Bringing stuff back from the states

[A face]

People, does anyone know how much goods (not drugs :p) you can bring back from the states without having to declare it?

Also, has anyone any other useful info on this topic? ;)

[paul_oshea]

loads a face, ive brought back loads of stuff in the past. its actually not supposed to be that high the limit that is, but its all about being cute.

[MojoPin]

its something ridicolous like $400. but thats crazy if your going on a shopping holiday.. and it eing xmas id say irish costoms wont be too strict

[Blue-Army]

I've heard their really strict in New York this year...Random checks on luggage for people on weekend and short trips...
I don't see how you can be caught though if you throw away the tags and packaging...:cool:

[Dodge]

its something ridicolous like $400. but thats crazy if your going on a shopping holiday.. and it eing xmas id say irish costoms wont be too strict


Apparently they are this year. A mate of mine came back yesterday and he said about 25% of passengers had their bags checked. People bringing back like 3/4 ipods are taking the **** IMO

[CollegeTillIDie]

I've heard their really strict in New York this year...Random checks on luggage for people on weekend and short trips...
I don't see how you can be caught though if you throw away the tags and packaging...:cool:

I heard the same thing Blue Army....

[OneRedArmy]

Its E170 I believe.

What will happen to you depends on:
1) whether you are stopped
2) how far the customs people want to go

In terms of 1, you can help yourself by packing all the stuff in your checked luggage (you'd be surprised). Some people advise going down the Blue channel, but if you are caught doing this from outside the EU they are likely to give you the plastic glove treatment!!!

In terms of 2, I still get the impression that despite the increased level of checking (up from zero basically) they really aren't going through things with the same rigour as they did 15-20 years ago. I can remember a Dublin customs agent checking the serial numbers on my golf clubs back in the early 90's (bought in US and used 4 or 5 times) to see where they were purchased.

So take off tags on clothes, hide your receipts and be prepared to bargain (ie offer some goods as being purchased rather than trying to get away with the whole lot).

Of course, the best possible solution is to be from the North and have an address there so customs in Dublin have no jurisdiction over you ;):D

[kingdom hoop]

Seems like the authorities are largely unconcerned;

"since October, Customs agents have stopped more than 4,000 passengers, of whom around 2,500 were Irish, and nearly €8,000 worth of VAT and customs was recovered, Shay Doyle, manager of customs enforcement at Dublin airport, told the New York-based Irish Voice. "In the same period we've been hearing about so-called shopping trips to New York, we've caught €950,000 worth of drugs and 5.7 million illegal cigarettes. A question might be, do you want us to stop the drugs coming in that are killing our kids? We can have officers spending all their time taking €20 or €30 in VAT on a few Nike T-shirts from New York, or we can focus our attention elsewhere. You have to get some perspective into it, you know."

- Irish Times last Saturday

[pete]

"since October, Customs agents have stopped more than 4,000 passengers, of whom around 2,500 were Irish, and nearly €8,000 worth of VAT and customs was recovered, Shay Doyle, manager of customs enforcement at Dublin airport, told the New York-based Irish Voice.

I presume the 8k are goods that people decided not to pay the tax on as its not very much divided between 2,500 people.

I heard a story that some guy stopped bringing in 3,000 IPhones.

I would be surprised if they bothered with clothes but obviously makes sense to take the tags off. A large amount of electronic equipment could be difficult to get away with.

Does any one know where the burden of proof lies?

[Dodge]

Does any one know where the burden of proof lies?

Easy enough to prove about the iphones seeing as they're not available here

As has been said, clothes etc are OK.

[OneRedArmy]

Does any one know where the burden of proof lies?Strictly on you to prove that you bought the goods duty paid. They can repossess if they want to.

As said above, unlikely unless you are taking the ****.

Re someone bringing in 3,000 Iphones...luggage limitations (not to mention fact that thats approx $2m worth of goods?:confused:

[Blue-Army]

I heard a story that some guy stopped bringing in 3,000 IPhones.
I heard it was 6 iphones !!! I'd say they cost about 3k so you probably heard the story wrong !!

[Dodge]

Or more than one erson has brought in more than one iphone

[pete]

Found one story...



One passenger at Shannon was found carrying a suitcase containing 45 iPhone mobile phones worth €10,000, on which he had to pay an estimated €3,460 in VAT and import tax.

[A face]

But after Christmas it'll all have died down with the checks yeah? Middle of January would be fine?

[Docboy]

I came back through Dublin last week and didn't get stopped. Having said that everybody else had two giant bags each so we probably weren't targetted. Like someone else mentioned, take the tags off and you should be alright. I get the impression that the customs are just going through the motions.

[anto1208]

Have a bag of stuff Purchased don t try and say you bought nothing have the stuff worth 100 to 150 pay tax on that and with the rest take tags off clothes. Wear them once if you like on hols.

If you really want to be cleaver fill your suitcase with old clothes that you want to throw out fly over say it weighs 20 kg . Dump the clothes over there fill it up with new clothes to 20kg and you can allways say this is what i brought here is my proof.

I have heard of people coming back with Nindendo games and customs taking them off them !!!

[OneRedArmy]

But after Christmas it'll all have died down with the checks yeah? Middle of January would be fine?
More than likely unless you are unlucky enough to be randomly stopped.

Bear in mind the average spend on these shopping trips is said to be well into the thousands of Euro. I would imagine most of the MEN :D on this thread would hardly be spending amounts like this?

[Dodge]

Bear in mind the average spend on these shopping trips is said to be well into the thousands of Euro. I would imagine most of the MEN :D on this thread would hardly be spending amounts like this?

We would yeah. It mightn't be for us, and we mightn't have a say in it but the money was ours...

[OneRedArmy]

We would yeah. It mightn't be for us, and we mightn't have a say in it but the money was ours...I feel your pain.

[pete]

I would assume it is up to the customs to prove good were bought in the US? This would be a lot easier with electronics but I would think little chance could prove clothes unless had tags still on them.

[OneRedArmy]

I would assume it is up to the customs to prove good were bought in the US? No, as said earlier in the thread burden of proof is on you to demonstrate duty paid.

[Unreal Madrid]

I came through Shannon afew weeks ago on a Sunday morning at 8 30. 4 guys checkin most peoples bags. We had 4 big bags of new stuff, mostly kids clothes and toys. They are only looking for people taking the p i s s. They looked at my new camera and i pod in there boxs and just left us go.

[a.a.d]

One passenger at Shannon was found carrying a suitcase containing 45 iPhone mobile phones worth €10,000, on which he had to pay an estimated €3,460 in VAT and import tax


Only in Ireland could we get it so wrong, I would say that this lad paid up the money with a big smile on his face. A friend of mine is just back from New York and I got him to price the Iphone while he was there and the cheapest one without a contract was $815 so that by 45 = $36675 and using todays rate of exchange is €566.72 each which = €25502.40 in total

[Dodge]

Only in Ireland could we get it so wrong, I would say that this lad paid up the money with a big smile on his face. A friend of mine is just back from New York and I got him to price the Iphone while he was there and the cheapest one without a contract was $815 so that by 45 = $36675 and using todays rate of exchange is €566.72 each which = €25502.40 in total

In fairness the customs people won't give out individual figures so the journo is the only person making up these figures

[onceahoop]

Of course, the best possible solution is to be from the North and have an address there so customs in Dublin have no jurisdiction over you ;):D


Wrong there ORA. As it's your first point of enrtry into the EU and there's no customs control between here and the North they're perfectly entitled to charge you the duty and vat . BTW I hear that if they seize it the penalty is 100% of the duty and vat. Ouch.

There was an article in the Sunday Tribune on 16/12 explaining their attitude. Apparently they could spend 20minutes searching a bag and only collect €12. Their focus is on drugs and commercial quantities of cigarettes.