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MacBook import

N

NewGenAdam

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 29, 2008
459
1
Dear Apple fans,
I live in the UK, a country in which all things Apple are extortionate, compared to the US. Eg: MacBook Black is $1499 in the US. We have to pay the equivalent of $1900 instead - for an identical machine! This encourages me, and others I think, to import.

But are there any big problems? Is Apple Care international? It would be a business machine so could VAT be claimed for an internationally purchased machine?

I have searched the forums for similar threads and found nothing. Yes, I'm a Mac / MacRumors n00b, but I am familiar with forums, generally!

Thank you all!
 
Don't bother, its not worth it. The US price is not really $1499 as you have to pay local tax on top of that. The UK price includes tax. You will also have to pay customs the VAT when you come in to the country (if your being honest). Then you will have the wrong keyboard and power brick, US & UK are different.

Apple Care is International

You can buy the Macbook VAT free if you are a VAT registered company. If not you may be able to claim the VAT back on your VAT return. You will not be able to do this with US taxes, though you should be able to buy it tax free if you officially export it, buy then your going to get stung at the airport for sure.
 
NewGenAdam said:
Dear Apple fans,
I live in the UK, a country in which all things Apple are extortionate, compared to the US...
Click to expand...
Myth.

There's not really any great price differential between what Apple charges between the US/UK. Any price difference is down to local taxes, so if you're happy to make the saving by tax evasion you could simply lie on your income tax return and save the bother of international travel.
 
Example: MacBook Air @ amazon.com is $1739
equivalent MacBook Air @ amazon.co.uk is £1116 = $2200...
And both of those are irrelevant of tax, no?

So the Air is almost $500 more expensive in the UK than the US.
How is that "myth"?
 
Ah I see. What are State and local sale taxes usually between? That could reduce the $500 difference!
 
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