Amazon taxes ?

Aug 25, 2018
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THIS IS PROBABLY THE WRONG THREAD BUT IDK WHERE ELSE TO WRITE THIS
So I want to build a PC and I was wondering how much cheaper it would be if I bought the parts from amazon.com and not amazon.it ( I live in Italy ) . The amazon.com price was 100 $ cheaper and I started thinking if I should buy from amazon.com .
If I would buy from amazon.com will I get any additional fees (VAT, transaction fees, and any other)?
 
Solution
Generally, when you buy from a foreign country, you are responsible for customs duties and taxes. These are typically set up to make an imported item match the price of one bought domestically (i.e. with VAT and other required fees). The exact details vary by country and item however. You'll have to do some research to find out what the Italian duties are on the components you wish to order, and see if they raise the price enough to make it not worthwhile. Amazon itself should not add extra fees to your order, but they will clearly mark the contents of the package so Italian customs will know what duties are required. They will probably not release the package(s) for delivery to your until the duties are paid.

If you have a friend...
Generally, when you buy from a foreign country, you are responsible for customs duties and taxes. These are typically set up to make an imported item match the price of one bought domestically (i.e. with VAT and other required fees). The exact details vary by country and item however. You'll have to do some research to find out what the Italian duties are on the components you wish to order, and see if they raise the price enough to make it not worthwhile. Amazon itself should not add extra fees to your order, but they will clearly mark the contents of the package so Italian customs will know what duties are required. They will probably not release the package(s) for delivery to your until the duties are paid.

If you have a friend visiting the U.S. (or another country with low prices and taxes), they could buy some components for you and bring them back under their personal duty-free exemption when traveling as a tourist. You'll have to research what the exemption is for Italians visiting the U.S.

Also be aware that many manufacturers sell a "U.S. version" and "International version". There is no physical difference, but you cannot get warranty service for the International version in the U.S., nor warranty service fro the U.S. version outside the U.S. You'll have to check with the manufacturer of the items you're buying to see if this is the case. Some manufacturers are more lenient than others (e.g. Thinkpad warranty service is available worldwide regardless of where you bought your Thinkpad, since many business travelers take their Thinkpads overseas).
 
Solution