Info on customs?

[ceramicyak]

Hello. I'm coming to Japan for nine months on Sunday, and was hoping to bring with me an Apple laptop. However, it won't be ready for another week or so, so I was thinking about having it sent to me. Can anyone point me to some info on whether I'd be up for some customs fee?

I know I can buy an Apple laptop for a similar price, but the benefit will be the warranty, which would be a one year international warranty and two years domestic - ideal for when I return in March!

Cheers

[Taro Toporific]

..an Apple laptop.. won't be ready for another week or so, so I was thinking about having it sent to me. Can anyone point me to some info on whether I'd be up for some customs fee?

There is no import duty on computers, software, books an other such "edutainment." You MIGHT be required to pay 5% consumption tax but if it comes through as a "gift" and not an official company order/shipment there won't be any tax.

Most (all?) US companies won't ship a laptop to Japan anyway, so tell your Granny to wrap it as a b-day gift.

[ceramicyak]

Cheers, thanks for the quick replies, very helpful

Now I have to decide if an extra 30GB harddrive in an iBook is worth A$200, an extra 3 weeks, and the chance that the thing gets broken on the way from Australia to Japan! The situation with sending electronic stuff from here is the same as the US it seems, they won't give me insurance against damaged or broken goods, only on any lost packages.

Decisions, decisions.

Anyhoo, thanks again!

[kamome]

I ordered a Dell PC for myself through their US website and got it to myself in Japan by first shipping it to a PO Box I rent in the States, then having the PO Box forward the entire PC to me in Japan. It cost a shitload in shipping fees, and I had to pay consumption tax (5%) on each box that came to me.

So if the total value of your purchase is 1000 Australian dollars and shipped in two boxes, they will just split the value between the boxes (500 each), and make you pay 5% of 500 twice--and that's on top of tax and shipping fees you already paid in your home country.