"Tax on discs" is returned. At risk - smart watches

    In Russia, sales of smart watches, surprisingly, grow at 30-50% per year (according to local retailers). Devices gradually come into use, they are happy to wear, for example, domestic civil servants. Prime Minister Medvedev, Minister of Finance Siluanov, Deputy Prime Minister Golodets, Minister of Communications Nikiforov, President of Tatarstan Minnikhanov, even Deputy Vitaly Milonov were noticed with smart watches on hand . But that’s good news for Apple Watch fans. As the media writes, they decided to introduce an additional tax for smart watches. Trying to figure out this story →


    In 2014, Apple announced that it was going to release smart watches. Many experts rated the project skeptical: they said that the failure of Tim Cook was approaching - this was the first new device of the company, in the creation of which Steve Jobs did not participate. Well, in general, why Apple Watch, not iWatch, where is the sequence? And the first sales really pleased skeptics. Such an advantage, as in the smartphone market, the company has not received.

    But it’s also not a failure. Since 2015, Apple has sold 32 million Apple Watch. The first models sold even better than Apple’s latest product, the first iPhone. In the current quarter, the company sold 2.8 million hours- 56% more than during the same period last year. The indicators are impressive shareholders, and this fall together with the iPhone 8 is expected to release the third generation Apple Watch, with new technologies inside. Shortly before the presentation of Apple, there were reports that the price of smart watches in Russia will soon rise - due to the “author's collection”.


    Where the legs grow


    The Ministry of Culture has offered to charge a smart fee from smart watches. Arguing the decision is simple: smart watches can be used to play “phonograms and audiovisual works”, which means that people can “pirate” and listen to music, and “clock phones” in this case act as “accomplices”. In order to “compensate for the loss of rights holders”, producers of smart watches entering Russia will be additionally charged a tax. The Office explains:
    These devices are used by citizens to play music and video, to which, in particular, manufacturers (distributors) themselves point out, noting the possibility of copying (saving) music into the memory of smart watches and then listening to them as an advantage over other gadgets.

    The new tax on watches will be distributed through the Russian Union of rights holders in accordance with the famous “one percent” law, which was adopted in 2010 and has since been named after Nikita Mikhalkov. Now the collection is regularly paid by more than a hundred importing companies. The fund, which is headed by the director, goes for 1% of the cost of each smartphone, laptop, tablet, computer, flash drive, disk and video camera imported to Russia, and now hours. The tax does not apply only to televisions sold in the country; they also want to exclude video cameras from the list of devices from which they charge an author's fee.

    One percent of the customs value doesn’t seem to be that much. But in the end, the amounts are recruited quite decent. The Russian Union of Rights Holders collects from producers from 2.2 to 3.4 billion rubles per year. According to one of the largest Russian retailers, in 2016, the country sold 137 thousand smart watches for 3.3 billion rubles. That is, they will be able to earn an additional about 30 million rubles.


    Who didn't like smart watches


    Prior to this, the customs duty on smart watches had already increased once - from 0% to 10% in December 2015 . Then the importers were forced to pay by the Federal Customs Service (FCS), which, on the contrary (unlike the arguments of 2017), refused to classify watches as “devices for receiving and transmitting data” (zero duty) and instead referred them to the category of ordinary watches - duty of 10%. In the classification of devices that are considered to be watches, the characteristics of the Apple Watch (1.53 ″ display, sapphire crystal, magnetic closure, dimensions) were entered. But in fact, the duty had to be paid by other manufacturers - Samsung, Sony, LG. Because of this, before the New Year, the clock went up by an average of 15%.

    The new law of the Ministry of Culture (1% in favor of the Russian Union of copyright holders) also did not meet a warm welcome from the market. The representative of the association of commodity producers of household and computer equipment RATEK Anton Guskov called it "absurd" because "smart watches are not used for recording, but only for reproducing content." The same sentiments were in 2015, but the law was still passed.


    Here and there


    Increasing fees can touch not only smart watches. At the end of June, they offered to raise duties on all imported electronics in order to "support domestic producers." It even discusses the increase in duties 4 (!) Times, from 14% to 60% (this is favored by the Governor of the Pskov Region, Andrei Turchak).

    If you want to buy any electronic device, fortunately, there is always an alternative. It is not necessary to take the device, the price of which includes customs fees and several taxes. You can purchase goods directly in America or in Europe and for a couple of tens of dollars to deliver it to Russia. Even for $ 50 items this often turns out to be beneficial, not to mention a $ 300 watch.

    Let's compare:
    Apple Watch — от 22 490 рублей ($375) даже на сайте самой Apple. В американском магазине, в котором делают покупки клиенты Бандерольки, тот же девайс стоит $269, на $106 дешевле. Экономия на одной покупке — почти 5000 рублей (с учетом стоимости доставки через Бандерольку).

    Черные Apple Watch с корпусом из нержавеющей стали — 58 тысяч рублей в России ($966). В США — $699. Экономия — 14 500 рублей ($241).

    Huawei Watch 2 — 22 990 тысяч рублей в России ($382), на B&H — от $270.

    Samsung Gear S3 Frontier — 24-25 тысяч рублей в России ($415). В Америке на Amazon — $293.

    И это новых налогов еще не ввели. А с ними цены обязательно прибавят в весе.

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    Electronics in America usually costs less, especially from Apple . And the fastest and cheapest delivery from American stores to Russia is at Bandera . By registering on this link , you get a 7% discount on the first delivery of any purchases from the United States.



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