New customs charges from December 1, 2008

[kitkat64 461]

Whoa, slow down - be VERY careful with the "English" version from the German "Zoll" website. It is very general and leaves out some important information. It's best if you get a German speaker to read the German site and ask for the small differences.

[jmforge 50]

 

A pair of Levis in the USA cost 30 or 40 dollars. Here they cost 80 to 120 Euro. I never mail order jeans, but I can understand why somebody might want to do it.

 

Try $20 for the plain Levi's and Wranglers that are sold as "store brand" lines at Target and Wal Mart.

[Wizadora 423]

OK, I've been looking at the zoll site but it ain't great to be honest.

 

I want to import jewellry for my business it's used, probably about 50 years old of value between $250 to $500. No individual item will be hugely valuable, basically it's job lots of costume jewellry.

 

Are used items taxed in the same way as new? I.e. would I need to pay 19% plus 4% for jewellry? I've only ever got stuff from the EU so I'm wondering if it's worth my while...but it is soooooo pretty that I am severly tempted!

 

Any pointers would be appreciated.

[El Jeffo 42,135]

 

Are used items taxed in the same way as new?

 

Yes.

[Wizadora 423]

darn... for some reason I thought they would differentiate

[SJ1 2,052]

Personally I think it is trickier with used items, because no value can be proven, meaning what they consider reasonable will be applied. If you have no proof of the actual value then you can end up being taxed on a significantly higher amount.

 

Even if they feel you are under declaring. For instance one kid asked recently about sending a used iphone from his brother. It does not matter that it is a gift or that it is used, it will be taxed on the going rate for the item.

 

And with jewelry I think it could get very messy.

[eean 165]

So we're moving to Germany next month. Some of our stuff is going by freight, but since that's so slow we're flying with 4 of those huge checked luggages that I always used to judge people for having (I guess I'm a carry-on luggage hipster). Clothes, electronics etc.

 

I believe our freight is mostly sailing through without paying customs under an exemption for people who are moving. Is it possible for our airplane luggage to be covered by that as well?

[westvan 9,706]

I think your luggage would probably also fall under the personal effects exemption and not be taxed. Make sure you have a detailed packing list and possbily receipts for the electronic stuff.

[YorkshireLad6 7,152]

Theoretically your flight luggage is not covered by the exemption which requires personal goods to be sent (or carried) in a single shipment, but in most cases customs are pretty lenient about it and turn a blind eye. Just make sure you have a flood of paperwork making it clear you are relocating and this is your first trip to your new home. Remember all personal goods brought in under this exemption must be at least 6 months old. Anything that looks even remotely new should have a receipt to prove this.

[gail123 434]

Personal goods that will remain in your possession are not an issue. When I fly, I carry a mac, a netbook, a Nikon DSLR, a Panasonic compact, a Kindle and, last time, an HP laptop. In my carry-on. No one cares (except airlines who weigh carry ons- don't fly those!). It's all mine, it's all clearly used (registered, has stuff on it). Not an issue. Theoretically you can't sell them though.

[YorkshireLad6 7,152]

That's different. In most cases you are leaving (your home) and returning (to your home) so your "exports" and matching "re-imports" are not only personal, they are temporary. eean is effectively importing goods to Germany one-time (as, I presume they will stay here for more than one year and duties are due) but he receives a special exemption as this is part of a family/professional relocation. It'll be the same when he ultimately returns to the US, who have similar importation rules, regulations and charges.

 

I often travel with 3 high-end LapTops, and had problems last year returning from Singapore when two of them were fairly new. On re-entry to Germany they were impounded and only released a few days later when I showed proof of purchase in Germany. The nice customs man also gave me a piece of paper for the future confirming their providence to show in case I got stopped again.

[eean 165]

Yea so how I do get that exemption paperwork in order? Or is just showing I have a work visa that starts the next week enough?

 

Even though I have a return flight (round trip tickets were cheaper then a single one-way lol) it will be a bit hard to claim I'm a tourist when I have an iron skillet in my bag. If customs looks in my bags it will have immigrant written all over it. :D

[YorkshireLad6 7,152]

Any paperwork regarding your new job, confirmation of departure from your old one, apartment contract if you have one, paperwork from your main shipment. No rigid rules, but they all help and the more the better.

[eean 165]

 

confirmation of departure from your old one

 

Never would've thought of this and never had anything like this before. I'll ask HR for it during my exit interview though, why not. Thanks YL6.

[westvan 9,706]

 

it will be a bit hard to claim I'm a tourist when I have an iron skillet in my bag. If customs looks in my bags it will have immigrant written all over it.

 

That's fine, just tell them the truth. What they'd be worried about is if you had 25 brand new skillets in your bags and were obviously going to sell them.

[gail123 434]

Actually, since no one ever looks at my bags or my passport in Berlin, I could be a mule running imports into the EU from the US (not that I am, as a call out to lawyers reading this forum).

 

Never had an issue, don't expect to ever have an issue. Say, perhaps last time I came over I brought 6 men's business shirts and 6 pairs of kid's shoes and I am neither a man nor a child- they just don't care! And if they did, I would say that my spouse.children had left these items behind when they flew back. As perhaps they might have. I also brought a coffee grinder, a small HP photo printer, and a camera lens (14 inches long) that didn't fit on the camera that I was carrying-

 

eean. Relax. Two times ago, when we realized we'd be staying a while, I also started bringing the contents of my jewelry box over.My mom, to be helpful, threw a bottle of jewelry cleaner in my back pack. So I blew the security with fluids. I pointed out my jewelry as personal possessions (and the boxes were a bit worn). No one cares. These are personal possessions that will remain in your possession! Unless you are saying at customs that you will claim refugee status, please look at my belongings because I will stay here forever, you should have no issues. Don't volunteer info and be polite.

 

My (German) husband was questioned by Dutch customs last flight and couldn't understand their German (I had to translate)- they still didn't care (I would have been suspicious of him!). Relax. Be happy. If you are shipping a container over (as we did) there will be enough paperwork to satisfy YL6. And to make everyone happy, perhaps you will indeed be going back within a year - I generally go over at least once every 12 months!

[brokenm 37]

If I buy an ipad in the US for 649 dollars can I use the exchange rate to 490 euro and then pay MwSt on the difference between the 490 and 430 limit therefore 60 euro at 19%? Or will I be charged the 19% for the whole 490 euro?

 

In addition, I was returning from Florida to FRA in November 2011 and was surprised that they had customs officials between the disembarkment from the plane and before we entered into the baggage claim and they were stopping women and looking through their purses. Is this to check for iphones and ipads?

[Bipa 5,814]

Sorry, but you will be charged for the whole 490 euros. If you had bought several different items totalling 490 euros then you could split them up and have some duty free and some duty paid. But if a single item is over the limit then the whole item is taxable.

 

Check out the bottom of this web site for info and an example.

 

No idea why they were stopping those women. I've flown in and out of FRA quite a few times and only had the usual security check of my purse before getting onto a plane, but never after getting off.

[fluglotse1 69]

I know this is an old thread, but maybe someone here can answer or point me where to ask my question.

 

I am an American with permanent residences/u in both Germany and the USA. I spend most of my year in Germany, but I have income and taxes on both sides of the Atlantic. I fly back and forth with my laptop.

 

I was just stopped for the first time in 7 years and had lots of new blue jeans, but, clearly under any 430€ limit. My laptop is old and I was not asked about it. Naturally, I want to buy a pricey laptop in the USA where it will be cheaper.

 

Why am I required to buy it in Germany, or not travel with it until it is six months (or however long) old? Or am I allowed to bring the laptop with me, as it is taxed in the USA, and, in six months, it will return to the USA?

 

Or, can I just play tourist? I have an American passport.

 

The USA has never asked when I bring a German laptop into JFK, it is only the German side that worries me.

 

Any help is appreciated.

 

 

[Krieg 15,072]

Buy the laptop, throw all the packaging,  make it look like it is not brand new, maybe put one or two big stickers on in and bring it with you.

 

PS., You can't pretend your are a tourists here, you have a resident permit on your passport.