Collectors who buy most of their stuff online fear two only things: 1) lost parcels; and 2) high taxes. Lost parcels are pretty okay on the panic scale, as many online stores offer parcel tracking, and are willing to replace lost items for free.
High taxes, on the other hand, are enough to give nightmares to even the most hardened collectors. That fantastic bargain you spotted at a Japanese toy site or an American eBay shop may not be so great after you factor in taxes. Here are a few tips to save yourself from getting burned.
Buy
- Buy only if it is a Special or Limited Edition. The item is likely to increase in value as it gets rarer, so it will cover all costs even if you paid full retail price, shipping, and taxes for it.
- Buy only if the item cannot be found in Manila and neighboring destinations such as Hong Kong and Singapore (where you can ask friends or family on holiday to buy it for you). If you don’t buy it now, chances are you will never find it again — or at least, in the near future.
- Buy only if the item has been marked down by at least 40%. This way, the amount discounted from the purchase can go towards paying your customs fees, and you still get a bit of savings.
Do Not Buy
- Do not buy if your projected savings will be less than PhP 500 compared to retail prices in Manila. The taxes will put you over the top by double the amount, so your PhP 500 savings will turn into a PhP 1000 loss due to customs fees.
To project your possible customs fees, here is a sample calculation: [(Total USD value of parcel) x (10% Customs Dues)] + [(Total USD value of parcel) x (12% VAT)] + [PhP 750 Customs Miscellaneous Fees] + [PhP 40 Philpost Handling Fee]. They may also charge a storage fee of PhP 100 per day if your parcel is not picked up right away.
- Do not buy if the item is too big (and by “too big”, I mean larger than approximately 12 in x 12 in x 12 in). Large parcels look attractive to customs officials, so they are more likely to keep it on hold until you can “bail” your parcel out.
- Do not buy if your parcel can only be shipped via courier (FedEx, DHL, etc.). The courier service will automatically charge you for customs and hold your parcel until you are able to pay up, unlike EMS, SAL, or registered mail where there is a 50-50 chance that the parcel will reach you directly without being taxed.
Thanks to Tabs and Mickey at our customs thread for their input on their most recent EMS experiences.
15 June 2011 at 12:35
Awesome tips! 8Db
The customs is what feared me of buying some limited stuff online. ;A;
15 June 2011 at 13:36
add to that the problems of the philippine postal system >.>
5 July 2011 at 19:33
Aw.. as per my EMS tracker my Hobby Share package worth 30USD (mainly small items) was handed to Customs.
Is this a clear sign that I’ll have to go there and pay the tax or is there still hope? -.-
5 July 2011 at 22:53
yikes — your package is pretty much held hostage; sorry :(
7 July 2011 at 14:34
Just got my package from hobby search at EMS Customs earlier. Arrived Lunch time and had to wait for them to finish eating while the amount of people waiting to claim got larger <.< Really cant picture the sad expressions on the peoples faces leaving the office while mumbling..customs grr.. which really got me worried -.- I was surprised when the customs guy called this cute girl and asked: "sayo yun Louis Vuitton?" (is the Louis Vitton yours?)and I thought.. dead girl walking -.-
When it was my turn I was surprised because it seems the reason that my package was detained was because hobby search shipped it in an overly sized box. when the customs inspector opened it he was surprised that it only contained…. anime card sleeves and said.. Eto lang? (is this all?) while searching the box full of wrapping paper..just kept laughing inside hahaha, they probably thought they could milk me more.. paid 40php and left with a smile on my face. I was also happy to know hobby search didntt include shipping charges on the shipping paper so the only basis is sales price :)
Conclusion: Lower sales price on shipment tag and have it shipped in small packages to avoid the evil eyes of the man -.-
8 July 2011 at 09:36
Hi magnetic-rose, I’d like to ask for ur insight po because I recently purchased a $67.37 order from china wholesale-dress.net, shipping and insurance included: breakdown of the cost are as follow:
Total number of items: 9 (clothes only)
Total cost of items(before discount): $55.94
Total cost of items(after discount): $40.94 <<–
Total cost of shipping via FEDEX (insurance included): $26.43
Total: $67.37 <<
Is it possible to skip custom with my package in any way? Or how much will the tax be for my package :'( Thanks po!
8 July 2011 at 10:26
There is no surefire way to know if your parcel will be taxed or not. We only recommend keeping shipments under USD 50 and making sure the boxes are small — shoebox-sized if possible, because these kinds of shipments are the ones that get taxed the least.
As for calculating your possible taxes, here is a sample tally: [total USD value of parcel x 10% customs dues] + [total USD value of parcel x 12% VAT] + [PhP 750 customs miscellaneous fees] + [PhP 40 Philpost releasing fee]. Thanks!
8 July 2011 at 16:40
Thank you Magnetic, I asked my seller if they could declare my package as $40 because it’s the actual price of the order (shipping excluded) after discount hehe
9 July 2011 at 14:55
i ordered a shoes, the true value of it is, 300$ but i asked my seller to lower it so he input ($10) so is it taxable?
last time i ordered a shoes it was declared $135 + $50 shipment get it in d post office theres a letter from custom that i need to pay P1100.
10 July 2011 at 03:03
again, echo — like we keep saying there is no surefire method to dodge taxes. we only recommend keeping orders under USD 50 and keeping the shipments small since they are the ones that are least likely to get taxed.
same goes for andre’s question. as for SAL from china, if it’s from hong kong it’s pretty reliable — as for mainland china, not so much so keep your fingers crossed. cheers!
9 July 2011 at 16:22
Hi again magnetic, is china post by sea considered as SAL? I asked my seller to declare it $40 and change the invoice so it would appear as $40 hehe, by then do you think it will still go through custom? Hmm is SAL/China post by sea reliable? Thanks!
13 July 2011 at 06:50
Why do you guys want to evade taxes? You’re not doing your part as a Filipino citizen. Every imported good that gets inside our country is taxed. You only think you save more when you order online because the prices indicated on the items are tax-free. Just make sure when you go to the customs, you have an official receipt of what you paid. You can file a case against them if they don’t give you an OR.
13 July 2011 at 10:27
i don’t speak for the other people but personally i have no problem paying taxes — what i have a problem with is the people in the government who either pocket these taxes or misuse them for personal gain. are they using our taxes to make better roads, build more schools, improve public hospitals — heck, even just make it easier for people to get forms, documents, and IDs from the local city hall — most of the time the answer is “no”.
which is why i don’t blame people for wanting to save a couple of bucks here or there — at least they know that the money is going somewhere like food on the table or their child’s tuition (many questions abnout dodging taxes were put forward by small-time resellers). all this rampant corruption makes dishonest people out of perfectly good citizens — and the government has no one to blame but themselves.
16 August 2011 at 21:13
I have a question regarding tax imposed on an item you bought overseas through the net.
Diba, di nakasama sa pag-compute ng tax na ipapataw sa item na binili mo overseas yung shipment fee nia?
They should just base their computation from the price of your item, right?
17 August 2011 at 10:03
sorry — shipping fees are VAT-able; they fall under value added services.
16 August 2011 at 21:38
I just came from the Customs Office at Pasay to pick my item up, and man, the tax was as big as the price of my item @_@
I never really cared about being charged with tax before…
(not with my salary, not with the VAT they charge on my Happy Meal, on my grocery item, e-VAT…)
Nope, I didn’t care about tax until I finally felt its impact on me when it directly affected me because of my hobby.
Now, evading tax doesn’t seem like a bad idea, because of what rose just noted. You can feel it when they’re taking your money, but you just can’t feel where they are using it.
1 September 2011 at 05:00
kakaloka mga englisera mga tao d2 sosyal
im just asking lang poh madam
i buy gadget .. it cost $46 and free shipping
ship via china post ( include tracking no )
and Package Size: is 12.0 * 21.0 * 12.0 ( cm )
deadma lang naman ako kahit 1 month pa sya dumating keber lang .my big concern is baka malaki yung tax na babayaran ko
and it possible to arrive here in my house or pick up?
mostly kasi maliit lang na items pina purchase ko sa ebay
less than $20 at puro free shipping lang
i buy the same day pero magkakaiba ng seller
less than 2 to 3 weeks yung normal dumating yung items sa haouse ko .iba mabilis 8 days lang at pinaka matagal 4 weeks
binibili ko lang namn yung alam kong
kahit ikutin ko yung buong divisoria at mall
bihira at pahirapan bago ako makakita ng kaparehas
at alam kong mapapakinabangan ko tlga
do you think madam tama ba ang ginagawa ko??
minsan kasi dba bussy dahil s work bihira na pumunta sa mall
kaya buying through online na lang yung naiisip kong
paraan para kahit papaano updated ako s mga in ngayon
wala nmn siguro masama madam pinagpapaguran ko nmn
pinangbibili ko sa mga luho ko ang mahirap magnakaw para lang masunod yung luho sa katawan dba…
at kung meron ka pang time sana mabigyan mo ako ng mga tips
at sana reply ka poh tagalog words ah!” REQUEST PO” para mas madali ko poh maunawaan ang mga sinasabi mo ..
1 September 2011 at 11:11
hi kanisha. we use mainly english on the blog because: 1) the blog has an international audience — many of our readers are from singapore, the US, etc.; and 2) my filipino or tagalog is horrible compared to my english.
to answer your question: we’re not sure if your parcel will reach you without taxes. years ago, if you kept your parcel small with a value of under USD 50, you were pretty sure you could get it without taxes. lately, the situation has worsened. even small packages containing used items are getting taxed :(
in short, may 50-50 chance na makukuha mo yung package mo sa bahay ng 40 pesos lang para sa kartero ang babayaran mo, o baka kelangan mo pang dumayo ng pasay para itubos yung package mo sa customs. good luck!
2 September 2011 at 23:05
hi… i would just like to ask something, although its not related to toys or anything collectible… i hope you can help me.. last month i won a contest on the internet and the prize includes the new samsung tab 10.1… i received a notice card foprm the ems earlier saying that my package is ready to claim but it is subject to customs examination…I was just wondering, do i have to pay taxes for it even though i didn’t buy any of it? if yes how much?
2 September 2011 at 23:08
yes, unfortunately gifts and prizes are still subject to customs fees.
4 September 2011 at 13:26
Good day! I just want to clarify, is registered airmail still subjected to customs inspection (& can be held by the customs office) or do they send it right away to the local post office? Sorry for the bother & thanks for your reply in advance!
5 September 2011 at 01:03
hi rae — it depends on the size of the parcel. if it is obviously a document it may get to you without too much trouble, but if it is a large package it may be inspected and taxed. good luck!
5 September 2011 at 12:42
That somehow makes me feel a li’l better about shipping my CDJapan order thru SAL. It’s a CD & a B3-size poster, so it’s big enough to be noticed by those customs people. Now all I have to do is wait & not get too paranoid about it.
Thanks again!
15 September 2011 at 20:27
Hi! It’s my first time to shop online. I purchased a $105 watch but was declared $60 and marked as a gift from an online shop in Hongkong. It was shipped thru Hongkong Post last Sep.8 and when I tracked it today the status says: Sep.9 Pending Customs Inspection..Does it mean that I have to pick it up at the Customs’ Office or do I have to wait for the Customs to forward the parcel to the QCPO (..I’m from QC) and wait for the QCPO to deliver it in my doorstep? Thanks! ^^
15 September 2011 at 22:02
if the parcel is marked for inspection, you will have to pick it up from the EMS depot.
19 September 2011 at 10:04
Hi Magnetic_Rose, what do you think this mean?
16-Sep-2011 Philippines “Arrived and is being processed.”
17-Sep-2011 Philippines “Not delivered because no delivery service is avilable for this product or service at the specified delivery point. Addressee advised to pick up the item.”
I’m from Pampanga and I have not received a note to pick it up yet (will they send a note?). Did this also mean that it already went to customs and wasn’t taxed so I just have to pick it up? I’m confused, my last package that used hkpost and came from the same online store (yesstyle) too, arrived in my house without a charge…
19 September 2011 at 10:31
hi confused! i got another question like that from another person — it seems that HKPOST no longer delivers to certain locations. the best bet you have is to wait for your package pick-up notice (it looks like a small white postcard) from the local postal office. the notice will give you instructions on how to claim your parcel.
you will find out during claiming if you have to pay taxes or not (although 90% of the time, you will — that’s why they issue the notice). however, since the reason why you can’t get your parcel is because it couldn’t be delivered — and not because you had to pay taxes, you could get away with just paying the PhP 40 releasing fee. good luck!
19 September 2011 at 11:55
Thank you very much for the quick reply! :)
20 September 2011 at 15:38
Hello again Magnetic_Rose! An odd turn of events, the package arrived at my house today after 3 days of saying that it will not be delivered. EMS tracking status failed. I just paid P40 and the old delivery guy was very nice. :)
20 September 2011 at 15:42
congratulations! :D you’re one of the lucky ones, i have to say <3
3 October 2011 at 15:30
hi guys, which do you think is safer to lost parcel or stolen parcel? ems or air parcel(registered w/ tracking)?
thanks for the advice
3 October 2011 at 15:56
EMS is safer — they have tracking and insurance; registered mail only offers tracking as far as i know.
4 October 2011 at 09:12
but air parcel offers possibility not to get taxed with?
4 October 2011 at 13:01
that i can’t say — there’s a 50% chance that you have to pay tax and 50% chance you don’t.
11 October 2011 at 10:18
hi! i purchased an item that was shipped by HK post..
after a week of tracking my stuff online,i got this
‘Not delivered because no delivery service is avilable for this product or service at the specified delivery point. Addressee advised to pick up the item.”
im from dumaguete and i dnt know where in hell is ma package!
hope u guys can help me .. thanks
11 October 2011 at 11:55
I just want to ask because my friend sent me a letter that contains Arashi shop photos through registered mail. I was wondering if I will need to claim it at Philpost or it will be delivered to my house? :O Thanks for the help! :D
14 October 2011 at 11:43
I want to but from Plamoya Japan. The item will be sent via Japan Post EMS. I checked Japan Post EMS country list, it includes Philippines but it doesn’t include Cebu area, only Manila areas.
Is it possible to deliver the item here in Cebu?
Please help.
14 October 2011 at 11:58
you’ll have to email plamoya directly about that :( we’ve never had problems asking them to ship to manila, so maybe they will also ship to cebu if you ask them nicely :)
15 October 2011 at 02:05
I’ve read all the nerve-racking stories of people here and in the last post that is already 2 years of age. I’m very anxious. I ordered a CD from CDJapan. Because I was a J-pop fan, when I saw that it includes a B3-size poster, I didn’t think thrice in ordering it. CDJapan shipped my order last October 12, 2011 through EMS. The CD weighs about 200g and the total cost is about 30USD. As of Oct 14, 14:22 the status of my package is “Arrival at inward office of exchange”. I live in La Union and I’m really nervous because of the tax that I might pay. I’m still underage and I can’t go to Pasay if ever. I’m so worried. Are they delivering packages during weekends? I guess I’ll wait for further notice of my package. I pray and hope that THEY (Corrupt Customs) will not tax me.
15 October 2011 at 13:13
As of today, my order status is “retention”. What should I do? I’m still a minor and I don’t have any other I.D. aside from my school i.d. and I live here in La union. Help me please!
27 October 2011 at 17:02
Hi,
Thanks for the reply.
I already email them. They replied: “unfortunately we cannot delivered to where was not included in shipping
country list.”
So i think it means even if Philippines was included, still the coverage is on Manila areas only.
Does anyone knows an alternative solution? or suggestion? I’ll very much appreciate it. Thank you.
28 November 2011 at 19:26
Hi just want to ask i have a package from china,20pcs shirts worth $195,but the seller declared it below $50,when i tracked my package it says Your item was handed over to Customs(REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES MNL CMEC EMS) at 2011-11-22 06:19:00 ,and never update until now,so should i still wait for some days?or should i go & pick up my package to EMS?Thanks
27 April 2012 at 15:05
Hi. I just wanna ask, did you pick up your package? If yes, did you pay the “taxes”?
2 March 2012 at 07:04
I just ordered an item from YesStyle and now I am more anxious than ever after reading the above comments. My biggest fear is to deal with government people. I just hate it. So much red tape and corruption. Ugh!
Thanks for this informative post. Now I just have to hope that it will be delivered to my doorstep.
4 March 2012 at 16:26
I want to share a tip i havent fully tested but seems to work, if you are having small items shipped via ems ask the seller to ship them via ems envelope and not by box if it will fit. havent had a problem with customs ever since :-)
22 April 2012 at 19:35
Hello there..I’m just wondering how long does SAL shipment usually takes? I ordered some stuffs From cd Japan about three weeks ago and it was shipped on March 26 since then I still haven’t recieve my package. I’m a bit worried that it might not be delivered to me
9 July 2012 at 12:44
Hi there!
I’m so glad I stumbled upon your blog whilst trying to rationalize my extra charges for my packages that were sent abroad (Hong Kong, Hong Kong and Tulsa, Oklahoma). I bought a lighter from eBay from Hong Kong and a CD and plastic card from Tulsa, Oklahoma and was charged (Php 1,067) + Php 40 for EACH parcel. I had the item picked up by my dad’s secretary since she handles all our parcels and she told me that the extra charge was for the tac of the CD since it is considered an electronic. She claimed not to know the computation since it seemed as if they were just randomly typing figures into a calculator and I told her not to worry about it and I just ended paying for the extra fees. My CD was shipped via USPS and in my order slip the breakdown was :
2012 Member EP & Fan Club Membership $40.00 1 $40.00
Subtotal $40.00
Shipping $10.00
Tax $0.00
Total $50.00
I’ve been going through the comments and I still cannot rationalize the Php 1,067 charge. Shouldn’t the Php 40 suffice for Customs Charges? Another reason why this is an issue is because I had others from all over Metro Manila who had the exact same thing shipped, with the exact same breakdown given and one of my friends who had it shipped to Las Piñas had to pay Php 1,077 on top of the Php 40 Customs Charge (same reason, taxes, electronics) however, my friend’s who picked it up in the Makati Post Office said they were not charged anything but the Php 40 Customs Charge! Wtf?!?! The person at the Post Office claimed that these charges varied from Post Office-to-Post Office but why should it vary when all these Post Offices are all located in Metro Manila? I also have an incoming order of Shades and the breakdown is as follows:
ITEMS
Name Product Code Quantity Line Total
HANSON Sunglas HANSON Sunglas 1 $15.00
Subtotal: $15.00
Tax: $0.00
Shipping: $13.71
Total: $28.71
BILL TO:
Cristina Varona
NCIA 3F BMG Centre Paseo de Magallanes
Lapu Lapu St
Brgy Magallanes
Makati, Metro Manila 1780 <—- Zip Code was inputted erroneously (1780 is Muntinlupa Zip Code, 1232 is the correct Zip Code, however, I can no longer amend the zip code since it is in the sorting system of USPS as per Tracking Number)
PH
Am I going to get charged outrageously again for this or will it "get lost" due to the wrong Zip Code? I'm sorry for flooding you with numerous queries but I am really hoping you can help me with a couple of my queries that I have been trying to wrack my brain over but really can't come up with a logical reason for all these charges.
12 October 2012 at 13:25
Hi,
Good day. I read that some packages that used EMS delivered to the philippines are sometimes hold in EMS PASAY to pay custom tax. If i were from cavite or any province outside metro manila, will it be forwarded to the nearest POST office where i can pay the custom tax? Or is it all package delivered by EMS to luzon that is hold for tax are payable only in EMS PASAY?