exactly baltimore.
every item you purchase, no matter where, has their national taxes included.
if I buy a pair of jeans in the usa, I pay their taxes (within the price) plus tax rate for my own country. (19% in germany below 175euro)
every item you import to your country must be duty paid essentially.
I would suggest that you inform yourself about your local import taxes and conditions first.
what you have written sounds pretty bad.
198 total - 25 shipping - 105 jeans = 68 euro taxes only
68/130*100 = 52,31%
so you have to pay 52,31% taxes on imported clothes with a value of 130euro.
thats damn expensive.
but note that it could be various for other things.
a notebook maybe got a different percentage cause its an other category.
so check your customs center for more information.
additionally I have to say that even gift marked deliveries are not tax free.(at least here in germany)
below 45euro gift parcels are tax free but over 45euro you have to pay 17,5% of the declared value on the customs decleration.
thats why its so important that you inform yourself cause I can only say how the terms are in my country.
if the customs dont trust your information, they are investigating on their own about the current market value of your imported item,.
Edited by Der_Knechter666 - 5/31/11 at 9:38am