Going thru customs as an Irish citizen but Canadian resident?

ash2008

Hi everyone,

not sure if this is the right forum for this, but i have a question about customs and paying vat...couldnt find anywhere else to put it.

Im an irish citizen but a few months ago became a permanent resident of Canada and have lived in Canada since then. Im hoping to travel home for xmas but im just wondering what the deal is with going through customs. It says on the customs website that you can bring back goods to Ireland with a combined value of no more than €430 duty free.

Ive bought some big items in Canada such as my laptop, mp3 players etc..which i want to bring home with me. Also, a friend wants me to get an ipad for her as its cheaper over here. The value of all of these naturally comes to way over €430.

But i have paid tax over here on these items already, and if i buy an ipad for my friend i will also pay tax to Canada on it. I cannot reclaim this tax as im a resident now, not a visitor. So it would seem a bit unfair to have to pay tax on them again when i go through customs in Ireland. Does anyone know how this works? If i tell customs im a Canadian resident am i exempt from paying taxes? I always assumed the idea on paying taxes when going through customs is because if you were just visiting a country, you would be able to claim the tax back from the country you bought the goods in.

Any help appreciated

Slasher

You won't have to pay VAT or duty on your personal belongings such as laptop or MP3 player. It will be clear to Customs that the items are not new and used.

As regards gifts, if the value exceeds €430, you should declare the items on arrival and pay accordingly. It would be helpful to have the receipts for the gifts so you can prove the value in case you are asked.