What is the ruling on using invoices for less than the true commercial value to avoid paying very high customs fees?

The questioner : Your Eminence, some publishing houses are asked to send books, specifically Islamic books, to Muslim distributors who distribute them commercially, of course, in the lands of disbelief to the Muslim minorities present in the lands of disbelief. However, when this merchandise, which is books, enters, very high taxes are imposed on it if it is known to be for trade. The distributors ask the publishing houses to send another invoice stating a price lower than the original commercial value, a specific amount that is below the threshold at which taxes are imposed. Consequently, they avoid paying large taxes on that merchandise. They ask whether it is permissible to send the second invoice, which is not genuine, but is merely to show to the customs officials in those lands so that they do not pay the exorbitant taxes imposed on them.

The Shaykh : Will they deal with the customers according to the reduced price?

The questioner : No, the price is the one on the second invoice, meaning it does not exceed two percent of the true value. It is nominal.

The Shaykh : Yes, there is no harm, there is no objection, because the most they did was keep a price secret and declared a price to ward off injustice from themselves, and there is no harm in that. Yes. From the left.