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News Travel Tips Understanding Duty-Free
| Understanding Duty-Free |
| Tuesday, 24 February 2009 | |
 If you are like me, you really have no idea what duty-free means. Does it mean no tax at all? Does it mean wholesale pricing? Does it mean that I can get booze for practically nothing? Does it mean I can buy things at the duty-free shop that I could not find in the U.S.?What most people do seem to know is that duty-free goods are mostly sold inside international airport terminals, ferry stations, cruise ports and border stops, but that 's where the knowledge ends. Basically, duty-free shops sell products without local import taxes otherwise known as duty. For example, by buying goods in a duty-free shop in France, you avoid paying the import tax that France places on goods imported in to the country (like English chocolate) and that French stores ordinarily include as part of a product's list price. In Europe, there's a bonus perk: Duty-free shops in airports and ports are "tax-free shops," too, which means you are spared the value added tax (or V.A.T., a type of sales tax) that would otherwise be included in the price of goods sold elsewhere in the European Union. That means a savings of between 5 and 25 percent, depending on the country. But it's not all free of tax, there are catches to the magic of duty-free. For more details and for tips on your best savings, check out this cnn.com article on duty-free shopping. |
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