$250AUD IMPORT DUTY???  

Re: $250AUD IMPORT DUTY???

Sounds like 10% gst plus import handling charges. Talk to your govt. 😆

Seriously though, why not query it?

Re: $250AUD IMPORT DUTY???

I checked as much as I could beforehand and even on the prusa forums other Australians ordering the kit didn't have to pay any import duty, so I figured it would be minimal even if I did have to pay. There is no way I can afford this, I emptied my account buying the kit... What's going to happen? can I just have it sent back?

The help desk for DHL closed a couple of minutes before I got the email telling me, which is pretty typical, so I can't find anything out until tomorrow.

Re: $250AUD IMPORT DUTY???

Admittedly it does sound fairly high. Perhaps also try calling customs and asking about it too. They may have a solution on ways to pay. I doubt DHL will be much help.

Re: $250AUD IMPORT DUTY???

Thanks very much for your help 🙂

Re: $250AUD IMPORT DUTY???

Hi Marc.y3

Sadly this is the state of Customs and GST in Australia now.

The goods arriving are over $1000AUD which means they are subject to import duties as well as GST ( https://www.abf.gov.au/buying-online/buying-online ). Also from 1 July 2018 any good arriving are also subject to GST.

What this means is you are paying for both Customs Duties and GST for the Printer. And to make it worse - they charge you GST on the price you paid for Frieght as well! Welcome to the Australia Tax....

You can query the values as it is calculated from the amount declared by the sender. It could be they are converting it to a higher exhange rate than normal as the $250 seems high but this could be DHL adding their costs as they will be acting as the importer for you and completing the online N10 Customs Declaration on your behalf (no doubt they charge a fee for this).

I bought my printer as a kit and at the time the Australian dollar was pretty strong again the US Dollar so I came in under the $1000 threshold as will most kit purchasers. GST did not apply back then either.

To see the total costs you are up for you can use this online calculator: https://www.wwcf.com.au/customs-duty-import-goods-and-service-tax-calculator/

From the price you quoted it would seem like you purchased an assembled printer?

Re: $250AUD IMPORT DUTY???

Looks like it is a standard import tax, but that is ridiculous.

Re: $250AUD IMPORT DUTY???

From the price you quoted it would seem like you purchased an assembled printer?

Unfortunately not. Printer kit was 749USD, postage with DHL (the only option) was $95USD, $844USD got charged to my account as $1201AUD, then theres the $250AUD for import duty, which I guess you're right, would just about equal an assembled printer. So $1451 all up for the kit. Josef is lucky his printer is so good lol.

Re: $250AUD IMPORT DUTY???

Move to the great USA.
No tax, just a reasonable $80 DHL.
I am very pleased.
Or, just vote for someone else next time.

Re: $250AUD IMPORT DUTY???

Move to the great USA.
No tax, just a reasonable $80 DHL.
We have import duties, just not for stuff under $800. Prusa has worked to keep the US price under $800. Of course, if things keep going the way they are, we may have more significant import duties.

Re: $250AUD IMPORT DUTY???

We have import duties, just not for stuff under $800. Prusa has worked to keep the US price under $800. Of course, if things keep going the way they are, we may have more significant import duties.

True. Time to buy one more, just in case 😉

Re: $250AUD IMPORT DUTY???

Update:

I'm having an argument with DHL about the import costs. They are saying that the value of the printer was declared at $749USD, and that shipping and GST brings it to $1010USD. I calculated it however, and $749+$85 for shipping = $834 + 10% GST = 917USD, not 1010. When I queried this, they claimed that because shipping cost I paid was not put on the box, they had to calculate it at their rate, which added a whole extra 93USD to the final cost, which brought their total valuation to 1417AUD, which incurred a further 10% GST, plus 83 customs, plus 22 disbursement, which totalled $246AUD.

I'm challenging their ridiculous calculation, but it seems that Josef might need to start putting the amount paid for shipping on the box when sending it to Australia.

Will give another update when i'm done.

(still havent got the printer, the driver came to my house this morning, didnt knock, just left the piece of paper. I was sitting there waiting for them 3 ft from my front door, when I heard a van reversing outside, so I went out and found the paper on the ground in front of my door.)

Re: $250AUD IMPORT DUTY???

This is their final reply on the matter:

"Your sender has caused this issue by not declaring the freight costs on the invoice. Perhaps you should direct your complaint to your seller in Europe."

What is the best way for me to alert the Prusa office of this? I don't expect compensation from Prusa for this, maybe a voucher wouldnt hurt, but I think they should be notified that they should include this info if they want to save their international customers some coin!

Re: $250AUD IMPORT DUTY???

What is the best way for me to alert the Prusa office of this? I don't expect compensation from Prusa for this, maybe a voucher wouldnt hurt, but I think they should be notified that they should include this info if they want to save their international customers some coin!

Social media should work best for this. Like the Facebook groups and Twitter @Prusa himself.

Re: $250AUD IMPORT DUTY???

use the 24/7 chat support; just log in your account at one of the Prusa Sales pages and click on the CHAT icon in the lower right corner and plug the invoice number of your printer in the provided space and full tech support is at your beck and call.. in this case i would enter it as a sales query I am sure they will treat you fairly

Re: $250AUD IMPORT DUTY???

Are the customs fees a lucky draw? Mine arrived a few weeks ago ($1200 AUD) and they charged 120 extra for GST and that was it.

Re: $250AUD IMPORT DUTY???

Marc - Check your Prusa invoice. It should be in your account on their website. I checked mine and it had the price for the printer plus the price for the freight (DHL as well).

This invoice will be attached to the box and can also be supplied to DHL to show them the price actually paid for the shipping. Seems unlikely that DHL cannot see the price they charge Prusa for shipping (it would be some sort of contract).

The biggest issue is that the price is still going to be $834USD. They do a conversion rate on this to get it to AUD. The rate will fluctuate and is only take 2 or 3 times a week but at the moment is it $1AUD = 0.72USD. This means they will say your printer and freight is worth $1067.54AUD which then has the 10% GST applied and as the price was over $1000AUD it will have import duties.. This is such as shame for you. When I purchased mine and had it sent to Australia the dollar was at about 0.765USD and I only paid $70USD frieght which just got me under the $1000 mark - and there was no GST back then.

Sorry you have to pay so much to get this awesome toy, but it is well worth the cost!!

Re: $250AUD IMPORT DUTY???

Placed the order MK3 and MMU2.0 in October 2018. Total cost including some filament and shipping was USD 1,288

Was happy when the "S" versions were announced and would be shipped instead.

I got notification that it was shipped on 18 March 2019.
Australian customs were notified on 19 March by DHL.
It arrived in Melbourne at 1105 on 20 March, hit the DHL Sort facility at 1218 on 21 March and I received a demand from DHL after hours at 1757 on that day for $334.47 with no basis for the charge what so ever. I have since requested an itemised breakdown - we'll see what happens.

Changing USD1,288 is about AUD1,800 depending upon which minute you check the xrates.
With GST at 10%, I would have expected a charge of about $180.

Re: $250AUD IMPORT DUTY???

Import taxes are ridiculous. Take it up with your policians.

Re: $250AUD IMPORT DUTY???

I ordered my i3 mk3 kit last March for this very reason. Arrived in June, just in time. Didn't get any charge for the mmu2 though which only arrived in Feb... Weird. That was $360 (with extra parts) and I got no gst charges billed..