"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 nearing - 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 the skeptics. The company did not receive such an advantage as in the smartphone market.



But it is also not a failure. Since 2015, Apple has sold 32 million Apple Watch. The first models were selling even better than the last new product from Apple - the first iPhone. In the current quarter, the company sold 2.8 million hours — a 56% increase over 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 - because of the “author's collection.”









Where the legs grow



The Ministry of Culture offered to charge the author's 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,” manufacturers 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, the producers (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 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 amount recruited quite decent. The Russian Union of Rights Holders collects from manufacturers 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 as watches, the characteristics of the Apple Watch (1.53 ″ display, sapphire crystal, magnetic clasp, dimensions) were entered. But in fact, the duty was forced to pay by other manufacturers - Samsung, Sony, LG. Because of this, before the New Year, the clock went up on average by 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 laid customs duties and several taxes. You can purchase goods directly in America or in Europe and deliver them to Russia for a couple of tens of dollars . Even for $ 50 items this often turns out to be profitable, not to mention a $ 300 watch.



Let's compare:
Apple Watch - from 22,490 rubles ($ 375) even on the site of Apple itself. In the American store, in which customers of the Parcel Package shop, the same device costs $ 269 , $ 106 cheaper. Savings on a single purchase - almost 5,000 rubles (taking into account the cost of delivery through a parcel post).



Black Apple Watch with stainless steel case - 58 thousand rubles in Russia ($ 966). In the US - $ 699. Savings - 14 500 rubles ($ 241).



Huawei Watch 2 - 22 990 thousand rubles in Russia ($ 382), on B & H - from $ 270.



Samsung Gear S3 Frontier - 24-25 thousand rubles in Russia ($ 415). In America, on Amazon - $ 293.



And this new tax has not yet been introduced. And with them the prices will definitely gain weight.



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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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