FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Slightly OT: Effect of wine tax cut on duty free limits?
Old Mar 3, 2008 | 9:20 pm
  #11  
QRC3288
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Join Date: Nov 2007
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Yea, Watson's prices are still expensive and haven't reflected a full "duty-less" discount. I went in the other day: Watson's is making the argument that they've paid duty for most of the wine in their stores since it was already imported BEFORE the duty was eliminated. I'm not really sure when they actually assess the duties...if they imported them two weeks ago, and HKIRD actually does assess duty prior to sale for end-merchants, then I guess Watson's is telling the truth. But I also suspect Watson's and other end-retailers of really expensive products may have some type of inventory agreement with the IRD which basically allows them to only pay duty on the wine sold, as sometimes (particularly with cheaper wine) they have agreements with the vineyards which allows them to return unsold product.
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