Though many of our customers pay no taxes on their order, the customer is responsible for paying any taxes charged by the destination country. Please note that a very substantial part of Aquarian Audio business is shipped outside of the United States. We must ensure that our commercial invoices are honest and accurate so that we do not make problems for ourselves and our customers at a later time. All orders shipped from Aquarian Audio will be marked as "commercial" and will state real values on the invoice. We understand that the cost of taxes can be significant and we would like to keep our products affordable to all, but please don't ask for us to mark your shipment as a gift or falsify the value. Most countries have some minimum value at which taxes are charged. This is often more than what a small order totals and no tax is collected. Shipping expenses are included in the overall shipment value with most customs agencies.
Taxes might include Duty, Excise, and sales or consumption taxes, such as GST or VAT. Taxes are typically collected by the courier that is making delivery, but may also be collected directly from your customs agency. Couriers may charge a small fee for this. We at Aquarian Audio Products try to offer the best in customer service, but we can not answer tax questions. It is nearly impossible for us to know what each courier in each different country and region within that country will charge. Some countries also have exclusions for items under a certain value. Commercial customers and resellers may also be subject to different rules for tax collection. For details about taxes charged in your country, Start with http://www.export.gov/logistics, managed by the US Department of Commerce. See more specific links below.
REMEMBER: Duty taxes, or tariffs, are free or very low in all of our major export markets. For example: hydrophones are free in Canada, Australia, Japan and others; this tax is only 2.5% in EU member countries. Sales or consumption taxes are paid the same as if you bought these items in your city. These costs can be expensive, but they typically also reflect the level of service that your government provides.
Tariffs are based on classifications designated by HS codes. These codes vary from different countries, but typically use the same first six digits. All products under the Aquarian Audio brand originate in the United States. Other low-cost items such as the Honeytone speaker or molded patch cables originate in other countries. Contact us for details if needed. The HS code for most of our products are:
Hydrophones: 851810
Preamps: 851840
Cables: 854420
Loudspeakers: 851821
You may search for more detail about HS codes (also called Schedule B codes) here: http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/schedules/b/#search. Valid codes should be verified within your customs agency.
Country-Specific Tariff and Tax Information: http://www.export.gov/logistics/eg_main_018142.asp
Select your country, then read details or link to your local customs agency.
Thank you,
Aquarian Audio Sales Staff
Read more information at our Policies Page