Duty Free Border Downtown | iPhone Cellfone Mobile Handy

Duty Free Products

iPhone Cellfone Mobile Handy

iPhone, Cellfone, Mobile, Tablet Tax-Free: The purchase of cell phone devices in duty free shops is a complex subject. Firstly, very few conventional duty free stores, such as those in airports, have an extensive electronic or mobile phone section.

More importantly, most in-demand phones such as iPhones, are sold as linked to a local network operator, so not only does this mean that they are locked and not very easily transferred to another country or network, but also you are likely to need a contract with an airtime provider in the country where you bought the phone.

There are exceptions to this rule, but the traditional duty free and tax-free stores are not really the place to buy this type of equipment, their range is not very extensive and there are time constraints in an airport shopping area as you have a flight to catch.

However, around the world there is a series of independent territories and duty free zones called “special tax free areas” or “free zones” and it is in these locations you are likely to be able to buy unlocked phones at good prices, with zero-tax or low sales tax on the products. Paraguay, Ciudad del Este is a good example of this. For some nationalities, this could save you 20% or more on the price, it depends where you live and the local taxes you may pay.

The type of location where you will find these opportunities are: Paraguay, Iquique in Chile, Panama City, San Andres in Colombia, St Martin in the Caribbean, Gibraltar and Andorra near to Spain, The Canary Islands, Samnaun and Livigno in Italy, Hong Kong, Bangkok MBK Mall and other special territories like Helgoland, near Germany.

Another useful method to save on the price of your phone is to shop in the countries that operate the 'Tax Free Shopping' refund service. In these countries you can claim back the local sales tax on your purchases if you are a non-resident in that Country. So, once you decide your travel destination you can then research the potential suppliers for your phone.

There is no 'Excise Duty' levied on these products, so a more accurate description should be 'Tax-Free', not 'Duty-Free'.

Duty Free or Tax-Free goods purchased in a Customs secure area, such as in an airport, on an airline, a ferry or a cruise ship, are sold free of taxes primarily for export. You are responsible to carry these goods through Customs at your point of arrival and checks may be made as to whether you are within the limits, allowances or exemptions. In some countries, this is known as the 'travellers baggage allowance'. For this reason duty free retailers are not permitted to arrange home delivery of the goods for you.

Some airlines will offer delivery of goods, but this is because these particular goods are actually tax-paid goods, such as gifts. In some countries the Tax-Refund scheme operates, where you can reclaim the local sales taxes such as VAT/GST, when you leave the country. Normally, you will be required to complete a customs export form at the airport, port or border and then show your purchases to Customs before you leave the country. The rules for some domestic shopping in special tax free territories like USVI, Andorra, Samnaun or San Andres, may be different, but in general home delivery is not an option.