We talk about it often, but what is “duty free”?

There are things we hear about more or less regularly without knowing – or forgetting – what they are. Among these famous others, this is the case Tax free With those we know we’ll theoretically pay less for the product, often without knowing where and when such an offer will take advantage. So what is duty free?

A concept that emerged after the war

The Tax free, or “tax-free” in plain French, is a business concept first implemented in 1946 at Shannon Airport (Ireland) that allows people to buy products in stores at low prices, without the taxes or customs duties normally applicable in the country. Where are you going to buy them? Clearly, these places of sale are then considered administratively outside their national territory, even if they are physically located there.

Shops that practice duty free are found in the international areas of airports, but sometimes also in seaports and some land borders. However, this does not concern the entire city more broadly, as sometimes happens, especially in some Caribbean islands.

Who and for what?

In theory, if all travelers can benefit from duty-free when they cross the border, there are situations or special cases that may limit, if not prohibit, their entry.

Sometimes it happens that nationals of the country are not authorized to make the purchase, usually the purchase can only be made at the point of departure as is often the case at the airport. And if there is a common trade law or customs union between several countries, as in the European Union, there will be no duty free between the member states.
Additionally, there are always or almost always restrictions on the quantity of products that can be purchased depending on your country of residence and/or destination.

As for the products sold duty free, we mainly find perfumes and cosmetics, alcohol and tobacco, jewellery, a number of luxury products, electronics and photography besides a few other miscellaneous items.

So in perspective good deals are a priority but we must not forget that it is always better to compare these tax free offers with what one can buy at home. In fact, a “tax-free” price in a country may be more expensive than a tax-inclusive price in that country.
However, some places are famous for duty free shops. This is also the case with airports in Dubai, Singapore, Istanbul, Amsterdam, and many cruise ports in the Caribbean. On this topic, it has also been reported that businesses in Guadeloupe and Martinique have recently become duty free for cruise passengers on stopovers.