New Grand Duchess Elisabeth photo album [in Russian, 2007]

[Alixz]

Marlene,

I have purchased many things from Europe.  One of my favorites is from an artist name Rosa Wachtmeister.  She does cute and quirky cat pictures and sculptures that are called "Picasso Cats" for the way that their heads are shaped.

Most times the seller will remove the VAT but once a seller would not as she told me that they were a very small business and therefore needed to collect it.

Can you tell me, what is the VAT? (I have not asked the various sellers as they are mostly German speaking and I am doing well enough to translate the order forms and confirmations, but not enough to ask a complicated question like that.)  Also, others of us who do not live in Europe might like to know what it is and whether or not we should be paying it.

I know it is a percentage (something like 19%) but what does VAT stand for and why is it collected?

Thanks,
Alixz

[Marlene]

Value Added Tax.   Here in the USA, we have sales tax, and the rate depends on where you live because states and cites make decisions about such taxes - and depending where you live, a sales tax can be added to a variety of things.  In NJ, there is no sales tax on clothes or shoes.  Here in VA, sales tax is on just about everything you buy -- and it is added at the sale.  VAT is built into the price of the item and VAT is much higher than even our highest sales tax.  Each country has its own VAT  - and 15=18%  is the norm.  If you buy from certain stores in the UK and spend a certain amount of money, you fill out special forms and post them at the airport and then you get the VAT back ...

Marlene,

I have purchased many things from Europe.  One of my favorites is from an artist name Rosa Wachtmeister.  She does cute and quirky cat pictures and sculptures that are called "Picasso Cats" for the way that their heads are shaped.

Most times the seller will remove the VAT but once a seller would not as she told me that they were a very small business and therefore needed to collect it.

Can you tell me, what is the VAT? (I have not asked the various sellers as they are mostly German speaking and I am doing well enough to translate the order forms and confirmations, but not enough to ask a complicated question like that.)  Also, others of us who do not live in Europe might like to know what it is and whether or not we should be paying it.

I know it is a percentage (something like 19%) but what does VAT stand for and why is it collected?

Thanks,
Alixz

[Alixz]

Marlene - thank you.

Is it something that is supposed to give a level playing field to businesses of different sizes in the different countries in Europe?  Or is it just a revenue producer like the state sales tax we pay here in the states?

[Marlene]

the main difference between VAT and a sales tax is that the VAT is added at each part of the production.  Sales tax is added at the end at the sale.  In Denmark, VAT is 25% -- Luxembourg's is 15%  Britain is I think 17.5% ... Finland is 22% ... so products are going to be higher  -- because the taxation is higher along the way.
The final price at the store includes the VAT

Marlene - thank you.

Is it something that is supposed to give a level playing field to businesses of different sizes in the different countries in Europe?  Or is it just a revenue producer like the state sales tax we pay here in the states?

[ragnel]

ANOTHER BOOK SOURCE:  In the back of the book, there is a website listed.  If you go to www.spasnanovom.ru/books, the photo album is shown on the second page.  If you read Russian, this book is here with others.

CURRENCY CONVERSION:  Google a currency converter to find the ratio between dollars to euros.  Today, April 7, 2009, it's $1 = 1.33 Euros. 

[ragnel]

Paul Gilbert, Gilbert's Royal Books, translated the publisher of this book as:  Novosspassky Monastery, in Moscow.  FYI.

[Sarai_Porretta]

For those of us who ordered this book from the shop in Estonia, I got this e-mail from them today:
--------------------
Unfortunately the following book from your orders will not arrive on
promised date. The order for this book is recorded and we will let you know
when it arrives.

"Svjataja prepodobnomuchenitsa Velikaja Knjaginja Elizaveta Fedorovna.
Fotoalbom"
ISBN: 9785873890378
Ordered: 27.03.2009, Order number: 068288
Status: Sent out by the publisher 16/04/2009
----------------------
Well I'm glad at least they're keeping me updated.

[Alixz]

I got the same thing.  But if the publisher sent it out on 04/16/09 didn't the book store say two weeks from the publisher to them and then four weeks to us?

[Marlene]

Me too   At least, our orders have been acknowledged.

I got the same thing.  But if the publisher sent it out on 04/16/09 didn't the book store say two weeks from the publisher to them and then four weeks to us?

[Sarai_Porretta]

Got another message from Krisostomus (Estonian bookshop) that the book has arrived and will be shipped to me shortly. However the final price is different than the 36,81 EUR they originally quoted. It is now 43,99 EUR, which when you do the math is really what it should have been in the first place, so I guess they caught their mistake. Works out to about $10 more than originally stated but it is still one of the cheaper prices out there for this book so I am satisfied. Now let's see how long it takes for us to receive it in the mail.

[Marlene]

Me, too, Me too  Got the email this morning about the book being sent by post. 

[Alixz]

I got my email and they told me that my card had expired.  Well what did they expect - taking so long to get it to me??

So I sent them the updated information and they told me it would cost $59.82 USD.  Or 43,99 Euro.

[Svetabel]

I got my email and they told me that my card had expired.  Well what did they expect - taking so long to get it to me??

So I sent them the updated information and they told me it would cost $59.82 USD.  Or 43,99 Euro.

Here in Russia it costs about 30-35 Euro. So the prices are reasonable, at least that's not EBAY's crazy auction...

[Alixz]

The 43,99 includes the shipping and handling so the price is very close to the Russian price.

eBay was crazy, but Gilberts was worse, I think he wanted $150 USD the book and then another $15 for shipping and handling!

[Sarai_Porretta]

Yay, got the book in the mail today! That was pretty fast considering where it's coming from. I am so pleased that they came through, everything is perfect and what a great price.