Normally when you export, the taxes are all for the receiptiant. So, yes, you'll have to pay USA tax rates for that shipment. Although many people do it this way: go buy stuff in Germany (9% tax on everything, 21% here in belgium) and they just take it back. I don't think that's completely legal, but who cares? It's way cheaper

I would guess the destination country will be responsible for taxes. Like when you import goods from the US into the UK, you have to pay UK VAT & customs fees (if the silly plonker didn't mark it as a gift ), but you don't pay the local sales tax from where you purchased in the US.

Quote from Rtsbasic :

I would guess the destination country will be responsible for taxes. Like when you import goods from the US into the UK, you have to pay UK VAT & customs fees (if the silly plonker didn't mark it as a gift ), but you don't pay the local sales tax from where you purchased in the US.

Whether they mark it as a gift or not makes no difference. If it's worth over £30, you're supposed to pay tax on it.

I've had packages come through marked as a $180 gift as "toy car parts" before with no fees..

Depends on who's on duty at customs when it comes through, and what kind of day they've been having :P
I've ordered DVDs from the US and had no tax asked for when it came in.
And also been hit for the tax on other DVD orders when they arrived.
Sometimes customs check, sometimes they don't.

Popular workaround (done with certain eBay sellers..)

Purchase in US -> ship to Germany (9% tax) ->ship to UK...NO TAX coz coming from EU country!

That way can get legit versions of XP Pro for a not-so-extortionate price

Sorta stuffed if you don't know anyone that could forward it on in Germany though..