Import Duties US > EU

[electrofaro]

If I get it correctly the import duties for electrical musical instruments into the EU from the US is:

3.7% over value of the instrument (including shipping & insurance costs) +
VAT over the value of the instrument.

Anyone have any experience with getting one shipped over the puddle?

http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/dd ... ngDescr=en

[johnhall]

The rate sounds about right but short of using the postal service, most packages are handled by a customs broker upon entry who can have some ridiculously high charges for what is essentially "paperwork".

FYI, if you're using FedEx or UPS, you don't have to use their brokerage services, if you can find a better deal, but the shipper has to specify that at the time of shipment.

Lots of people also have goods sent in with phony, low value invoices. While it's more likely it will go undetected than not, many customs services collect price lists and other value information for commonly imported goods. The U.K., for example, has one HM Customs agent who specializes in guitars that they all refer to. One very well known artist asked me to provide such an invoice and I refused (which angered him); he then got someone else to do it and the instrument was seized at entry and he ended up paying serious money to resolve this.

[ram]

A friend of a friend echoed a similar invoice scam (also in GB).... it really isn't worth it.

[electrofaro]

Putting "gift" on your import is only a good idea if it's less than 34 EUR (item + p&p + insurance), otherwise they'll simply use a list and you'll probably end up with a higher duties bill than stating the actual value.

Taking the guitar apart won't do much good, either as you might end up having to produce a bill that it was bought as body & neck only project. Duties are just 1% less for parts anyway.

On one of the dozens of real life programmes on dutch tv they followed customs - a guy got a good deal in the US on a car part, but still had to pay import duties over the value it would have on the EU market, which was quite a bit higher!

[electrofaro]

Just discussing this with my colleague who does all the import paperwork. He told me the semi-hollows can be imported into EU as acoustics - that means a lower percentage of 3.2%

http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/dd ... ngDescr=en

Just thought I'd update this thread with that bit of info.

[jps]

Taking the guitar apart won't do much good.....

To send the ZON bass I sold recently to Hong Kong I had to take it apart just so I could put it in a box that would meet the shipping requirements of the USPS! Of course, I gave it a proper valuation so no problems with Customs regarding that. I do have to wonder what they thought about it when Customs received the package?

[electrofaro]

Jeffrey, do you take neck-through-bodies apart as well for shipping?

[jps]

Only when absolutely necessary!