The Government established a new tax scheme after the elimination of the PAIS Tax, maintaining the 30% surcharge but introducing relevant changes in its scope and application. The measure was formalized through General Resolution 5617/2024, published this Thursday in the Official Gazette. In this context, it is important to know, What exchange rate applies to those who make purchases abroad through digital platforms?
According to the new regulations, the dollar that applies is the “tourist dollar/card dollar” made up of the official dollar (BNA) at $1,042, plus a 60% surcharge that corresponds to 30% (RG 5617) and 30 % advance of Earnings. This gives a final exchange rate that is finally $1,355.
According to the Resolution issued by ARCA, this 30% perception that appears after the elimination of the PAIS tax, is “include purchases made on portals or virtual sites and any other form of distance purchasing.
In addition, it must be remembered that the Government had also changed the regime for small shipments for personal imports via courier since December, expanding the limit of shipments of eventual imports from US$1,000 to US$3,000 per package, implementing a tariff exemption up to US$400 for imports for personal use (only VAT is paid).
Another item to take into account is that Purchases outside must be paid in a single installmentsince the Central Bank prohibited financing for consumption abroad at the end of 2021. On the other hand, those carried out in places in Argentina can be financed in up to 9 or 12 payments.
Shopping abroad: what products should be bought after the tax reduction
A private survey yielded relevant data on the price differences between products purchased on platforms such as Amazon that gives an idea of which ones are best to purchase abroad.
The report belongs to Ecosur whose conclusion was that importing goods from abroad via courier would be cheaper in 88% of the cases analyzed, according to values measured in MEP dollars.
On average, the prices of the products surveyed are 40% cheaper by bringing them in from outside compared to local stores. This percentage increases significantly in categories such as technology, where some articles reach differences of up to 73%.
What products should be bought abroad?
Electronic products led the largest price differences. On average, Purchasing devices in this category on Amazon would be 50% cheaper than buying them in local stores.
- Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro 2: the price showed a difference of 73%representing the greatest savings among the products surveyed.
- iPhone 16 PROMAX: the cost of the device turned out to be 71% lower when acquiring it abroad.
- Garmin watch: This article presented a difference from the 63%.
- Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 and A9+: the tablets of this brand showed differences in 59.3% and 54.1%respectively.
- Notebooks: Lenovo Ideapad, Acer Aspire and ASUS Vivobook models showed price differences from 56%, 56.1% and 48.6%respectively.
- Sony WH-1000XM5 Headphones: Buyers could save a 59.4% by bringing them from outside.
The survey also indicated that certain products presented lower savings, such as Nespresso coffee machine (-7.6%) or the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 (-20.5%), but they continued to be cheaper when imported.
In the category of dress, The average savings were around 25%, although some garments reached differences of over 70%.
Among the products with the greatest discounts, the following stand out:
- Adicolor Classics Jacket: recorded a saving of 72.1%, topping the list in the clothing segment.
- Columbia Softshell Jacket: presented a difference of 64.6% compared to the price in Argentina.
- Levi’s Premium Jeans: They offered a saving of 57% when purchased abroad.
- Under Armor training sweatshirt: It cost 39.4% less than in local stores.
- Adidas Essentials T-shirt: showed a difference of 28%, while the Adidas Argentina T-shirt reached 9.9%.
However, not all clothing items were cheaper. For example, the Adidas Originals Gazelle were 11.1% more expensive, and t-shirts Under Armor showed an increase of 4.4%.
Source: Ambito
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
