Are Taxes included in the price we see on Apple.de?

Are Taxes included in the price we see on apple.de

You refer to Apple's German online store. Prices in all of Europe, and indeed most of the world, include a sales tax.

The Pricing and Payments page in the Your Europe website - an official European Union website - confirms this:

When you buy goods or services in the EU, you have to be clearly informed about the total price, including all taxes and additional charges.

For those of us who have these conditions, seeing a price tag which is not the ultimate price paid because it lacks taxes or other charges seems bizarre, confusing and inefficient.

The prices in retail stores, including the Apple Stores, in territories such as Europe and here in Australia, have sales taxes added before the customer sees the product, not at the final point of sale, and here, at least, it's a requirement.

I've just bought an item tonight on my local Apple online store and the stated price carried through to the sale. The receipt also stated the sales tax component of the price which is (here) 10% on top of the price the retailer has set, or 1/11.

It's the American custom - or necessity - to add the sales tax at the end of the process.

Are Taxes included in the price we see on apple.de?

They cannot be since Apple does not know your location at that point, so, logically, they are usually not included unless it specifically states that they are including the Mehrwertsteuer.

You will usually see the retail price; once you add it to your shopping cart and start the check out, the taxes should be added automatically pertaining to your country/address you used.

It is difficult to be precise on these questions unless you reside in the same country as the person asking and I've started referring them to Apple on some legal questions because they should get such answers directly from the source. I am no longer up to date on all things German/European unfortunately.

You may be able to get additional information by asking in Apple's German-language user-to-user forums here:

Offizielle Apple Support Community

It's a necessity because there are 50 states = 50 different percentages for sales taxes; e.g. the state of Oregon has none, the neighboring state of Washington has different amounts for different cities/counties (8.6 - 9+ %).

So you are saying that the Mehrwertsteuer is the same for Germany as it would be, say,, Spain or any other EU country? Interesting. I buy a fair amount of consumer goods ordered and shipped directy from Germany and some say plus VAT depending on destination.

I'll bow to your experience, which seems to be VAT-free because you are exporting it from Europe? This used to happen for purchases from Australia, but in recent years our tax regulation changed and the government negotiated with the authorities in other territories to impose a GST to replicate it being bought domestically. Prior to that I when I bought items from Europe the consumption tax was dropped at the checkout. That does not happen now, but that's just for us.

I'd add only that the Apple store(s) don't ship beyond their territory. However, I can't see if the apple.de will ship elsewhere in Europe or not - or in other words what is their "territory". I had assumed not, but if they do - and if the other stores do likewise - then they would have to have some way of changing the tax based on delivery address because I've found today that there isn't a single VAT rate in EU countries. So in that regard the question from the OP hinges on whether or not Apple Germany deliver to, say, France. It would be in the store help somewhere but my German is nicht so gut.