Customs in Trinidad really STUPID!

[88sins]

I observe that nobody here is complaining about paying tax on tax.

[zoom rader]

I observe that nobody here is complaining about paying tax on tax.

Yup you pay duty then they add it to your cost and then pay vat on that.

[88sins]

I observe that nobody here is complaining about paying tax on tax.

Yup you pay duty then they add it to your cost and then pay vat on that.

normal normal, & nobody bats an eyelash

[zoom rader]

I observe that nobody here is complaining about paying tax on tax.

Yup you pay duty then they add it to your cost and then pay vat on that.

normal normal, & nobody bats an eyelash

It law bro and not much we can do about it.

[sMASH]

Tawt u was referring to OPT.
I think Vat is also calculated on that.

[Redress10]

So hypothetically speaking...If I bring in goods worth 100,000 tt....what taxes am I going to pay? Duties being 20% and vat being 15%. Will I pay 35% total tax or is it more complicated than that?

[zoom rader]

So hypothetically speaking...If I bring in goods worth 100,000 tt....what taxes am I going to pay? Duties being 20% and vat being 15%. Will I pay 35% total tax or is it more complicated than that?

You pay 20% on 100k
Then add the the duties to the 100k
From that 15% vat is charged

So 100k at 20% = 20k
20k + 100k = 120k
15% on 120k = 18k
Total in taxes to pay = 38000

[88sins]

So hypothetically speaking...If I bring in goods worth 100,000 tt....what taxes am I going to pay? Duties being 20% and vat being 15%. Will I pay 35% total tax or is it more complicated than that?

You pay 20% on 100k
Then add the the duties to the 100k
From that 15% vat is charged

So 100k at 20% = 20k
20k + 100k = 120k
15% on 120k = 18k
Total in taxes to pay = 38000

you forgot the 7% OPT. iirc it's charged based on the actual cost of item purchased & it's not added to the cost of the item so it's not double taxed. so add another 7000,

[zoom rader]

So hypothetically speaking...If I bring in goods worth 100,000 tt....what taxes am I going to pay? Duties being 20% and vat being 15%. Will I pay 35% total tax or is it more complicated than that?

You pay 20% on 100k
Then add the the duties to the 100k
From that 15% vat is charged

So 100k at 20% = 20k
20k + 100k = 120k
15% on 120k = 18k
Total in taxes to pay = 38000

you forgot the 7% OPT. iirc it's charged based on the actual cost of item purchased & it's not added to the cost of the item so it's not double taxed. so add another 7000,

Is that not if it's brought online?

[pete]

VAT is 12.5% eh..

[Chimera]

i think once its shipping air freight.....OPT applies

[Redress10]

Guys, thanks for the heads up....I wouldn't be purchasing in Trinidad and Tobago "territory". I'll be using a foreign bank account etc....Also most likely it'll be shipped via sea-freight. Will OPT still apply?

Pete, I just used figures just to get a fast example.

Tax on tax is madness...Wonder if I could file something in court to get a review or start a discussion.

I don't mind paying duties and vat but too much tax and I can't compete with the international market who most times only paying vat etc....We keep shooting ourselves in the foot.

[88sins]

Guys, thanks for the heads up....I wouldn't be purchasing in Trinidad and Tobago "territory". I'll be using a foreign bank account etc....Also most likely it'll be shipped via sea-freight. Will OPT still apply?

Pete, I just used figures just to get a fast example.

Tax on tax is madness...Wonder if I could file something in court to get a review or start a discussion.

I don't mind paying duties and vat but too much tax and I can't compete with the international market who most times only paying vat etc....We keep shooting ourselves in the foot.

Discussion with who exactly? The useless crooked people that made the law in such a way so as to allow exactly this blatant robbery & have zero intention of doing otherwise? Or the customs and excise officials that can do nothing more than enforce the bs law as its written?
Good luck with that.

[Redress10]

And they starting a discussion about the illegality of buggery in Trinidad and Tobago by filing a claim in the High Courts?

Know who was also just enforcing bs laws? German soldiers.

Every journey begins with just a step bro....keep the faith.

[88sins]

Redress10 I understand your idea. But just keep this in mind.
There was in fact an attempt by a group of nationals that actively sought to have this issue addressed a few years ago, they even met with ministers and others to discuss what would need to be done to remedy this.
& today it's still the way it's always been. Because it benefits the state to keep it this way.

Gramps taught me a long time ago. A career bandit will not be interested or cooperative in helping you do all that can be done to make it impossible for him to rob you.

But if you feel strongly about going forward & trying to have it resolved by all means have at it. Just remember you'll be ice skating uphill.

[zoom rader]

^^^ This is the reason why folk will try to evade customs by however they can.

A petition can work to have the law reveised. Calling in to radio programs, making the public aware of the taxes as not much folk pay attention to these things

[Joshie23]

^^^ This is the reason why folk will try to evade customs by however they can.

A petition can work to have the law reveised. Calling in to radio programs, making the public aware of the taxes as not much folk pay attention to these things

Further to that, this OPT is somewhat nonsensical. The concept of 'punishing' a consumer for being a smart shopper by virtue of taxing him for seeking better prices for better quality is both asinine and regressive. Yes foreign exchange is dwindling, but instead of approaching the business community to be a bit more conscientious and focused on the simple man and less on sometimes >300% profit margins, thus encouraging us to buy local, it's easier to 'earn revenue' and keep financiers happy-two birds, one stone. Hence the inception of the OPT. At least it's only on products shipped in via air freight. Hopefully it remains that way.

[EFFECTIC DESIGNS]

I use Trin Cargo and when customs had once charged me a retarded price of $600 on a chromebox I called Trin Cargo and let them know what happened the woman pulled up my account and saw I had uploaded the correct invoice in time. This happened on a Friday so I paid the 600 and on Monday they sent the reimbursement of $450 to me since the item only cost $150 TT in vat

It all depends on which skybox you use, Trincargo / Transexpress is a boss.

[paid_influencer]

Further to that, this OPT is somewhat nonsensical. The concept of 'punishing' a consumer for being a smart shopper by virtue of taxing him for seeking better prices for better quality is both asinine and regressive. Yes foreign exchange is dwindling, but instead of approaching the business community to be a bit more conscientious and focused on the simple man and less on sometimes >300% profit margins, thus encouraging us to buy local, it's easier to 'earn revenue' and keep financiers happy-two birds, one stone. Hence the inception of the OPT. At least it's only on products shipped in via air freight. Hopefully it remains that way.

opt is about collecting revenue from Amazon, ebay, etc. who pay no corporate tax or business levy in T&T.

[phreakazoid]

I use Trin Cargo and when customs had once charged me a retarded price of $600 on a chromebox I called Trin Cargo and let them know what happened the woman pulled up my account and saw I had uploaded the correct invoice in time. This happened on a Friday so I paid the 600 and on Monday they sent the reimbursement of $450 to me since the item only cost $150 TT in vat

It all depends on which skybox you use, Trincargo / Transexpress is a boss.

Agreed

[Joshie23]

Further to that, this OPT is somewhat nonsensical. The concept of 'punishing' a consumer for being a smart shopper by virtue of taxing him for seeking better prices for better quality is both asinine and regressive. Yes foreign exchange is dwindling, but instead of approaching the business community to be a bit more conscientious and focused on the simple man and less on sometimes >300% profit margins, thus encouraging us to buy local, it's easier to 'earn revenue' and keep financiers happy-two birds, one stone. Hence the inception of the OPT. At least it's only on products shipped in via air freight. Hopefully it remains that way.

opt is about collecting revenue from Amazon, ebay, etc. who pay no corporate tax or business levy in T&T.

Have you ever purchased anything online? Amazon, eBay, etc. aren't the ones paying the Online Purchase Tax. It's you and I or anyone that imports an item via a Skybox. I want to give you a chance to further explain your point though, because you lost me.

[88sins]

Further to that, this OPT is somewhat nonsensical. The concept of 'punishing' a consumer for being a smart shopper by virtue of taxing him for seeking better prices for better quality is both asinine and regressive. Yes foreign exchange is dwindling, but instead of approaching the business community to be a bit more conscientious and focused on the simple man and less on sometimes >300% profit margins, thus encouraging us to buy local, it's easier to 'earn revenue' and keep financiers happy-two birds, one stone. Hence the inception of the OPT. At least it's only on products shipped in via air freight. Hopefully it remains that way.

opt is about collecting revenue from Amazon, ebay, etc. who pay no corporate tax or business levy in T&T.

not really. They aren't local businesses, so cannot be expected to pay local taxes, & locals cannot be expected to pay a tax for shoppping internationally simply because he state cannot tax international companies that have nothing to do with T&T.

it's more about a farce of an attempt at discouraging the public from buying better quality goods at lower cost & trying to force locals to buy from local resellers, failing which they will receive a source of revenue to add to the pot so they can repay financiers.
Even after adding OPT, it still cheaper to buy online, nobody will stop shopping on Amazon & Ebay & others. & because nobody will stop buying online, that OPT will increase, mark my words. Because it's easy revenue they make for providing/doing absolutely nothing.



I go say something most ppl would disagree with now, & whoever eh like it, thats your business.
This country hasn't had an actual government since Elizabeth tossed it aside, & the only surefire way I could see to remedy this is only if there is either a nationwide civil uprising where every man, woman, child, dog, cat, crapaud & mosquito stand up & say enough is enough, or there is a massive exodus from this place, to the point where upwards of 80 % of the population leaves & never returns. Only then will these jackasses get the idea that the law abiding tax paying hard working public fed up of the wanton abuse & taxation.

[zoom rader]

Further to that, this OPT is somewhat nonsensical. The concept of 'punishing' a consumer for being a smart shopper by virtue of taxing him for seeking better prices for better quality is both asinine and regressive. Yes foreign exchange is dwindling, but instead of approaching the business community to be a bit more conscientious and focused on the simple man and less on sometimes >300% profit margins, thus encouraging us to buy local, it's easier to 'earn revenue' and keep financiers happy-two birds, one stone. Hence the inception of the OPT. At least it's only on products shipped in via air freight. Hopefully it remains that way.

opt is about collecting revenue from Amazon, ebay, etc. who pay no corporate tax or business levy in T&T.

not really. They aren't local businesses, so cannot be expected to pay local taxes, & locals cannot be expected to pay a tax for shoppping internationally simply because he state cannot tax international companies that have nothing to do with T&T.

it's more about a farce of an attempt at discouraging the public from buying better quality goods at lower cost & trying to force locals to buy from local resellers, failing which they will receive a source of revenue to add to the pot so they can repay financiers.
Even after adding OPT, it still cheaper to buy online, nobody will stop shopping on Amazon & Ebay & others. & because nobody will stop buying online, that OPT will increase, mark my words. Because it's easy revenue they make for providing/doing absolutely nothing.



I go say something most ppl would disagree with now, & whoever eh like it, thats your business.
This country hasn't had an actual government since Elizabeth tossed it aside, & the only surefire way I could see to remedy this is only if there is either a nationwide civil uprising where every man, woman, child, dog, cat, crapaud & mosquito stand up & say enough is enough, or there is a massive exodus from this place, to the point where upwards of 80 % of the population leaves & never returns. Only then will these jackasses get the idea that the law abiding tax paying hard working public fed up of the wanton abuse & taxation.

I been the same as you but not in your worlds as having a real government since before 1962.

Some on here will deem you anti trini and bussiness

[88sins]

I know zr. & it still doesn't change the fact that I simply don't care what some pocket gouging parasitic politician or greedy so called businessman thinks.

[zoom rader]

I know zr. & it still doesn't change the fact that I simply don't care what some pocket gouging parasitic politician or greedy so called businessman thinks.

I remember some time ago someone ran a campaign on peaks because they have the monopoly on I think it was air conditioning units. Only peaks are allowed to bring them in and a normal person can't without paying higher taxes on it. It was in the newspapers and i can't recall what became of it

[sMASH]

Further to that, this OPT is somewhat nonsensical. The concept of 'punishing' a consumer for being a smart shopper by virtue of taxing him for seeking better prices for better quality is both asinine and regressive. Yes foreign exchange is dwindling, but instead of approaching the business community to be a bit more conscientious and focused on the simple man and less on sometimes >300% profit margins, thus encouraging us to buy local, it's easier to 'earn revenue' and keep financiers happy-two birds, one stone. Hence the inception of the OPT. At least it's only on products shipped in via air freight. Hopefully it remains that way.

opt is about collecting revenue from Amazon, ebay, etc. who pay no corporate tax or business levy in T&T.

Wait, whut?!

[paid_influencer]

Think of it this way: suppose Amazon drives out a significant number of local businesses. What will replace the lost tax revenue?

[maj. tom]

I know right, the only solution is to punish the buyer, punish the middle working class with extra taxes! That will show'em!

Not make your local business better, more competitive and more appealing for the local consumer. That too hard.

[sMASH]

Think of it this way: suppose Amazon drives out a significant number of local businesses. What will replace the lost tax revenue?

Try to think in the first place.

It only gets calculated at the clearance stage where the skybox company puts it on their bill as a cost.


Many things that are bought online are those things not available locally. Like veterinary equipment and medicine

Sooo, local businesses unaffected.

[Ben_spanna]

TIME for Customs act to be revised and the officers have to get with the times. some of these ridiculous laws have been here since 1970's and are should be changed .

Import duties should really only be on items that have Direct competitors within CARICOM and even higher duties for those that have local manufacturers.

Why do electronics carry such high import duties? no one within CARICOM makes dvd players? videogame consoles, car stereos... etc do they?
Why is it that customs still refuses to be computerized and will not have bank machines to collect taxes in VISA ???? how can we say we are progressing if we are standing still since 1970?