Tax Free?

JLS · Sep 1, 2004

Right, I was wondering if anyone had any ideas how to take advantage of tax free prices (such as in airport departure lounges) and apple educational discounts at the same time..

Can you get edu discounts on apple products through a store like Dixons?

Reason for asking is that tax free prices are lower than edu prices anyway, but then I wondered how anyone is in the circumstance to claim vat back on edu prices..

Any ideas? Sorry for trying to be a cheapskate... lol

Thanks

James
(UK)

wdlove · Sep 1, 2004

If you order from Apple you would have to live in a tax free state or have to delivered it to such a state. Educational discounts either come directly from an Apple Store or an authorized Apple reseller. You can also order from an online Apple reseller like MacMall or MacConnection and in most states they will ship tax free. Check with them first, because MacConnection charges a sales tax in Massachusetts. You will also get free shipping.

sorryiwasdreami · Sep 1, 2004

Have it sent to someone you know in Delaware. Delaware is a completely sales tax-free state. My brother attends the University of Delaware and I have my computer orders shipped to his appartment to avoid being charged sales tax.

Another way you could do it is by obtaining a schedule C for your income tax form once season time rolls around. You could write off the computer as part of a home-based business purchase and probably regain your spent tax money that way. You would most likely have to provide proof of purchase.

Applespider · Sep 1, 2004

In the UK, the answer is no, you can't have your cake and eat it.

It's either the edu discount that's through Apple (Dixons, John Lewis etc can't process them) or the duty free at the airport.

If you're flying outside the EU, then you can pick your purchase up on the way home rather than having to lug it on board with you.

JLS · Sep 1, 2004

Applespider said:
In the UK, the answer is no, you can't have your cake and eat it.

It's either the edu discount that's through Apple (Dixons, John Lewis etc can't process them) or the duty free at the airport.

If you're flying outside the EU, then you can pick your purchase up on the way home rather than having to lug it on board with you.

Darn. Worth asking anyway.

You can't get access to the duty frees on the way back though.. I know that for sure, but in Dixons you can have it sent to your house instead of leaving the country with it.

..but in doing this I wouldn't be able to use the cram and jam anyway, meaning its still not going to be as cheap as HE discount pricing with a rebate.

Thanks anyway.

Applespider · Sep 1, 2004

JLS said:
You can't get access to the duty frees on the way back though.. I know that for sure, but in Dixons you can have it sent to your house instead of leaving the country with it.
.

Sorry... I meant that you could buy on the way out and then you collect it from an area near the Baggage Hall on the way back - you don't get to go back to Duty Free... although Heathrow and Gatwick do have small duty free booze and sweet shops just before you exit back into the main airport.

FuzzyBallz · Sep 1, 2004

Move to Oregon.

matthk · Jun 19, 2006

ah, so much confusion....

Here's the good oil....

Dixons Tax Free is not REALLY tax free,
they just discount to the equivalent of VAT.

So.... you CAN still claim VAT back (if you qualify)
as you do pay it!

Also, you don't even need to fly to get the discount,
just buy a cheap ticket, OR an expensive BA one you can
get a full refund on and shop away.

hope this is of help.
matt

rogerw · Jun 19, 2006

matthk said:
Here's the good oil....

Dixons Tax Free is not REALLY tax free,
they just discount to the equivalent of VAT.

So.... you CAN still claim VAT back (if you qualify)
as you do pay it!

Also, you don't even need to fly to get the discount,
just buy a cheap ticket, OR an expensive BA one you can
get a full refund on and shop away.

hope this is of help.
matt

just to add that this is correct and ive taken advantage of this to buy a MBP

and claimed the vat back

works out quite a discount ...as I cannot get an edu thingy

lexus · Jun 19, 2006

Yep the tax free option is more worth it. You get 17.5% off as oppose to the 10% student.

airkarol · Jun 19, 2006

Amazon

This isn't true for every state, but you get a $150 rebate on a MBP (i'm not sure if they are still doing that) and they won't charge you sales tax, but the sales tax part is only true in some states. I live in NY, and Amazon doesn't charge me tax.

But technically, you have to send your state sales tax if you weren't charged it when you bought the product.

piwi · Dec 24, 2006

rogerw said:
just to add that this is correct and ive taken advantage of this to buy a MBP

and claimed the vat back

works out quite a discount ...as I cannot get an edu thingy

Hello there!

Could you give a little more details? You are not a EU national, right?

Thanks,
Pierre

apple_iBoy · Dec 24, 2006

I know that this is wrong to brag about this, but I can't resist. I bought a C2D MacBook Pro a couple months ago. Original cost $1999.00+tax. But since I live in Philadelphia, it was only an hour and some change down to the Christiana Mall Apple store in Delaware. There went the tax. And I had just found out my graduate support for the year included a thousand bucks for a new laptop. Plus, the whole edu discount. Total cost to me for brand new MBP = $799.00.

Though my case isn't quite as sweet as those of people who are just given these things for work, I think I got a pretty amazing deal.

joepunk · Dec 24, 2006

FuzzyBallz said:
Move to Oregon.

I will be purchasing my next Mac in Portland. It's nice having relatives in Vancouver, WA and an Apple store just next door in Portland.

JAT · Dec 24, 2006

apple_iBoy said:
I know that this is wrong to brag about this, but I can't resist. I bought a C2D MacBook Pro a couple months ago. Original cost $1999.00+tax. But since I live in Philadelphia, it was only an hour and some change down to the Christiana Mall Apple store in Delaware. There went the tax. And I had just found out my graduate support for the year included a thousand bucks for a new laptop. Plus, the whole edu discount. Total cost to me for brand new MBP = $799.00.

Though my case isn't quite as sweet as those of people who are just given these things for work, I think I got a pretty amazing deal.

You realize, of course, that since you live in PA, you owe PA Use Tax as the purchase will be used there. I think you will find Use Tax to have the exact same rate as the sales tax in your city where you use the machine. Assuming you don't plan on reporting this purchase to your State, you may want to think carefully before bragging.

apple_iBoy · Dec 24, 2006

JAT said:
You realize, of course, that since you live in PA, you owe PA Use Tax as the purchase will be used there. I think you will find Use Tax to have the exact same rate as the sales tax in your city where you use the machine. Assuming you don't plan on reporting this purchase to your State, you may want to think carefully before bragging.

Tis true -- there is a use tax for the letter-of-the-law abiders and the self-righteous... however, I came to discover after the purchase that I could have bought it in town with a tax-exempt form from the university, as the laptop was written in as a program necessity in a federal educational grant. I use it when I teach science to primary school kids.

JAT · Dec 24, 2006

So what, that's a slam? Nice one, I'm reeling.

(I've never paid Use Tax)

iW00t · Jan 27, 2007

With the high taxes in the UK even saving the tax is a bonus.

Best way I guess is to get a buddy who lives in the US to mail it in for you.

Addo · Jan 27, 2007

iW00t said:
With the high taxes in the UK even saving the tax is a bonus.

Best way I guess is to get a buddy who lives in the US to mail it in for you.

That won't work...Those nice and friendly courier services like Fedex make a point in declaring all goods to the Customs people - who then will add on the VAT. Being nice people, the courier company will pay this for you so that your package gets released from Customs and then they invoice you the VAT and their nice little admin fee. Luckily for us in the the UK, computer equipment doesn't attract Import Duty so you get charged a flat 17.5% VAT.

Best to fly out for a holiday, buy it and bring it back in a case and post the packaging back via USPS on the cheapest service they offer. At least then once you've had your use out of your then shiny MBP/MB you have the packaging which I believe helps the resale value on Ebay to fund your upgraded MBP/MB

tcrab · Jan 27, 2007

You could always just buy it online have it ship to a tax free state where you have a friend. Then have them ship it back to your place

iW00t · Jan 27, 2007

Addo said:
That won't work...Those nice and friendly courier services like Fedex make a point in declaring all goods to the Customs people - who then will add on the VAT. Being nice people, the courier company will pay this for you so that your package gets released from Customs and then they invoice you the VAT and their nice little admin fee. Luckily for us in the the UK, computer equipment doesn't attract Import Duty so you get charged a flat 17.5% VAT.

Best to fly out for a holiday, buy it and bring it back in a case and post the packaging back via USPS on the cheapest service they offer. At least then once you've had your use out of your then shiny MBP/MB you have the packaging which I believe helps the resale value on Ebay to fund your upgraded MBP/MB

How about if you use postal mail instead?

Addo · Jan 28, 2007

iW00t said:
How about if you use postal mail instead?

I think you'd have a 50:50 chance of getting stung!! I think, I may be wrong, but USPS have an agreement with Fedex for the international post out of the US. I know that I can no longer use Fedex for anything just in case they realise that I owe them money from a previous package I had sent over from the US - I objected to their 'admin' fee so I never paid it - Or the VAT for that matter - But it was over a year ago and we're not talking big amounts of money either

The only trouble is the insurance - Many people will declare a lower value for the package hoping that the Customs will use this as the value on which to add VAT. If you declare a lower value you are also under insuring your MBP/MB so if it does go 'missing' you'd be out of pocket.

Macky-Mac · Jan 28, 2007

iW00t said:
How about if you use postal mail instead?

when I've sent packages from the US to people in other countries, the post office made me fill out a form declaring the contents and value of the package. I remember that when I sent a package to a friend in France that he had to go pay whatever taxes were involved before they would give him the package

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