Importing from Japan

[cetera]

1 hour ago, Rageofklugman said:

I think people are expecting far more diligence from border officials than is actually the case. I can't imagine that stopping people carrying instruments to see if they're new and subject to import duty is high on their list of priorities. 

My experience is one of not being stopped to check, ever.....

 

Others experience may vary...

[Cliff Edge]

1 hour ago, Rageofklugman said:

I think people are expecting far more diligence from border officials than is actually the case. I can't imagine that stopping people carrying instruments to see if they're new and subject to import duty is high on their list of priorities. 

It may not be but it happens. 
Personal effects do not attract any duty or taxes but you might be asked for some form of proof of ownership.  Strolling through customs with a Guitar case is going to attract attention. 
If you are going to bring your own gear back from overseas, you’re better off employing a shipping agent who specialises in personal effects to do the whole thing for you. 

[OliverBlackman]

1 hour ago, cetera said:

My experience is one of not being stopped to check, ever.....

 

Others experience may vary...

I just know the one time I try something like that I end up behind bars and on some terrible Channel 5 border documentary to be repeated on Dave forever. 

Edited September 20, 2021 by OliverBlackman

[Musicman666]

6 hours ago, Cliff Edge said:

It may not be but it happens. 
Personal effects do not attract any duty or taxes but you might be asked for some form of proof of ownership.  Strolling through customs with a Guitar case is going to attract attention. 
If you are going to bring your own gear back from overseas, you’re better off employing a shipping agent who specialises in personal effects to do the whole thing for you. 

I have never heard of any specialist doing that from asia, most shipping agents are geared up to simply pay the tax and not try and avoid it, they are all set up for commercial shipping. Household movers in the uk who may know more don’t have representatives in asia. My guess is if you find someone who can do it all they will probably charge so much that you may as well just do it with commercial shippers and pay the tax. 

[Downunderwonder]

12 minutes ago, Musicman666 said:

pay the tax. 

You need to determine your liability. It isn't hard but takes persistence in wading through web pages to find the bit that describes your residency and entitlement to bring household effects back.

[Mark the Meanderer]

Yeah, this is a real bummer.  There's a nice Yamaha SLB300 on eBay from Japan but by the time I add import & VAT it's then 83% of the new price from Thomann which is too close  

[NancyJohnson]

It's funny how threads get resurrected, was talking about import tax etc last night.

 

Wife said something along the lines of, "Do you remember how holiday companies would promote the USA and say stuff like, 'Come to New York!  It's the shopping capital of the world!'"

 

How does stuffing a half-empty outbound suitcase with new clothes differ from buying a guitar and bringing it in?  Bringing a guitar in, I suspect you're easy prey for custom officials.  Christ on a bike, I know a few people who packed a smaller suitcase inside a bigger one so they could buy loads of clothes.

[Mark the Meanderer]

I also know people that have taken their empty worn gig case with all the stickers to a country to buy a guitar and bring it back. 

BTW that wasn't me, far too organised.