Import taxes on knives from Japan

[Drsmp]

Hi What are the import taxes or duty on knives purchased online from Japan for personal use? Is there a price limit? Tried to find an answer online but what I found was pretty complicated and confusing. Thanks for your help!

[Jeff B]

The US doesn't charge import duties or taxes on overseas purchases by an individual.

[Chappychap]

The US doesn't charge import duties or taxes on overseas purchases by an individual.

This is correct up to the limit of $800 per person per day, I believe. So if you're buying a knife >$800, expect to be taxed.

[mauichef]

The US doesn't charge import duties or taxes on overseas purchases by an individual.

This is correct up to the limit of $800 per person per day, I believe. So if you're buying a knife >$800, expect to be taxed.

I don't think that is true. I have bought knives for much more than that from Japan, Canada and EU and never been charged duty.

[Cigarguy]

You Mericans are lucky...we get taxed on air.

[arthurfowler]

I’m in the Uk and the fees/taxes are inconsistent. I’m not sure if the vendor location in the States for example makes a difference. I bought a few things off Mark before Christmas and I paid $50 on $900 and the other day I got charged $200 on a $600 knife!!

[XexoX]

I’m in the Uk and the fees/taxes are inconsistent. I’m not sure if the vendor location in the States for example makes a difference. I bought a few things off Mark before Christmas and I paid $50 on $900 and the other day I got charged $200 on a $600 knife!!

Ouch.

[salemj]

The US doesn't charge import duties or taxes on overseas purchases by an individual.

This is correct up to the limit of $800 per person per day, I believe. So if you're buying a knife >$800, expect to be taxed.

This is out of context. You DO get chanced over 800 IF you are purchasing the product overseas and returning with it through customs. From what it sounds like, you do not get checked duties if the package is shipped to you within the states from overseas.

[Infrared]

https://www.cbp.gov/trade/basic-import- ... -purchases

https://www.trade.gov/de-minimis-value

Items imported into the United States are subject to duty when the value is over USD 800.

If you bought directly from Japan and paid no duties on a $800+ knife, then the seller more than likely understated the value, or someone at customs just didn't care/notice.

[mauichef]

https://www.cbp.gov/trade/basic-import- ... -purchases

https://www.trade.gov/de-minimis-value

Items imported into the United States are subject to duty when the value is over USD 800.

If you bought directly from Japan and paid no duties on a $800+ knife, then the seller more than likely understated the value, or someone at customs just didn't care/notice.

Sorry, I really don't think this is true. Especially about customs not caring or noticing!!!!!

If you buy a knife from abroad for your own use and it is less than $2500 (incl shipping) you will not get charged. In fact the item will sail right through customs with no halt.

An informal entry is the entry of goods valued under 2500US$ and does not need to be cleared by a customs bond as it is designated for mostly personal importations. The amount used to be 1000$ before 2013 but the threshold has been increased to 2500$ since then.

I import knives and other items regularly for personal use (many time over $800 items) and have NEVER paid a dime in duty.

To the OP. You should not be charged duty for a personal knife shipment (under $2500) coming from Japan.

[mauichef]

It's pretty simple bro. For your own use, there will be no tax when buying online. You will only pay for the product and delivery. However, there will be a tax on resale. I'm in the business of reselling knives katanas and a bunch of stuff like that and I'm counting the tax on https://taxfyle.com/sales-tax-calculator and I can tell you that about five to ten percent you will lose for one thing. However, for individuals for their own use, you can easily order a knife just by paying extra money if the knife will cost more than a certain price and of course pay for delivery, no tax. Therefore, order and do not be afraid to lose money, you will not lose it

Correct! No duty on personal imports under $2500. As for the rest....who cares...are you seriously going to declare the origins etc when you resell, unless it is your business then your original import was illegal!
Sorry but that is really muddying up the water!

[LaVieestBelle]

I am going to jump in. There are rules, but the application can be inconsistent. My thoughts come from shipments received, hours talking to customs people, and time trying to sort through the sometimes less-than-wonderfully-accessible government information sites. It's the best I can come up with, with at least 50% accuracy guaranteed!

On paper, if an item is over $800, it could result in customs fees. In practice, that often does not happen for a number of reasons.

Maybe it is just too much work to bother with every shipment. Lots of things pass through because they are just too close to bother with. An $850 item pretty much never triggers an automatic fee. Imagine the workforce that would be needed for a couple dollars in revenue. But that said, it is possible.

Sometimes, it depends on how the seller is preparing the paperwork. How are they declaring the value of the item? Are they declaring the actual value, or something else.

A high insurance amount or declaration value may well trigger a fee. Sometimes shippers do not fully declare the item's value. If they have their own insurance policies or if they assume a little risk in their shipments, they might not create paperwork that shows a high price. But if a costly item is heavily insured, it could be a trigger.

I travel out of the country about four times a year, and have things shipped. The variation in fees incurred, or lack of them, is fascinating.

But that said, I have never paid duty on a knife.

Again, how the seller handles insurance documentation can be a trigger.

I was charged duty on a handbag coming from France. It was a used bag, and I had left it in Europe for a complicated repair. When shipping the used, repaired bag, the company insured it for the full value of a new bag, and that appeared on the value declaration. I wound up getting charged as if it had been a brand new bag. I had to prove I had only paid for repairs, and the duty charges were waived. But it was a process.

Another time was just plain weird. I bought a pair of shoes from Canada. They were held up forever by Customs, and I was asked for additional proof of value before they could be released. Why? You know the cotton cloth sleeper bags that some shoes come in? Customs decided they were two undeclared purses. After intervention by the Canadian store, I got them. Really! You never know....

99% of the time everything is smooth and purchases come through seamlessly. But the buyer should be comfortable with the fact that the possibility does exist that an item could be noticed.

It still would not be brutal, if it did by chance happen. From what I remember (need to check on the customs site) the rate on knives from Japan is modest anyway. I would not worry. But if the item is over $800 it simply remains a possibility. Even then it comes down to a formula that involves the declared value, the age of the item, the country of origin, and the item itself, and it would probably be modest. For "cooking" knives from Japan, the last figure I could access (no accuracy guarantee) was 6.1%. Sites are not consistent and the information is not always easy to access.

I am seeing $800 figures and $2000 figures. At the $800 point, for non-exempt items, the potential liability begins. At the higher $2000 point, a more rigorous form of paperwork kicks in.

Hope this (a) is mostly right and (b) helps.

Anyway, this is my best understanding. Open to being corrected.

[urbestchief]

I agree with the user above. Unfortunately, in this matter, not everything is so clear, and everything depends on the supplier, the amount, and the documents attached to the product.
It seems that you should contact the post office or customs directly to find out all the details of your situation. Perhaps even the store will be able to give you a consultation if it has already had precedents.