Upper-Intermediate - Dodging Hong Kong Sales Tax

(D1593)

A: 我下个礼拜去香港扫货，你们要带什么吗？
wǒ xià ge lı̌bài qù Xiānggǎng sǎohuò, nı̌men yào dài shén-
me ma?
I’m going to Hong Kong for a little shopping spree next
week. Do you want me to get you anything?

B: 现在去香港买东西开始征税了，你还去？
xiànzài qù Xiānggǎng mǎi dōngxi kāishı̌ zhēngshuı̀ le, nı̌ hái
qù?
They started levying taxes on goods bought in Hong Kong
now. You’re still going?

A: 我查过了，五千块以上才开始征税。我就买些化
妆品，衣服什么的，应该不会超过。而且据说只
对电子产品查得严，其他的很容易蒙混过关。
wǒ chá guo le, wǔ qiān kuài yı̌shàng cái kāishı̌ zhēngshuı̀.
wǒ jiù mǎi xiē huàzhuāngpı̌n, yı̄fu shénme de, yı̄nggāi bùhuı̀
chāoguò. érqiě jùshuō zhı̌ duı̀ diànzı̌ chǎnpı̌n chá de yán,
qı́tā de hěn róngyı̀ ménghùnguòguān.
I looked into it. They only levy taxes when it’s about 5,000
kuai. I’m just going to buy some cosmetics, clothes, etc. I
don’t think I’ll go over. Also, I heard they’re only strict about
electronics. Other things are really easy to sneak in.

C: 哎，你们谁要去香港啊？帮我带台iPad。现在是
年末大甩卖，听说只要三千多。
Visit the Online Review and Discussion (text version). 2011
c Praxis Language Ltd.
 āi, nı̌men shéi yào qù Xiānggǎng a? bāng wǒ dài tái iPad.
xiànzài shı̀ niánmò dàshuǎimài, tı̄ngshuō zhı̌ yào sānqiān
duō.
Hey, who’s going to Hong Kong? Get me an iPad. It’s the
end of the year clearance. I heard they’re only a little over
3,000.

B: iPad属 于 电 子 产 品 ， 你 不 是 自 己 往 枪 杆 子 上 撞
吗？
iPad shǔyú diànzı̌ chǎnpı̌n, nı̌ bùshı̀ zı̀jı̌ wǎng qiānggǎnzi
shàng zhuàng ma?
iPads count as electronics. Wouldn’t that be asking for it?

A: 是啊。本来好多朋友都找我代购。可是iPad不管
买入的实际价格是多少，一律按五千块来征税。
光税就要一千多。还不如在上海买。
shı̀ a. běnlái hǎo duō péngyou dōu zhǎo wǒ dàigòu. kěshı̀
iPad bùguǎn mǎirù de shı́jı̀ jiàgé shı̀ duōshao, yı̄lü ù àn wǔ
qiān kuài lái zhēngshuı̀. guāng shuı̀ jiù yào yı̄ qiān duō. hái
bùrú zài Shànghǎi mǎi.
That’s right. Originally a bunch of my friends wanted me to
buy things for them. For the iPad though, no matter how
much you actually paid for it, it’s taxed as though it was
5,000 kuai - no exceptions. The tax alone is more than
1,000. It’s better to buy it in Shanghai.

B: 哇塞，海关也太黑了吧！
wāsāi, hǎiguān yě tài hēi le ba!

Visit the Online Review and Discussion (text version). 2011

c Praxis Language Ltd.
 Wow, customs are so corrupt!

A: 他们说是为了打击走私，我看其实是想多征些
税。
tāmen shuō shı̀ wèile dǎjı̄ zǒusı̄, wǒ kàn qı́shı́ shı̀ xiǎng duō
zhēng xiē shuı̀.
They say it’s to fight smuggling, but I think it’s actually that
they want to levy some more taxes.

C: 没关系，我已经想好避税的方法了。
méiguānxi, wǒ yı̌jı̄ng xiǎng hǎo bı̀shuı̀ de fāngfǎ le.
It’s all good. I’ve already thought of a way to avoid the taxes.

A: 什么方法？说来听听。
shénme fāngfǎ? shuō lai tı̄ng ting.
What way is that? Let us hear it.

C: 我 让 香 港 的 朋 友 先 帮 我 买 好iPad， 然 后 把 机 器
编号告诉我。我呢，就去淘宝上买个iPad仿真模
型，把真机的编号印在模型上。出境的时候，就
可以带着模型申报出境。等拿到真机之后凭申报
单据就能回来了。一毛税也不用交。

Visit the Online Review and Discussion (text version). 2011

c Praxis Language Ltd.
 wǒ ràng Xiānggǎng de péngyou xiān bāng wǒ mǎi hǎo iPad,
ránhòu bǎ jı̄qı̀ biānhào gàosu wǒ. wǒ ne, jiù qù Táobǎo
shàng mǎi ge iPad fǎngzhēn móxı́ng, bǎ zhēnjı̄ de biānhào
yı̀n zài móxı́ng shàng. chūjı̀ng de shı́hou, jiù kěyı̌ dài zhe
móxı́ng shēnbào chūjı̀ng. děng ná dào zhēnjı̄ zhı̄hòu pı́ng
shēnbào dānjù jiù néng huı́lai le. yı̄ máo shuı̀ yě bùyòng
jiāo.
First, I’ll have my friend in Hong Kong buy an iPad for me
and tell me the serial number. Me? I’ll go on Taobao and
buy a replica iPad and print the real serial number onto it.
When you leave the mainland, you can bring the fake one
and declare that. Once you get the real iPad, you can use
the declaration form when you return. You won’t have to pay
one mao in taxes.

B: 牛！这方法也想得出来。
niú! zhè fāngfǎ yě xiǎng de chūlai.
Impressive! Coming up with something like that.

C: 还不是被逼的。
hái bùshı̀ bèi bı̄ de.
It’s not like I had a choice.

Key Vocabulary

扫货 sǎohuò to go on a shopping
spree

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 征税 zhēngshuı̀ to levy taxes

据说 jùshuō ’it’s said’

电子产品 diànzı̌ chǎnpı̌n electronic product

严 yán strict, severe

蒙混过关 ménghùnguò- to slip by under false

guān pretenses

大甩卖 dàshuǎimài big clearance

属于 shǔyú to belong to

往枪杆子 wǎng qiānggǎnzi to put oneself in an ob-

上撞 shàng zhuàng viously dangerous sit-
uation

代购 dàigòu to buy on someone’s

behalf

买入 mǎirù to buy

一律 yı̄lü
ù without exception

不如 bùrú not as good as

黑 hēi corrupt, seedy

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 打击 dǎjı̄ to attack

走私 zǒusı̄ smuggling

避税 bı̀shuı̀ to dodge taxes

编号 biānhào serial number

仿真 fǎngzhēn imitation

模型 móxı́ng model

真机 zhēnjı̄ real machine or device

出境 chūjı̀ng to leave the country

申报 shēnbào to declare

凭 pı́ng on the basis of

单据 dānjù form representing a

transaction of some
kind

牛 niú impressive, awesome

想得出来 xiǎng de chūlai to be able to come up

with

逼 bı̄ to force

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Supplementary Vocabulary

交税 jiāoshuı̄ to pay taxes

障碍 zhàng’ài to obstruct

代替 dàitı̀ to substitute for

购买 gòumǎi to purchase, to buy

例外 lı̀wài exception

避免 bı̀miǎn to avoid

序列号 xùlièhào serial number

国境 guójı̀ng national territory

凭借 pı́ngjiè to rely upon

偷税 tōushuı̀ to evade taxes

漏税 lòushuı̀ to evade taxes

逃税 táoshuı̀ to evade taxes

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