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import taxes

Is the standard portion of taxes already included in the quotation and only potential additional charges, taxes etc. may occur? Or do we need to estimate additional tax cost for sure? If yes, whats your experience when shipping to Germany?

The quick answer is: for Germany the import tax on wooden items is 0%. The VAT is 19%.
For people who want to know more: please find here the master chart:
everything you always wanted to know about import taxes … and never dared to ask!
Please note that we export wooden tubs with the following customs HS code: 4421.90

Import	HS commodity	MFN duty	Sales	Additional duties &
country	code	rate	tax	taxes
Algeria	4421.90.90	30%	17%
Andorra	4421.90.9790	0%	4.50%
Antigua And Barbuda	4421.90.90	20%	15%	Customs service tax (CST) (10% CIF)
Argentina	4421.90.00900X	35%	21%	Statistical fee (0.5% CIF)
Aruba	4421.90.20	12%	No sales tax
Australia	4421.90.0030	5%	10%	Import Processing Charge (AU$48.85)
Austria	4421.90.9790	0%	20%
Azerbaijan>	4421.90.9800	15%	18%
Azores	4421.90.9790	0%	18%
Bahrain	4421.90.99	5%	No sales tax
Bangladesh	4421.90.90	25%	15%	Supplementary Duty (SD) (0% CIFD)
				Regulatory Duty (RD) (4% (CIFD + Supplementary Duty (SD)))
				AIT(Advance Income Tax) (5% CIFD)
Barbados	4421.90.90	20%	17.50%
Belarus	4421.90.9800	10.50%	20%
Belgium	4421.90.9790	0%	21%
Belize	4421.90.90	20%	12.50%	Environmental Levy (2% CIF)
Bermuda	4421.90.0	22.25%	No sales tax
Bolivia	4421.90.90000	40%	14.94%
Bosnia And Herzegovina	4421.90.9700	5%	17%	Customs record keeping charge (1% CIF)
Botswana	4421.90.906	20%	12%
Brazil	4421.90.00	14%	Depends on province	Airport fee (50% (Storage fee + Handling fee))
				Storage fee (1% CIFD)
				Handling fee (BRL0.015 per KG)
				Declaration fee (BRL30.00)
				IPI (0% CIFD)
				PIS PASEP COFINS tax ((11.75% (CIF * (1 + ICMS%) * (Duty% + IPI% * (1 + Duty%)))) / (0.9075 * (1 – ICMS%)))
Brunei Darussalam	4421.90.99	0%	No sales tax
Bulgaria	4421.90.9790	0%	20%
Burundi	4421.90.00	25%	18%	Administrative Licence Fee (0.5% CIF)
Burundi	4421.90.00	25%	18%	Security Tax (1.15% CIF)
Cambodia	4421.90.99	15%	10%	Special tax ()
Canada	4421.90.9099	6%	Depends on province
Canary Islands	4421.90.9790	0%	3%
Cayman Islands	4421.90.00	22%	No sales tax
Chile	4421.90.90	6%	19%	Classification Charge (1% CIF)
China	4421.90.9090	0%	17%
Colombia	4421.90.9000	0%	16%
Costa Rica	4421.90.9090	14%	13%	Golfito Tax (Tourism development tax) (18% CIFD)
Costa Rica	4421.90.9090	14%	13%	Law 6946 (National Emergency Law) (1% CIFD)
Croatia	4421.90.9790	0%	25%
Cyprus	4421.90.9790	0%	19%
Czech Republic	4421.90.9790	0%	21%
Denmark	4421.90.9790	0%	25%
Dominica	4421.90.90	20%	15%	Customs service charge (3% CIF)
Dominican Republic	4421.90.90	20%	18%
Ecuador	4421.90.90	20%	12%	FodInfa (Children development fund) (0.5% CIF)
Ecuador	4421.90.90	20%	12%	ICE (Consumption Tax) (0% CIFD)
Egypt	4421.90.90	10%	10%
El Salvador	4421.90.90	15%	13%
Estonia	4421.90.9790	0%	20%
Finland	4421.90.9790	0%	24%
France	4421.90.9790	0%	20%
French Guiana	4421.90.9790	0%	No sales tax
Germany	4421.90.9790	0%	19%
Gibraltar	4421.90.000	12%	No sales tax
Greece	4421.90.9790	0%	23%
Grenada	4421.90.90	20%	15%	Customs service charge (CSC) (5% CIF)
Guadeloupe	4421.90.9790	0%	8.50%
Guatemala	4421.90.90	15%	12%
Guernsey	4421.90.9790	0%	No sales tax
Guyana	4421.90.90	20%	16%
Honduras	4421.90.9000	15%	15%
Hong Kong	4421.90.00	0%	No sales tax
Hungary	4421.90.9790	0%	27%
Iceland	4421.90.29	10%	24%
India	4421.90.90	10%	No sales tax	Landing charges (1% CIF)
				Countervailing duty (12.5% (CIFD + Landing charges))
				CESS (3% (Duty + CEX (Education & Higher Education CESS) + Countervailing duty))
				Additional Countervailing Duty (4% (CIFD + Landing charges + Countervailing duty + CESS + CEX (Education & Higher Education CESS)))
Indonesia	4421.90.9900	5%	10%	Income tax (15% CIFD)
Iran	4421.90.90	22%	8%
Ireland	4421.90.9790	0%	23%
Isle of Man	4421.90.9790	0%	20%
Israel	4421.90.90	0%	17%	Import port fee (US$50.31 Import port fee if weight more 50 kg per shipment)
Italy	4421.90.9790	0%	22%
Jamaica	4421.90.90	20%	16.50%	Standard compliance fee (SCF) (0.3% CIF)
Jamaica	4421.90.90	20%	16.50%	Environmental levy (0.5% CIF)
Japan	4421.90.999	2.90%	8%	LVS (5%)
Jersey	4421.90.9790	0%	5%
Jordan	4421.90.90	30%	16%
Kazakhstan	4421.90.9800	10.50%	12%
Kenya	4421.90.00	25%	16%	Import Declaration Fee (2.25% CIF)
Kuwait	4421.90.99	5%	No sales tax
Lao People’s Democratic Republic	4421.90.99	20%	10%
Latvia	4421.90.9790	0%	21%
Lebanon	4421.90.90	5%	10%
Lesotho	4421.90.906	20%	14%
Liechtenstein	4421.90.00	0% + CHF14.00 per 100 kg	8%
Lithuania	4421.90.9790	0%	21%
Luxembourg	4421.90.9790	0%	17%
Macau	4421.90.90	0%	No sales tax
Madeira	4421.90.9790	0%	22%
Malaysia	4421.90.990	20%	6%
Maldives	4421.90.0010	10%	6%
Malta	4421.90.9790	0%	18%
Martinique	4421.90.9790	0%	8.50%
Mayotte	4421.90.9790	0%	No sales tax
Mexico	4421.90.99	15%	16%	DTA (0.8% CIFD)
Monaco	4421.90.9790	0%	20%
Montserrat	4421.90.90	20%	No sales tax
Morocco	4421.90.9090	25%	20%	Timber tax (12% CIF)
Morocco	4421.90.9090	25%	20%	Parafiscal tax (0.25% CIF)
Myanmar	4421.90.9900	15%	No sales tax
Namibia	4421.90.906	20%	15%
Netherlands	4421.90.9790	0%	21%
New Zealand	4421.90.1919H	5%	15%	Import entry transaction fee (NZ$49.24)
Nicaragua	4421.90.9090	15%	15%
Nigeria	4421.90.9900	20%	5%	Excise (20%)
Norway	4421.90.09	0%	25%
Oman	4421.90.99	5%	No sales tax
Pakistan	4421.90.90	20%	17%
Panama	4421.90.99	10%	7%
Paraguay	4421.90.00	14%	10%
Peru	4421.90.9000	6%	16%	Additional fee (0% CIFD)
Peru	4421.90.9000	6%	16%	Municipal tax (2% (CIFD + Excise + Tariff surcharge))
Philippines	4421.90.99	10%	12%
Poland	4421.90.9790	0%	23%
Portugal	4421.90.9790	0%	23%
Puerto Rico	4421.90.9780	3.30%	7.25%
Qatar	4421.90.99	5%	No sales tax
Reunion	4421.90.9790	0%	8.50%
Romania	4421.90.9790	0%	24%
Russian Federation	4421.90.9800	10.50%	18%
Rwanda	4421.90.00	25%	18%	Withholding tax (5% CIF)
Saint Kitts And Nevis	4421.90.90	20%	17%
Saint Lucia	4421.90.90	20%	15%	Service charge (6% CIF)
Saint Martin	4421.90.9790	0%	No sales tax
Saint Vincent And The Grenadines	4421.90.90	20%	15%	Customs service charge (5% CIF)
San Marino	4421.90.9790	0%	No sales tax
Saudi Arabia	4421.90.99	5%	No sales tax
Serbia	4421.90.9700	10%	20%
Singapore	4421.90.99	0%	7%
Slovakia	4421.90.9790	0%	20%
Slovenia	4421.90.9790	0%	22%
South Africa	4421.90.906	20%	14%
South Korea	4421.90.9000	8%	10%
Spain	4421.90.9790	0%	21%
Sri Lanka	4421.90.90	25%	11%	Import Cess (Rs50.00 per kg)
				PAL (Ports and Airport Levy) (5% CIF)
				Surcharge (15% Duty)
				Social Responsibility Levy (SRL) (1.5% (Duty + Surcharge + Excise))
Suriname	4421.90.90	20%	10%	Consent law (1.5% CIF)
Suriname	4421.90.90	20%	10%	Statistics law (0.5% CIF)
Swaziland	4421.90.906	20%	14%
Sweden	4421.90.9790	0%	25%
Switzerland	4421.90.00	0% + CHF14.00 per 100 kg	8%
Taiwan (ROC)	4421.90.90005	0%	5%	Trade promotion fee (0.04% CIF)
Tanzania	4421.90.00	25%	18%
Thailand	4421.90.99000	20%	7%
Trinidad And Tobago	4421.90.90	20%	15%
Turkey	4421.90.970000	0%	18%
Turks And Caicos Islands	4421.90.9	30%	No sales tax
Uganda	4421.90.00	25%	18%	Withholding tax (6% CIF)
Ukraine	4421.90.9800	0%	20%
United Arab Emirates	4421.90.99	5%	No sales tax
United Kingdom	4421.90.9790	0%	20%
United States	4421.90.9780	3.30%	Depends on state	Merchandise Processing Fee ()
Uruguay	4421.90.00	14%	22%	Consular fee (2% CIF)
Venezuela	4421.90.0090	14%	12%
Vietnam	4421.90.99	25%	10%

order summary

Thank-you for your interest in our hinoki products!
As a general reference, please note the following:

All our tubs are custom built as per our client`s order. We can produce any shape, any size.
If you let us know your requirements/shape/size we can prepare a quote.
All our tubs are produced in Japan and the lead time is 60 days from confirmed order to delivery on site.
We do not have agents or distributors in your country. You will have to contact us in Japan.
You are welcome to visit us at our warehouse in Tokyo to see sample tubs and the hinoki wood.
We will not be able to install the tub on site nor recommend anybody near you.
The installation is very straightforward as the tub already comes assembled in one piece.
We use only the metric system. All dimensions must be specified in millimeters. (note: 1″=25.4mm)
We cannot supply any jet/recirculation system. Please see also the FAQ’s for reference.
As an example, we can offer the size 1515x915xH725mm (one of the most popular for the US) for 6600-US$
There is some cost reduction for width under 800mm (straight border, see the details page)
Shipping cost is around 1500 US$ door to door for the US. We can make a precise estimate together with the quote for the tub.
All expenses are prepaid, but in some cases it is easier to have you fill the customs import declaration which costs around 250US$.
If you want we can use your forwarder, you can arrange to pick up the tub at our ware house in Tokyo.
Cost of wooden crate is about 400 US$.

★You may also want to take a look at the documentation on our download page:
https://bartokdesign.com/download
especially the first item on the list (custom bathtubs order guide (pdf))

Our service include custom CAD drawings and assistance. We are looking forward to collaborate with you and welcome any question you may have.

tradition + performance

hinoki bath tub the hinoki bathtub is basically like a large basinet which sits on the floor. The faucet is usually wall mounted or ledge mounted so no adaption is needed. The drain is in most cases not connected with any fitting: the water just flows on the floor towards a floor drain. Installation of an hinoki bath is simple and straightforward.
no waterproofing for 1st floor installation ->

We usually have a couple of standard tubs in stock, but we recommend you to have your bath-tub made to order to your specifications.
We will be able to customize the tub, match your desired dimensions, choose your preferred wood essence at no extra cost.
We will provide you with detailed CAD drawigs and personalized installation instructions. We also provide technical assistance, and a 1-year guarantee against manufacture defects.
Please read below for more informations or feel free to contact us for any inquiry:

japan(at)bartokdesign.com
tel. +81-90-820-512-00 (mon-fri 9-19 JST)
fax. +81-78-262-7151

art + nature

There is a step above the “handmade look”. Chisel and plane are the only tools used by the master “daiku”: yet he creates a perfectly square, smooth sculpture. No sealants or caulking are used but the masterful joints are invisible. There is no need for outspoken pride or rhetorics: this is the essence of perfect handwork.

hinoki bath-tubs are entirely hand planed ->

Who said that “handmade” has the downside of being rough?

Why shouldn’t “natural” be long-lasting?

Is it possible to have a “healthy” bathtub which is also beautiful and practical?

A hinoki tub is a masterfully built, smooth, natural and healthy, an easy-to-install and to maintain solution for your home: a WIN – WIN situation.

function + minimalism

Within a Japanese soaking tub, we can find represented many concepts of the Japanese way of seeing the world. Complex details, multiple functions, technological inventions, influential styles and even historical conflicts can be all present, in a perfect balance, in the apparently simple line of an invisible wood joint.
in Japan, wood CRAFT is synonymous with ART ->

drain situations…

An ofuro is something that a plumber has never seen and therefore “HOW DO I INSTALL IT?” is probably our top frequently asked question.

Installation is very easy, actually our recommendation is … not to install it at all!
Let`s see below what I mean:

OFURO SIMPLY ON THE FLOOR

ofuro-drain1
In japanese bathrooms, there is a floor drain and the floor and lower part of the wall is waterproofed and tiled.
If you have a bathroom built this way then the installation of the tub is the simplest of things: just place it on the floor!
Surprised? Well if you think about it makes a lot of sense: When you shower the water falls on the floor and from there flows towards the floor drain. In the same way, when you take a bath, water may overflow from the top rim and when you empty it the water will flow on the floor and towards the floor drain. What is wrong about that?
Basically the ofuro is just like a large bucket placed on the floor without need for a plumbing connection.
Another advantage of this configuration is that you can easily move the tub according to your mood or for maintenance/cleaning.

I understand that products commonly used to create wetrooms are Schluter®-KERDI-BOARD, Laticrete hydroban© etc.

#Variation:
If you are worried about the water spreading on the whole bathroom area, you may install a flexible hose attached to the drain. Just plug the edge in the center of the floor drain: This way the water from the tub will drain directly. The free section of the floor drain (around the hose) will still be able to pick up the overflow / water from the shower etc.

OFURO IN A DRAIN-PAN

ofuro-drain2
If you cannot waterproof the whole bathroom, just create a ditch or install a standard waterproof pan (like a shower drain pan under the tub. The drain pan can have a low rim (at least 50mm) or come up to the ledge of the tub (built in layout, like in the sketch above). Of course in this case the tub does not need any hard plumbing connection. Just slide the ofuro inside the drain-pan and you are set to go!
You can also find slim shower pans that are large enough to contain your ofuro. See here if you do not believe me

Again, for maintenance/cleaning you can lift up the tub (about 50Kg. for most residential projects)

OFURO WITH PLUMBING

ofuro-drain4

If you are not convinced of the above, or if your plumber is hard headed, you may go for a …hard connection!
Our drains are compatible with both metric and imperial fittings. (see here the detail of our standard socket).
Since there is little space under the tub to tighten the nut, we can make a higher base for the tub so please let us know in advance. For timber framed houses the connection is often made from the ceiling below or from the basement.
Of course the disadvantage of this situation is that the tub cannot be moved freely. Also, often the tub is raised up to make the drain connection: which makes it more difficult to enter/egress.

If all this is not clear, we can setup a zoom or whatsapp call with your plumber and of course you can call me at the time of installation for any problem or question.

Another note for hard-headed plumbers: our ofuros do not come with certifications like ASME etc.
On the other hand, an ofuro is not a sanitary equipment (for washing the body) but is a soaking equipment (for relaxation) so the certification is not needed in the first place…

wood selection and cutting

**1 – SELECTION**
The hinoki wood boards are chosen one by one according to the necessity and planned use

**2 – PREPARATION**
The wood is cut as per the required sizes, eliminating soft areas (young layers) and knots, respecting the direction of the grain.

**3 – CALIBRATION**
The wood is planed to remove the imperfections and bring it to a uniform thickness.

**4 – CUT**
With a technique borrowed from boat construction, two planks are partially overlapped and hand sawn: so the adjacent boards are originated by a single cut and can match perfectly.

order process

This is the typical process from order to delivery:

Please take a look carefully at the ordering summary and ordering checklist
Fill in the information request form
After our answer by email, feel free to ask everything that concerns you by email or telephone. You can contact us in english, japanese or italian.
You can telephone us, anyway e-mail may be more convenient because of time difference and not native pronunciation.
We will send you a quotation in pdf format. We use Japanese Yen to eliminate the risk of currency valuation which normally is built in the prices. (UPDATED 2008.9.1)
After your positive response, we will prepare drawings and send to you in pdf format. Please review carefully, expecially sizes.
When all matters (cost, drawings) are defined, you are ready to order.
We will require at least 50% advance payment on custom items (accessories, transport are payed 100% together with the balance) to confirm the order and start manufacture.
All payments should be done through wire transfer to our bank accounts in Japan (Minato Bank Corporation or Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi-UFJ.) and all bank charges (30~50 US$) should be settled by the payer.
Manufacture takes between 10~30 days, according to workload and complexity of the item.
Once completed, we will send photographs for your review and approval and will require payment of the balance before shipping.
After receiving the balance, we will ship the tub as agreed (air or sea)and will promptly forward you the shipping documents.
You will be contacted by the agent of our forwarder and the tub will be delivered on site.
Please open the box and check for any damage: any claim should be made within 5 days (insurance coverage conditions)
It is VERY IMPORTANT that you put back the protective plastic wrap until ready to install.
Have your carpenter install the tub and fill it up to the edge. Enjoy the bath. Leave it full for few hours the first time to allow wood to reach the ideal humidity level.