Czech Customs

Hi again,
I've decided to get away from the book thing for a while. I need to vent about what happened today.

My wife and I received our Christmas gifts from my parents today. I had known that the package was on the way, and after receiving the notification in the mail today (our post office has stopped delivering packages, even small ones) I went to the post office and stood in line for about 30 minutes (which is better than average).

I finally walked up to the window and was promptly asked to pay sales tax on the gifts. You see, before the package was delivered to my local post office, Czech Customs officers determined that I should pay 270 Czech Crowns (about $15) sales tax on the gifts. This is a bunch of crap, if you ask me. First of all, sales tax was paid in the U.S. when the gifts were purchased. Second, I didn't purchase the gifts. Why should I be liable for the sales tax? They were Christmas gifts from my parents, even wrapped in Christmas paper. Even a stupid Customs officer could have seen that.
I've been in this country for a long time, and it seems that every year something new happens to me, demonstrating the lack of intelligence in Czech bureaucrats. They can be naive, arrogant, unintelligent, and dishonest. This is just another perfect example.

--James