I am also not sure about the whole tax thing, but if you are buying it from an individual (as opposed to a shop) tell him/her to mark the item as "gift" & undervalue the amount. I've got stuff down like that without a problem (but not consumer electronics).
Hop this helps.
Also, according to today's news, the PS3 has outsold the Wii by five fold. The price drop is good, but I think this new one looks cheap compared to the Piano Black 'chubby' PS3.