Bringing stuff back from the States

radiospan

Hi,

I'll be coming home from a J1 in San Fran in a few weeks, and I'm wondering will there be any kind of taxes or charges on stuff we bought over here.

Some of my friends have bought snowboards, guitars etc., and I've bought a laptop, so what's the best thing to do at customs?

Thanks.

Bah

Say you bought it in Ireland and just brought it over to the US with you so you'd have internet access. I doubt they'll even check what you've got tbh...

Funkstard

In Ireland anyway the 'customs' is a joke. Twice I've come back from America with new clothes coming out of my ears and there was no one in the 'items to declare' channel to even notice me. In America I wouldn't be sure, I've never bought something so noticable as a snowboard or guitar or whatever. Just do the usual and remove any evidence that its new and say you brought it over

hansov

Yeah :rolleyes: as if they'd believe you bought a snowboard in Ireland!

John R

There's nothing to pay on leaving America, it is importing into Ireland that tax and duty is applied.

Just take the goods, leave the boxes, packaging etc. behind and mail the receipts to yourself. If you really want to keep the packaging then post it as well.

PunyHuman

Five years ago (!) I came home from a J1 in San Fran with a large cardboard box filled with about €2000 worth of CDs.

Not only was I not charged extra weight charges by the airline, but I got away without paying Irish customs and excise on it. Also, and perhaps most incredibly, when I reached the baggage claim belt at Dublin Airport my stuff was already circling there.

Things might be different in these post 9-11 days though, now that we all live in perpetual fear.

bullrunner

don't think you'll have any probs with the laptop or the guitar...as was said before just say you brought them with you.

as for customs in dublin airport....I came back from germany recently and was shocked to see somebody in customs. On top of this one of them stopped some random punter in the 'Nothing to declare' channel and asked them where they came from and if they had bought anything etc.etc.

Gandhi

I go back and forth once or twice a year and have never had a problem. The only time I was ever even stopped I was bringing a full set of golf clubs (still shiny new) through Shannon for a friend.

The customs lad calls me over. He takes the driver out, takes a swing with it, and says "Jesus, that's a fine set of clubs", and sends me on my way.

Don't pack the laptop too deep, because you will have to take it out to put it through the metal detector separately, at least in the states. And definitely don't pack it in your checked baggage - I was watching a documentary the other night about bad baggage handling and they were showing all this footage of mangled laptops.

Funkstard

hansov wrote:

Yeah :rolleyes: as if they'd believe you bought a snowboard in Ireland!

You know, you can buy snowboards in Ireland. **** them if they don't believe you