basis.

Hope this helps answer the question ... sorry about the tax, but the retailers are the problem, not the garment makers or textile makers.
 
Thanks guys. I just feel like I'm being extorted. It ridiculous.
 
if your stuff was made in the EU you can save substantially ( depending on the HS Code ) on import duty with a preferential statement on the invoice by the supplier, this can also be done afterwards and you can claim back over paid duty. Although claiming back from customs / SARS might take some time :)
 
Kalle said:
if your stuff was made in the EU you can save substantially ( depending on the HS Code ) on import duty with a preferential statement on the invoice by the supplier, this can also be done afterwards and you can claim back over paid duty. Although claiming back from customs / SARS might take some time :)
Click to expand...
ooh, didnt know that. A linky to the info by any chance?
 
@TEXTILE GUY - thanks for a great post.

blame the unions and their bosses and our cANCerous government for losing hundreds of thousands of jobs due to wage demands. don't blame china for producing the same (ok maybe lesser quality) at a fraction of the price. i'll rather buy from overseas than being ripped off by our sick system.
 
mika1000 said:
@TEXTILE GUY - thanks for a great post.

blame the unions and their bosses and our cANCerous government for losing hundreds of thousands of jobs due to wage demands. don't blame china for producing the same (ok maybe lesser quality) at a fraction of the price. i'll rather buy from overseas than being ripped off by our sick system.
Click to expand...

jip, just got stung by 45% today. Didnt realise it was this bad. Meanwhile textile industry has been steadily declining the last 15 years.
 
So i ordered a jacket recently, and Duty and Tax seems to be in the calculation of the cost that im paying.
Does this mean I don't have to pay again at customs?
 
I can fully see how the cork-up that Textile Guy explains can manifest itself. I often order single, uncut and uninstalled golf shafts from Japan. There are no import duties, except VAT, on these shafts simply because there is no market in SA that can be hurt by this import. But once you import something that hurts the local economy then you will k@k en betaal.
 
Import Duties:

- Free if from a SADC country

- 27% from EU (with EU certificate - most retailers will not issue this)

- 45% from all other countries

They can also charge a 10% 'upliftment' fee on the total invoice price. You then get charged 15% VAT above that.

Never import clothing into SA!
 
I'm waiting for a free t-shirt from Google - will be interesting to see what I'm charge :p
 
Aaaargh!!! Just ordered R3000 worth of clothing and have to pay R4000 to release. R1500 for dishonesty wrt to the pricing that the company gave vs what I paid for it. WTH!!!
 
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