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PS4 Brazil Importation costs revealed. Taxes say Olá!! ($1161.53 USD in taxes!)

Shinriji

Member
The thing is that some big retailers will cut the middleman (Sony Brazil) and reduce the price A LOT. There is so many things wrong with this price breakout, but fuck them. Gonna pay $399 some months from now.
 
MS is making the Xbox One in Brazil (Manaus) so that could explain less taxes.

However it does not explain why Sony was able to launch the PS Vita bundle (wifi model + 4GB card + ModNation Racers) in Brazil at the price of R$ 1.600 last year and now the price of PS4, which should be less than the double of such kit, is announced at R$ 4.000 (no the exchange rate is not an excuse, it did not changed that much).
 
I'm guessing this is why Sony went out of their way to announce that they were in the process of setting up manufacturing in Brazil. Import taxes are killer.
 

BigDug13

Member
MS is making the Xbox One in Brazil (Manaus) so that could explain less taxes.

However it does not explain why Sony was able to launch the PS Vita bundle (wifi model + 4GB card + ModNation Racers) in Brazil at the price of R$ 1.600 last year and now the price of PS4, which should be less than the double of such kit, is announced at R$ 4.000 (no the exchange rate is not an excuse, it did not changed that much).

Maybe the Vita was able to be classified as a different type of device with a different tax rate than a full fledged game console? Maybe Vita is getting a similar tax treatment as an iPhone or something.
 

ethomaz

Banned
Couldn't the XBO have been classified as not a console since that would give it a lower tax rate. Alternatively they have it shipping mostly complete and are assembling it somewhat in Brazil. Not full production but partial assembly that would reduce the tax burden.

Or there is some giant conspiracy theory and they are getting extra taxes because they pissed off the wrong Brazilian official.
First the Xbone is imported with box and everything else.... there are plan for the future to manufacture here like have plans to PS4 too.

If Xbone is not a console what is it?

PC tech have IPI at 20%... consoles have IPI at 50%... even so the difference is too big to compensate that 30% difference into IPI.

IPI for electronics like DVD-player is 15%.
 
I'm guessing this is why Sony went out of their way to announce that they were in the process of setting up manufacturing in Brazil. Import taxes are killer.

it's not import taxes. cars in brazil, for example, cost 10x what their equivalent models cost in the us. it's still going to cost 1500 usd at best once it's manufactured there
 

Makai

Member
Can anybody explain why these taxes are in place?
Protectionism. Competition from foreign industries reduces the probability of the same industries from popping up in Brazil. Originally put into place to foster the development of local auto industry (from recall, not researched. May be incorrect). Of course, regional game consoles might not make a lot of sense. But then again, modern game consoles provide other services (telecom?) that might threaten fledgling companies in Brazil.
 

Wereroku

Member
First the Xbone is imported with box and everything else.... there are plan for the future to manufacture here like have plans to PS4 too.

If Xbone is not a console what is it?

PC tech have IPI at 20%... consoles have IPI at 50%... even so the difference is too big to compensate that 30% difference into IPI.

IPI for electronics like DVD-player is 15%.
How do you know they are importing the xbox fully produced? Has Microsoft put our a press sheet to that effect?
 
This is beyond insane. I suspect corporate greed is behind this on some level, given how Sony is already selling PS4 at loss(?) in the rest of the world but could cash in on Brazil relatively easily and pass it off as taxes - or it simply is a matter of manufacturing and import. Microsoft likely already has the infrastructure in place to sell their consoles at a competitive price. The way things are shaping up, if Sony doesn't figure out how to fix this - and soon, I might add - then they're about to lose significant territory in a economically booming country.

Then again, they're still shipping to over double the amount of countries Microsoft is. Whether that will translate into sales is questionable but it certainly wouldn't hurt them that much if they were to lose out in Brazil.
 

hesido

Member
The government thinks Brazillian people are mis-represented in video games, hence the incredible taxes on console goods.

Super_Blanka.png

blanka.png
 

ethomaz

Banned
How do you know they are importing the xbox fully produced? Has Microsoft put our a press sheet to that effect?
Every news about Xbone says it is imported... there is no work about production here.... and when a company start to manufacture something here they need to say that (via press release).
 
Show me other :)

People have suggested others that sound plausible, like different tax classifications, or how about that Brazil might have a deal with MS in regard to lowering taxes and tariffs on MS products to help promote more technology and investment entering the country (For business and development reasons, not entertainment; that's just a side effect here). I don't pretend to know much about the Brazilian tax code, but given my experience with the US tax code, I'd venture to guess there are more ways to explain the discrepancy than, "Company A is committing a felony," or "Company B is lying."

So MS is GENIUS? Stop buying these figures. They are TOTAL BULLSHIT.

So MS is having the biggest lose per console in it's history, or Sony is lying. Retailer mark up at 15% is actually kinda low, how are other technology retailers there?

While it is nice to see everything as diametric opposites, the law of international trade and taxes is not black and white.
 

Tecl0n

Member
So MS is having the biggest lose per console in its history, or Sony is lying. Retailer mark up at 15% is actually kinda low, how are other technology retailers there?
 
Looks like I'm skipping yet another console generation. I was VERY excited about PS4, Sony seemed to be doing everything right... until they announce the price for Brazil. This is an insult. I could import, but honestly, this is so frustrating that I'm not willing to do that. And I'm not interested in the XBone.
 

Shinriji

Member
This is beyond insane. I suspect corporate greed is behind this on some level, given how Sony is already selling PS4 at loss(?) in the rest of the world but could cash in on Brazil relatively easily and pass it off as taxes - or it simply is a matter of manufacturing and import. Microsoft likely already has the infrastructure in place to sell their consoles at a competitive price. The way things are shaping up, if Sony doesn't figure out how to fix this - and soon, I might add - then they're about to lose significant territory in a economically booming country.

Then again, they're still shipping to over double the amount of countries Microsoft is. Whether that will translate into sales is questionable but it certainly wouldn't hurt them that much if they were to lose out in Brazil.

The thing is: only last year, Sony began the production of the PS3 in Brazil. A LOT of money was spend building the prodution chains, distribution centers, training and all the shit. There is no interest in selling the PS4 right now, none. They will forge as many excel spreadsheets to justify the PS4 and say "Hey, while you can't buy the PS4, how about a brazilian made PS3?".
 

iammeiam

Member
Are there any consumer electronics in Brazil with similar price inflation? Everything I've seen comparable comes in cheaper. Either the numbers are suspect, everyone else is eating massive losses on everything to sell in Brazil, or Sony's PS4 strategy is somehow fucked. The situation is weird.
 

Wereroku

Member
Every news about Xbone says it is imported... there is no work about production here.... and when a company start to manufacture something here they need to say that (via press release).
We are talking about 2 different things here they may not be producing them in Brazil but they may be assembling them there. They could be importing them in a mostly complete state and doing final assembly at a small operation. This would reduce the taxable rate since it would be qualified as material imports instead of a completed product.
 

Ricker

Member
And I thought our Federal and Provincial taxes up here in the Province of Quebec where high...jesus christ,is everything taxed like that or just electronics stuff..,? that is almost highway robbery for you guys :(
 

ethomaz

Banned
People have suggested others that sound plausible, like different tax classifications, or how about that Brazil might have a deal with MS in regard to lowering taxes and tariffs on MS products to help promote more technology and investment entering the country (For business and development reasons, not entertainment; that's just a side effect here). I don't pretend to know much about the Brazilian tax code, but given my experience with the US tax code, I'd venture to guess there are more ways to explain the discrepancy than, "Company A is committing a felony," or "Company B is lying."
The only tax based in the type of product is IPI... everything else is fixed or based in what state you live.

IPI tax

PC (< R$3000): 15%
PC: 20%
Electronics (like TV, DVD-player): 15%
Videogames: 50%

Even if MS is using the PC below R$3000 the difference of R$2000 is so BIG enough to deny that fact alone.
 

ethomaz

Banned
We are talking about 2 different things here they may not be producing them in Brazil but they may be assembling them there. They could be importing them in a mostly complete state and doing final assembly at a small operation. This would reduce the taxable rate since it would be qualified as material imports instead of a completed product.
There is no production in Brasil for any console.

They import the part and just mount here... that's what is called production of PS360 here.

The PS4 and Xbone are imported with box and everything else.
 

Desaan

Member
Corrupt government run by cartels. Price fixing is rampant, just look at the Siemens story from a few months ago.
 

ethomaz

Banned
Like I said earlier, and you clearly misread; what if Microsoft is manufacturing parts in Brazil, but not the entire console.
Ok.

I think there are a big confusion with "Sony is manufacturing PS3 in Brazil / MS is manufacturing 360 in Brazil".

First... no component part is manufacture here... only the case, box and manuals are made here... everything else is imported (CPU, GPU, Motherboard, Memory, etc).

So the consoles are mounted here... not manufactured at all.

Now to make this clear:

PS360 = Mounted here (what they says manufactured)

PS4 / Xbone = Imported

;)
 

Frodo

Member
MS is making the Xbox One in Brazil (Manaus) so that could explain less taxes.

However it does not explain why Sony was able to launch the PS Vita bundle (wifi model + 4GB card + ModNation Racers) in Brazil at the price of R$ 1.600 last year and now the price of PS4, which should be less than the double of such kit, is announced at R$ 4.000 (no the exchange rate is not an excuse, it did not changed that much).

NO, IT IS NOT.

And for those of you who can read Portguese, Kotaku has an analyst analysing those numbers and the final numbers seem very dodgy.

Big fat lie if you ask me. Time for Microsoft to release a breakdown of the taxes they are paying so we can compare.
 

Wereroku

Member
There is no production in Brasil for any console.

They import the part and just mount here... that's what is called production of PS360 here.

The PS4 and Xbone are imported with box and everything else.
You keep making assumptions where is your proof?
 
The only tax based in the type of product is IPI... everything else is fixed or based in what state you live.

IPI tax

PC (< R$3000): 15%
PC: 20%
Electronics (like TV, DVD-player): 15%
Videogames: 50%

Even if MS is using the PC below R$3000 the difference of R$2000 is so BIG enough to deny that fact alone.

It may well be that those taxes break down like that, and the product classification isn't the factor that can explain the discrepancy. As I said, I don't know.

What I am saying is that given how complex the tax code is in most countries, to say nothing of the complications of throwing international trade into the mix, there are probably a large number of factors at play that we aren't considering (Alternative agreements, subsiding, differential treatment of goods coming from one country vs. another (Though I don't know what the WTO status of something like that would be)) . So I would neither jump to MS breaking the law nor Sony lying to consumers as the reason for the difference. Too little information to be jumping to either conclusion.
 

ethomaz

Banned
You keep making assumptions where is your proof?
Ohhhh god I live here... I read every piece of news about the consoles... and I know you can't mount a console here without the government allow that.

There is not Xbox One production/manufacture/mount here.
 

Dunan

Member
63 % tax ? HOLY COW!

It's much worse that that -- 63% of the total is made up of taxes, but to calculate the tax rate the standard way, you divide the total tax by the base (after-retailer-markup) price: 2524/1735 = 145.5%

For comparison, in a US state with 5% sales tax, that number is 20/399 = 5%.

And the Brazilian government is even increasing their tax in a sneaky way: note that the "distributor margin" is required by law to be 20% or more, with taxes calculated on top of that. So even if Sony refunds the entire distributor margin as a special "discount", that comes at the very end, after taxes have been charged on that bumped-up retail price.

Were it not for that law, the only elements of the pre-tax price would be 858 + 618, or 1476 reais. Apply the total tax of 145.5% to that, and you get 3624 reais instead of 3999. Brazil's "minimum distributor margin", which Sony isn't even taking, is being used to artificially inflate an already-heinous tax rate to something even more disgusting.
 

elty

Member
I guess since tax and margin is a factor on the original price, MS can get fewer price by simply declaring lower value at import.

If MS declared Xbox One is a TV set top box that cost $250 USD, then after all these tax and margin it will be $500 USD.
 

ethomaz

Banned
I guess since tax and margin is a factor on the original price, MS can get fewer price by simply declaring lower value at import.

If MS declared Xbox One is a TV set top box that cost $250 USD, then after all these tax and margin it will be $500 USD.
Illegal... just to point... that the first option I said but I can't believe MS will try to do that.

That's what all gray market importers do... so in the gray market you can already find PS4 pre order at less than R$1800.
 
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