Import tax on J-Custom?!?!?

dark_void86 · #1 06-22-2008, 08:42 PM

I have a friend who owns an old RG with the wizard I profile on his neck and he decided that that profile was for him. He wasn't happy when he realized that Ibanez generally only make guitars as thin as the wizard II so he did a bit of research and found that the J-customs still have that legendary wizard I profile. Anyways he bought the guitar, i tried it along with his old RG and i have to say that ive fallen head over heels in love also with this profile. The guitar from head to toe rocks in every possible sense. If the neck was made out of mahogany and there was another tone control i would probably die and go to heaven. But regardless its damn sexy and i want at least one!!!

However, ikebe gakki seems to sell these guitars abroad, I'm in the UK and was wondering what sort of tax hurdles i might need to jump? The guitar seems to be about a 1000 pounds just buying it and then i have no idea how to calculate possible VAT and import tax hurdles........

Ive done the usual task of "google(ing) it", and alas i have come up with naught in the way of answers. Just lots and lots of possible variables i "may need to consider". Anyways i really REALLY hope someone can help me out with this,

Ian.

Rich · #2 06-22-2008, 09:08 PM

The current JC's are not Wiz1. The last JC that was is the RG8670.

kotornut · #3 06-22-2008, 10:02 PM

Alright, I'll try to help you understand it.

I'm a big soccer fan and I ordered a soccer kit fir $80 and they charged me $15 for customs. That's about 18%. So if that is any indication a $2500 guitar would be $450 for customs.

Now this is just a guess and we have no way of really calculating the customs fees before hand so I'll tell you what I actually know from experience. Customs are really expensive. It actually makes ordering something not worthwhile. Everyone I know that orders expesive things gets hit heavy by customs. So heavily that they don't order internationally again. But there is a way around customs...

Buy it and have it shipped to someone you know in Japan, then have that person ship it to you. They don't do customs on private non-commercial packages. They only inspect it for dangerous materials. My pops sent me an amp, a pedal board and a ton of books this way from the States.

Do you know anyone in Japan?

IbanezFreak777 · #4 06-22-2008, 10:09 PM

The only way to skip tax hurdles, is to fly to An Asian Country like Thailand Japan etc...
and buy one and take it back with you.
I did this and i got no problems carrying it through customs, no body asked me nothing and Australia has one of the toughest customs in the world.....

Or the only other way, is to buy it, have a friend who lives in an Asian Country ship it to you and put it down as a gift and make sure that the value doesn't exceed a certain figure.

In Australia it has to be under $800 before they start taxing you....

cant imagine an authorised Ibanez dealer would ship it to you and put it down as a gift. But you never know

good luck

spacebard · #5 06-22-2008, 10:45 PM

It cost me $370 for the tax and customs fees here in Canada, that's about 184 pounds. But I don't how the customs fees are calculated in UK.

Fender868 · #6 06-22-2008, 10:50 PM

Yup Canada is expensive too

. You're from Mirabel ? I am right next door in La Plaine

xklusivly4u · #7 06-23-2008, 12:06 AM

If the guitar is from outside of EU, 17.5 % VAT plus 5 % import tax. But UK custom has its own exchange rate, so you might need to pay 25% taxes of original value.

IbanezFreak777 · #8 06-23-2008, 07:23 AM

In Australia we pay for fumigation costs as well, because we have strict import laws when it comes to wood. We dont like outside bugs......

Ibateur · #9 06-23-2008, 09:32 AM

... so if your guitar smells of Agent Orange, don't sniff.

dark_void86 · #10 06-23-2008, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich

The current JC's are not Wiz1. The last JC that was is the RG8670.

Okay well I am a newbie when it comes to Ibanez lore. From what i read on this website and the japanese ibanez website the profile of the neck (apart from being very flat), is that it is 17mm at the first fret and 19mm at the 12th. This making it on par profile wise with the wizard one. Infact i believe that the necks they make these days are the wizard II and III with the j-custom having exclusive rights to the "super wizard" neck. I don't care if the construction of the neck is the same or whatever as the original wizard, its all about the profile for me.

dark_void86 · #11 06-23-2008, 10:36 AM

Thanks everyone for replying, ive got a friend who's brother is currently living in Japan teaching English, so i shall have them send it to him and then to me in that case. I might by the looks of the figures save about 250 pounds this way, even if i did pay it, for guitars in england a J-custom at 1250 pounds is a serious bargain!!

kotornut · #12 06-23-2008, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dark_void86

Thanks everyone for replying, ive got a friend who's brother is currently living in Japan teaching English, so i shall have them send it to him and then to me in that case. I might by the looks of the figures save about 250 pounds this way, even if i did pay it, for guitars in england a J-custom at 1250 pounds is a serious bargain!!

Yeah that is a good way to do it.

It's funny about your friends brother. That is what every foriegner is doing in Japan, myself included except I cam here after I married a Japanese girl.

You only meet 3 types of foreign English speaking people in Japan:

1. American sailors
2. English Teachers
3. Auto industry trading company reps.

anyways, good luck man I hope you can avoid the hassle and cost.

Sam D. · #13 06-23-2008, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kotornut

Yeah that is a good way to do it.

It's funny about your friends brother. That is what every foriegner is doing in Japan, myself included except I cam here after I married a Japanese girl.

You only meet 3 types of foreign English speaking people in Japan:

1. American sailors
2. English Teachers
3. Auto industry trading company reps.

anyways, good luck man I hope you can avoid the hassle and cost.

Now which kind are you?

kotornut · #14 06-23-2008, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam D.

Now which kind are you?

Teacher. I'm not cool enough to be a soldier or a real buisness man.

finstah · #15 06-23-2008, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dark_void86

Okay well I am a newbie when it comes to Ibanez lore. From what i read on this website and the japanese ibanez website the profile of the neck (apart from being very flat), is that it is 17mm at the first fret and 19mm at the 12th. This making it on par profile wise with the wizard one. Infact i believe that the necks they make these days are the wizard II and III with the j-custom having exclusive rights to the "super wizard" neck. I don't care if the construction of the neck is the same or whatever as the original wizard, its all about the profile for me.

I asked Rich the same thing with my 8470. I contacted Rachel at Ishi and she sent me the specs of 17mm at the first fret. No way in hell it is 17 because it is fatter than my old gambale , 550 and 770.

Rich confirmed that it is closer to 18.5mm and Rachel concurred saying the specs on the site were incorrect.