German import taxes for electronic goods

Does any one know what the import regulations are for bringing electronic goods into Germany, Bayern specifically.

My reason for asking, is that I plan to do some shopping in Tax free land out side the EU, and will either bring it back with me or have it shipped back. I have heard some horror stories about people having to pay almost price all over again to get the stuff released from Customs at Munich Airport, so it ended up costing twice as much in the end.

Needless to say I don't want to pay any taxes and would like to know what is the worst I could face in case they insist on me coughin gup the readies.

Is there somewhere where this info is available (preferably in English, though German will do), on what the charging scheme is, but better still on how to avoid it altogether?

Thanks for any help.
Z.

You can do like I did when I brought my new laptop back with. Brazenly walk through customs with it in it's computer bag like you've had it for years.

I believe it depends on what you bring in, from where, how much it cost, how long you have had it, where you have your official residence, how long you plan to stay here, etc.

This is not a joke!

on the other hand, if you are just buying normal everyday stuff you normally carry with you, there is no reason to get caught. e.g. buy an expensive watch: just wear it and chuck out the box, buy a laptop and just carry it in a laptop bag as if you had had it forever, buy clothes and just take the pins out, fold up, and pack with the rest of your stuff, etc. this is more difficult with plasma screen TVs, washing machines, etc...

That works for stuff you can carry about your person. I did the same with a camera.
Some of the things I'm thinking of getting (like a big F.O. 42" Plasma TV) will have to be shipped. And likely to have big printed logos on the box. There's only so much you can do to hide those. So I'd like to find what the rules actually are.

During the height of the foot n' mouth thing I wanted to bring in Sausages, Rashers & Black Pudding. So I made a big Irish breakfast and ate it before I left Dublin. The guys at customs never suspected a thing, HARAAAHAHHAHHAHA!!!

I managed to get in with mad cow disease- I staggered a bit, but they just thought I was pissed.

Opa and I bought a Digerydoo or however you spell it, big thing you blow in, you all know what I mean. We shipped it from Australia via DHL and the man in the shop wrote the word "Gift" on the form which was on the package.
It arrived with a bill for 65 euro tax (value 500 A$), therefore, if we didn't pay we wouldn't have got it. The courrier was ready to take it back as we scrounged the house looking for money. Glad to say we have the monstrosity in our living room!
The word gift means poison in German, maybe it wasn't such a good thing to write that?

I have a cousin who works for German customs. They're trained to recognize the latest laptop versions and what's good electronics-wise, so if you're stopped at customs you'll have to pay. That being said, I've walked though with mine many a time.

Another story: I had a roomie who was studing in Constance, living in Switzerland and commuting every day. As the commuter train crossed over one day, the Germans tapped her for her German laptop at the border because she didn't have her receipts with her..

BTW, it *does* help looking like a businessman and not like a tourist, should you be travelling light.
(Even better is carrying very little luggage and looking like a colombian narco-mule, but I don't have the proper sunglasses or a hawaiian shirt.. )

I was very lucky. After moving to Germany. I had someone from the states ship all my computer equipment via UPS (United Parcel Service). Of course, I got a call from Köln when the package arrived. They wanted to know if I bought these items in the US and had it shipped here. I said, no, they are my personal belongings and that I just recently moved here from the US. All I had to do was fax a copy of my plane ticket, passport, and a letter stating that all the items shipped were my personal belongings and not things I just bought and had shipped. I did so and within two days, my parcel was delivered without any problems. What also helped, I think, was the fact that I had other personal items such as jackets and other clothing, included in the package making it look like a "care package" so to speak. I also recently had 3 hard drives sent to me via regular US mail without any problems. The package arrived via DHL without a hitch.

depends on what you write on the package. e.g. when receiving CDs or DVDs or the like, have the person sending them write on the envelope that they are sending "documents" since those are not subject to import rules

Not sure exactly where the right place is for this question. I'm having a visitor bring me over something I bought in the states, but was unable to bring with me when I moved here. It's a computer monitor in its original case unused. Is there anything I need to be concerned about as far as that guest needing to claim this item or pay any taxes? I am completely new at this, so i would appreciate it if someone could point me in the right direction...

Topics merged by admin

I think someone is allowed to bring in up to 400 euro (maybe a little more, but not more than 500) tax free. If the item is under that, I would bring the receipt in case of trouble.

I am flying home to Florida over the Christmas season and will return with a new computer. My question is which to purchase. I know if I buy a notebook I can bring it across without a worry customs won't catch me as I will say I 've had for a while now. But what happens when I want to bring a desktop (G5 apple) back with me? Will I have to pay import taxes? I have a limited visa, so Germany expects me to return to the US. DO I have to declare it? Has anyone done something like this already?

Topics merged by admin

Just make sure you don't bring it back in the orig. box. Get a notebookbag. Also remove all the stickers from it and don't keep the reciept near it (Put in in your wallet/suitcase).. If they ask (Which almost always never happens) tell'em you had it when you left. Go thru the Green line like you normally do, and forget about it.

This works for all things, not just computers.

A few years ago, I came back from an Asian business trip, and had to change planes in Amsterdam. The customs guy stopped me and wanted to look at my stuff. He asked: "Did you buy your laptop in Asia?" I responded: "Hey, that's a company laptop. It's several years old. There's all sorts of old data files on it, how could I have bought it in Asia?" He says: "You can't fool us so easily, it's easy to manipulate a laptop to make it look as if it's been in use for a while!" I ask: "So? What do you want me to do? Call my company's IT department and have them tell you that it is indeed a company laptop?" He made a strange face and waived me on. I never managed to figure out what his point was...

Nice one. I'd been wondering how to get my assault rifle through customs.

Send receipts, CD-ROMs with drivers, manuals, etc. in the mail. Take a 220v adapter plug with you as well - helps to "prove" that you bought in Europe and took it on a trip with you.

Desktops are another ball of wax altogether. It might be a better idea to claim that you received it as a gift in the US. Follow the same procedure as above as far receipts are concerned though.

Whatever you get, try using it as much as possible too so that it has some signs of wear before you come back, that also helps.

As long as you do it in parts, you could prob. get away with it. All the parts by themselves
are harmless and not controlled. It will just take a long time to ship so many parts. But it's do able.

It's up to you, yes you should pay, no you probably won't be stopped, if you do get stopped you will probably get away with some made-up story, but the risk is always there that they want to probe further and if they find out you are lying you will be in big trouble.

bahh it's easy to bring stuff in.
i know cheese is different (oh! i just remembered my cheese mmm) than a computer, but i have had no problems bringing cheese and other things in with me (incl onese without proper/completely filled paperwork).

I have to admit when I first arrived, I had two suitcases full of things, laptop was one of them. I never even thought that I would have to pay import taxes as I assumed that I wold be bringing them back with me to the US when I returned. But maybe I was required to, but I would not pay that unless forced to. So, it looks like no desk top and only laptops.

There are probably different rules for bringing stuff if you are moving here, I know there are in the UK. I can't believe that they would expect you to pay tax and duty on all your personal belongings when moving. However that doesn't really help you because you would still need to lie about when you bought the computer and/or when you moved here.

Read the posts, guys. This is not a LapTop, but a G5. Not exactly going to fit in his hand luggage and difficult to justify as personal luggage needed on trip. In theory it should be declared. If you can hide/disguise it in your suitcase you might get away with it, but I can't think of an easy excuse if you were asked to open your case by the customs folk. You are only allowed duty-free import as part of a permanent move (relocation) into Gemany, and then everything have to arrive all at once. You have the choice to declare it and pay the dues, or not declare it and either pay nothing (if you don't get caught) or around twice the usual import costs (if you do get caught, including penalties). Alternatively see if you can get a reduced invoice for value declaration (not easy here, as they can easilly check on value) or find someone who is relocating to include it in their load...

YL6

That won't work, if they think you're smuggling they will go through everything you have on you. As YL6 says this is a large piece of equipment so sneaking it in could be very difficult. If you must have the receipts here, post them to yourself. Assuming you have an address here of course.

whoops.. thought it was a notebook... Notebooks are easy to smuggle in.

I got checked just about every time I come through the Munich airport. I got busted on a freaking piece of luggage and that didnt have a power cord attached to it. It was a tumi carry on stuffed into another bag - still had the new luggage smell and had a tag on it - my fault - the fine was over 300 euros. The bulk of which was for NOT declaring the item. The guys gave me a very stern lecture and said that if the value of the luggage was higher than some arbitrary number, 700 euros I think, I would have had to pay the fine in court. Dont know how much of it was true but it was very expensive, time consuming process.

I would buy a laptop or declare it. You can risk it if you like and chances are you wont get caught but be prepared to pay up if you do.

If your laptop is new, and you are bringing it into Germany permanently, yes you have to pay. If you do, or take the risk is up to you. If you are only living in Germany temporarily and you have proof you might legally get around paying import taxes.

By the way, in general, if a computer / laptop is older than a year, you don't have to pay (i.e. you bought it and resided in the US for another 12 months after that. If you are moving and that laptop is in your personal belongings you don't have to pay import taxes either.

But in your case, since you are a resident of Germany, and just on vacation in the US, you'd technically have to pay. However, I can tell you, when I flew from the US to Germany I had my laptop with me, in a laptop bag, and I wasn't stopped and asked about it either of the two times. It had been bought in Germany though, and I kept the receipt in the bag just in case someone would ask.

By the way, I came in via Munich once and via Frankfurt the other time.

Oh, I just read it's a desktop. And you are on a temp visa. I am pretty sure, if you have proof that you are not permanently importing it, then you don't have to pay taxes (I am not sure if you have to declare it).

How about you just call the Zollbehörde and ask all innocently? I don't think they will write down your name and have an officer posted at the airport to wait for you. So just call them and ask about it.

it's not a blooming Laptop!

yeah I know Im saying he should forget about the desktop and just go for the laptop or declare the desktop. reds one of my favourite colours though

same goes for a blooming desktop!

A temporary (which it's not) or limited (which it is) visa has nothing to do with it. There's no way you can prove you are not permanently importing it (you might sell it when you get here!). You could certainly pay the duty and taxes and reclaim them (taxes only) if you re-export within 12 months or arrange an ATA-Carnet in the USA which allows you temporary import and transit around Europe without charge for up to 12 months. The cost of the ATA Carnet and the bond you must deposit would probably be more than the import charge, notwithstanding the hassle in getting, and later anulling it.

Now that we've established it's NOT A LAPTOP, can you explain how one can safely transport a desktop/tower on an airplane? It's obviously too big for carry-on.
Will the airline insure it? Without special insurance, it won't be covered if damaged or stolen.
How do you prevent it being destroyed (like every piece of luggage I own)?

One question related to the original query: could you remove parts (harddrive, memory, etc.) and ship those separately so that the desktop doesn't function and avoid paying that way?

Function has nothing to do with it, value (and often customs-percieved value at that) does. I've often carried full-size PCs (sometimes prototypes) around the world, with little or nor packaging (bubble-wrapped in a suitcase was typical) without problems, but of course, with the right paperwork.