On 16/3/05, Stuart Moore, discombobulated, unleashed: >I am taking my wife to Ney Work city for a birthday weekend in June and >it seems a good opportunity to buy some additional odds and ends for my >Pentax *ist D. I could do with some prime lenses and a battery grip. I am >also thinking of something to bounce a little light off. (I am a bit new >at this.) > >Generally USA prices are a lot lower than UK prices so it is worth me >stocking up a bit. > >By the way, as I shall travelling out of the country, will I be excused >the local sales tax? Perhaps only certain shops?
No. If you pop into B and H you will pay local sales tax. You can't just show your passport and be excused. This from the B and H web site: >Purchases in our retail and Used Equipment store are subject to an 8.625% >local sales tax. This tax is not a VAT, and cannot be recovered by non- >USA visitors when you return home. Be advised that on your return to the UK, the maximum value of photo gear that you can bring through the green channel is a paltry £135 IIRC. By all means take your chances but be prepared to fork out VAT and import duty on any purchases over this. In most cases it will still work out cheaper than buying from domestic sources. I have bought many lenses from the USA but watch out for warranties - they do things differently in the USA. My last DSLR I bought from in the UK - solely for the domestic warranty. Lenses don't usually go wrong but high value cameras can, and I wanted peace of mind. If you have any other questions, feel free to email me off list. Cheers, Cotty ___/\__ || (O) | People, Places, Pastiche ||=====| http://www.cottysnaps.com _____________________________