[mfenniak]

> The problem is the government/customs knows that and thus catches and taxes a lot of people who try to bring over $500USD worth of products.

Does this mean the difference in the price of the Macbook is entirely taxes? Or, after paying an import duty at the airport, would the overall cost still be lower than buying the hardware domestically?

[com]

My friends in São Paulo just did that with an iMac - bought it in Arizona during their Christmas trip to the US, declared it at Guarulhos airport, paid the import imposts and still came in with a huge discount to the local retail price.

[mikeryan]

Cost of flight to AZ + Cost of iMac + Cost of Imposts was a huge discount or just the Cost of iMac + Cost of Imposts?

[com]

Yeah, still at least a headline discount of 20-25%. And they were going to AZ anyway, so it felt like 40-50% to them. Everyone was wearing new shoes too, prices in the US are significantly cheaper than in São Paulo

[chiurox]

Including the airfare and import tax, it's still cheaper.

[kawera]

No, the difference isn't entirely taxes, far from it. Apple is responsible for the largest part of it as the total import tax they pay amounts for 38.75% of the factory price, not the US retail price.

[chiurox]

It's also partyland for employees who work at customs. They claim that they take the abandoned products and sell it in auction...