The push is on here in the states to get all our information organized to file our Federal
Income Tax by April 15. Every one is aware of the amount of taxes we pay on everything
from food and clothing in some states to taxes on air travel. The increase in crude oil
has impacted every one of us, from high prices at the gas pumps to rising fuel surcharges
we pay for international air travel.
A recent comment from an internet forum on taxes was "yep, air tickets are second only to
telephone bills for incidental taxes, some only vaguely related to the service in question."
One of the recent taxes approved by the French parliament will add to the price of travel to or
from France. This tax will provide finance aid to developing countries, particularly for
health-related problems such as AIDS and malaria. France is the first to implement this with a
conference in late February to encourage 79 other countries to consider this tax add on. No one
enjoys paying taxes but we all do benefit from some of the efforts of our taxes.
As you purchase your airline tickets, please be aware of the various components that make up the
price. The airlines must levy these taxes on travelers. Likewise our Travel Consultants have no
alternative but to pass the airline fuel surcharges on to our clients. In reality, it is
additional work and expense to collect and pay the taxes on the air tickets to the proper
government agencies. Please keep in mind that the price of a ticket should include ALL taxes
and fuel surcharges. Some travel companies and internet sources do not show this on the initial
price quote. Be aware of the total cost of your ticket.
Let's take a look at a couple examples of airfares to Europe and Asia to see the
dollars spent for taxes and surcharges.
| Philadelphia to Frankfurt (example only) |
|
| Base air fare |
$476.00 |
| Airport Tax |
$4.50 |
| Security Service fee |
$2.50 |
| US Animal/Plant health inspection fee |
$5.00 |
| US Customs User fee |
$5.00 |
| US Immigration & Naturalization fee |
$7.00 |
| Germany airport security fee |
$8.56 |
| Germany Passengers service charge |
$24.93 |
| International sectors fee |
$120.00 |
| International transportation tax |
$29.00 |
| Total taxes and Surcharges |
$206.49 |
| Total ticket price |
$682.49 |
| Taxes and Surcharges egual |
30% of total |
| Harrisburg, PA to Bangkok (example only) |
|
| Base air fare |
$1003.00 |
| Airport Tax |
$13.50 |
| US Civil Aviation Fee |
$7.50 |
| US Animal/Plant health inspection fee |
$5.00 |
| US Customs User fee |
$5.00 |
| US Immigration & Naturalization fee |
$7.00 |
| Fuel Surcharge |
$130.00 |
| International transportation tax |
$29.00 |
| Total Taxes and Surcharges |
$197.00 |
| Total ticket price |
$1,200.00 |
| Taxes and Surcharges equal |
16% of total |
As you can see, each country and each city will affect the tax and surcharges. So when you price
your next ticket, be sure you have the total price of travel. We are all feeling the crunch of
increased fuel prices and we at MTS TRAVEL want to offer you the best travel solution.
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