Russia Reclassifies iPad To Bypass 5% Import Tax, Some Other Tablets Still Penalized

It's not a GPS-enabled navigation device any more, just a mere Computer

I imagine that other manufacturers are going to demand a reclassification of their cellular tablets as well. The idea that a tablet would be considered a "navigation device" in the first place is a bit ridiculous, even if it does include rudimentary GPS.

jayducharme said:

I imagine that other manufacturers are going to demand a reclassification of their cellular tablets as well. The idea that a tablet would be considered a "navigation device" in the first place is a bit ridiculous, even if it does include rudimentary GPS.

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yeah I expect the same. I also am willing to bet Apple put pressure on them for that change because classify the iPad as a GPS navigation device is a joke. Cell phones are much more of a navigation device that any tablet I can think of.

You guys apparently have not seen some of the aircraft flight apps, have you.

iPad with said apps offers better navigation quality then most of the small aircraft, and even a few older big ones, in existence.

This whole tax is probably a promotion tax for the Russian GLONASS, their answer to GPS. There are products out there which use both - like the iPhone 4S. Anyways, putting it on devices which are primarily for other use might convince Russia to excemt them from this tax - especially when every member of their parliament wants an iPad 3 (or 2S or HD or what ever will be called). Now, if Apple pays for using GLONASS anyways (because technically they do), this tax might be seen as obsolete since they now pay fees for that.

PracticalMac said:

You guys apparently have not seen some of the aircraft flight apps, have you.

iPad with said apps offers better navigation quality then most of the small aircraft, and even a few older big ones, in existence.

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The only thing the FAA has approved the ipad for is charts and flight manuals...

TMar said:

The only thing the FAA has approved the ipad for is charts and flight manuals...

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Nobody ever said anything about FAA-approval.

Squashy said:

It's not a GPS-enabled navigation device any more, just a mere Computer

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The problem is that it's all of the above and more. It's a more powerful PC with a better display than a couple IBM PCs and a PowerMac that I've owned, a more accurate GPS with better maps than my old handheld GPS, a better camera than my first digital camera, a voice recorder, a guitar tuner, a calendar PDA, an ebook reader, a portable music player, a handheld gaming device, a remote desktop thin-client, a vibration measuring device, a digital clock, ... etc.

If some government levied a tax on each of the above product categories, they could probably tax an iPad or iPhone at an amount well above what the thing costs.

TMar said:

The only thing the FAA has approved the ipad for is charts and flight manuals...

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And that pertains to outside the USA - in particular Russia - how? FAA is national.

jayducharme said:

I imagine that other manufacturers are going to demand a reclassification of their cellular tablets as well. The idea that a tablet would be considered a "navigation device" in the first place is a bit ridiculous, even if it does include rudimentary GPS.

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um, do you know the Russian Government at all?!

1) its not about logic, it's about monopolies
2) demand all you want, nothing will change. just ask Burger King why McDonald's is allowed in Russia but they are not.

Sorry, just saying if you are looking for logic or rights with the Russian Government then you must be looking for the Easter Rabbit as well. I got some eggs to sell you.

G5isAlive said:

um, do you know the Russian Government at all?!

1) its not about logic, it's about monopolies
2) demand all you want, nothing will change. just ask Burger King why McDonald's is allowed in Russia but they are not.

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Actually there are Burger King's in Moscow (they opened a couple of years ago)...

MacRumors said:

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Bloomberg notes that the Russian government has reclassified the iPad as a computer, in order to avoid a steep import tax. The story was originally reported [Google Translate] by the Russian newspaper Vedomosti.

The reason for the tax was because the 3G iPad was considered a GPS-enabled navigation device. With the change, the iPad is now considered a mere computer -- however, many other tablets with GPS capabilities are still subject to the tax.

Article Link: Russia Reclassifies iPad To Bypass 5% Import Tax, Some Other Tablets Still Penalized

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5% import tax is Steep?

There used to be 20% tax on cars where I am from, now that is steep.

sergey19 said:

Actually there are Burger King's in Moscow (they opened a couple of years ago)...

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I stand corrected, only took BK 20 years (and still only a few) after the first McDonald's near Red Square . I think my point stands. No one forces Russia to do anything in a timely fashion that Russia does not want to do (for whatever reasons). Or do you disagree with that?

Presumably the tax only applied to the 3G version and not the wifi-only version in the first place?