Advice on buying guitars in the US

MINUS CIRCUS

Hey folks,

Am heading to LA for some shows in April and am looking at buying another guitar over there. Has anyone ever bought one in the US and brought one back? Did you bring an empty case over with you? i dont want to get nabbed for the tax bringing it into the country!

Any advice - appreciated!

-=al=-

id imagine it would be ok, lots of people bring gutiars away with them and its just as luggage, just put a lot of handle with care and fragile stickers on it and pass it as luggage, sometimes u can bring em on board, but ive never done it to be honest so im not really to sure...

MINUS CIRCUS

so bring an empty case over?!

Doctor J

It has been done but don't bank on getting through customs. They do tend to stop people with guitar cases, you're not the only person who though of this. If you are stopped the onus is on you to prove you are not importing the guitar. If you have a brand new shiny guitar and no Irish receipt, you're going to struggle to prove you brought it out and you can expect to be hammered. If you buy second hand and the instrument looks a little beaten up, you may get away with it. Either way, have some cash to hand when you come back just in case. However, it would be wrong to say this to you without pointing out that not declaring the instrument is fraud and I would not encourage posters to use Boards to put up tips for tax evasion

The sad part is it'll still work out considerably cheaper than buiying from any of the retailers here.

There is a thread about this from about a year ago, someone got stopped by customs. Do a search of the forum and you should find it easily enough.

MINUS CIRCUS

i bought a guitar in the US 5 or 6 years ago when i was in college and brought it back and didnt have a problem - im just cautious - the guitar wont be sparkly and shiny - ill be playing with it over there. Im just wondering what is the worst they can do? apart from say 200euro please!

Doctor J

They can charge you 21%VAT and 3.4% Import Duty on their valuation of the instrument.

MINUS CIRCUS

yea - if i do it legally i think i can claim the US VAT back at the airport and pay the difference. If thats the case - i'll do that! anyone know what is the best way to check all this up? ie in black and white print

Eoin Madsen

http://www.revenue.ie

It's a bitch to navigate, but I've found out pretty much all you need to know about this kind of situation from what I've read there, or though emails with them.

It's not as grey as it seems. Basically, I think you're supposed to register what you're bringing over to the US so that you can bring it into the US and back without being taxed by either country. This is certainly the case for touring bands etc. If you haven't, they could tax you on a guitar you really did buy in Ireland if they wanted to.

There is no VAT in the US. There's only a sales tax in NY state, I think. You won't have to pay VAT in two countries alright as long as it's all above board, but I don't think that'll help you much in this situation. Paying the difference wouldn't work anyway, because there's two different governments involved. You'd still pay full to the one which is appropriate, and make a claim from the other.

Johnny Storm

What Dr J and Eoin Madsen say is correct but if the Customs guys catch you in a lie they can fine you in addition to the VAT and Duty.
This happened to one of our regular posters a few months ago. Customs searched his luggage and found the US receipt for the guitar which he had just got through insisting he had brought from Ireland. I forget how much they fined him. I imagine it depends on how much you p/ss off the customs guy first.
I agree that if the guitar is second-hand I would say you'd be in a much more believeable position. A second-hand gigbag might be an option. A thick neck is essential.

WetDaddy

Ok, this may sound really stupid, but just *where* exactly do they stop you?

I've been flying all my life, so I know Dublin airport (and it's many changes! ) fairly well. I've also been abroad with my acoustic about 9 or 10 times and never been questioned. The acoustic itself is ancient, but at one stage recently the case was brand new.

Is it a case of them stopping you at the Green / Blue Channel just between the baggage claim and the arrivals hall (which, let's face it, is a bit of a joke)? Or does someone come up to you and say "You there! You look like someone who has the same name as the guy who owns this guitar we've kept aside because we're suspicious about it!"...?

All of this, of course, is assuming you're travelling by air! Anyone any experience / knowledge of the logistics?

Johnny Storm

We're talking about the Green channel.

Doctor J

Lads, again I must stress the delicate situation here and the potential legal implications for Boards. This is not the place to give out tips for commiting tax evasion. I believe the OP has sufficient information to make up his own mind here

MINUS CIRCUS

cheers folks! i doubt the people in the airport and sitting back reading this so chillax! I'll let you know how i go...the guitar i want is 50% cheaper in the US...so happy days!

Johnny Storm

Doctor J wrote:

Lads, again I must stress the delicate situation here and the potential legal implications for Boards. This is not the place to give out tips for commiting tax evasion. I believe the OP has sufficient information to make up his own mind here

Very responsible of you, Dr J.

In fact, I'm just going to write out a cheque and send it off to the Govt right now for even having had those impure thoughts and I urge anyone else who read this thread to do the same

Doctor J

That's the spirit

Quattroste

Hey MINUS CIRCUS.

I am the unfortunate poster who was stopped last year. I bought a guitar and case in the US and was stopped, or called back when I was nearly out the sliding glass doors :mad:. They charged me the usual tax and import duty but insisted that I pay double because I didn't declare it. Thats the fine... double what you owe. If you don't have it on you they keep the guitar and there is more **** to go through. On a $699 guitar I had to pay 115 euro and then another 115 on top of that. Without the fine it would still have been a good deal but the fine f**ks it up!.

You pay your money and take your chances. If its 50% cheaper in the US for the guitar you want then you'd be better off just owning up and paying the extra.

Eoin Madsen

MINUS CIRCUS wrote:

i doubt the people in the airport and sitting back reading this so chillax!

I'd be concerned about Revenue rather than the guys sitting in the airport. They have pretty extensive online services so I'd say it's fair to assume that they've discovered Google at some point as well.

Johnny Storm

I agree, Eoin. I think all Civil Servants are wonderful people, full of initiative and dedication, thinking only of serving the people, not at all concerned about their very difficult and dangerous working conditions and benefits. They are open-minded and generous in their applications of the rules. In fact, I think they should get even more pay rises. If any Civil Servants are monitoring our on-line activities then I'm sure it must be for our own good.

Quattroste

I don't so much as agree, but rather think they are a shower b**tards :mad:

They work for the money grabbing government who tax and rob us blind every which way they can. I wouldn't p*ss on them if they were on fire.

Of course I don't personally hold them responsible but I do wonder how the f**k they sleep at night!

<-- Check out the ranting dude !!

Johnny Storm

Dear Quattroste,

You have been sadly mislead by the evil anti-Civil Servant factions at work in our society. Imagine the good use that the money you paid to that kind and pleasant customs man has been put to. For example - new computer systems to ensure our health service continues to work at peak efficiency, maintaining the Govt jet so that our rulers and their partners can be whisked quickly from one fact-finding mission to another, buying land at reasonable prices in carefully thought-out locations to build new jails etc etc.
Join with me now, Quattroste, in sending off a blank cheque to the Revenue Comissioners just in case they need something....
You know it makes sense :rolleyes:

Quattroste

The cheque's in the mail Johnny, and yes I did wipe my arse with it!

Johnny Storm

Nice one!!!