4 ms·

> I guess we should thank apple for not allowing different pricing in different regions. Apple lets me pay 699 Euro (http://store.apple.com/de/buy-iphone/iphon

by kekub 12y ago

> I guess we should thank apple for not allowing different pricing in different regions. Apple lets me pay 699 Euro (http://store.apple.com/de/buy-iphone/iphone5s http://store.apple.com/de/buy-iphone/iphone5s) in Germany vs 649$ (http://store.apple.com/us/buy-iphone/iphone5s http://store.apple.com/us/buy-iphone/iphone5s) in the US.

hbbio 12y ago
Just a reminder in this case: EU prices include the VAT (near 20% in many cases), while in the US the state tax (often 10%) is not included in public prices.
- masklinn 12y ago
  Except 1 EUR = 1.31 USD right now, so even with a 19% VAT, the EUR value should be lower than USD: $649 + 19% VAT is 588€ not 699. 19% european surcharge on top of the VAT.
  - Cthulhu_ 12y ago
    How about import taxes then? I can imagine Apple is a US company and thus pays either no or very little import tax when they get their shipments from the production facilities in China, but to get it to Europe costs more money. I can imagine. I know nothing.
    - masklinn 12y ago
      No import taxes on laptops or cell phones in the EU.
      - giovannibajo1 12y ago
        My hypothesis has always been that Apple charges the whole country-wide infrastructure (retail, marketing, etc.) on products, while in US (where it would be harder/impossible to split nation-wide efforts from world-wide efforts) this is not being done. This also accounts for different prices in different European countries; e.g.: the cost of making business is very high in Italy (high salary taxes, high network costs, impossible to fire/sack people, etc.) so they make their products cost more in Italy to account for the additional costs of running operations there.
        masklinn 12y ago
        > My hypothesis has always been that Apple charges the whole country-wide infrastructure (retail, marketing, etc.) on products There's no Apple retail or marketing in Belgium.
- Destitute 12y ago
  There is no state sales tax that is 10%. If you combine city, county, and state sales tax, you get 10% in just two cities in the entire United States (both in Alabama).
  - PinguTS 12y ago
    That tells me, that there are at least 8 cities: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sales_taxes_in_the_United_States#Summary_table http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sales_taxes_in_the_United_State...

by kekub 12y ago

hbbio 12y ago

Just a reminder in this case: EU prices include the VAT (near 20% in many cases), while in the US the state tax (often 10%) is not included in public prices.

masklinn 12y ago
Except 1 EUR = 1.31 USD right now, so even with a 19% VAT, the EUR value should be lower than USD: $649 + 19% VAT is 588€ not 699. 19% european surcharge on top of the VAT.
- Cthulhu_ 12y ago
  How about import taxes then? I can imagine Apple is a US company and thus pays either no or very little import tax when they get their shipments from the production facilities in China, but to get it to Europe costs more money. I can imagine. I know nothing.
  - masklinn 12y ago
    No import taxes on laptops or cell phones in the EU.
    - giovannibajo1 12y ago
      My hypothesis has always been that Apple charges the whole country-wide infrastructure (retail, marketing, etc.) on products, while in US (where it would be harder/impossible to split nation-wide efforts from world-wide efforts) this is not being done. This also accounts for different prices in different European countries; e.g.: the cost of making business is very high in Italy (high salary taxes, high network costs, impossible to fire/sack people, etc.) so they make their products cost more in Italy to account for the additional costs of running operations there.
      - masklinn 12y ago
        > My hypothesis has always been that Apple charges the whole country-wide infrastructure (retail, marketing, etc.) on products There's no Apple retail or marketing in Belgium.
Destitute 12y ago
There is no state sales tax that is 10%. If you combine city, county, and state sales tax, you get 10% in just two cities in the entire United States (both in Alabama).
- PinguTS 12y ago
  That tells me, that there are at least 8 cities: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sales_taxes_in_the_United_States#Summary_table http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sales_taxes_in_the_United_State...