apobateman

Hi - I haven't found a clear answer to the above question. I have seen that I need to declare anything bought within the previous 12 months when I ship my household effects to Sydney in january - I am assuming this includes things like new printer, new stereo etc. I have also read that each adult is entitled to $400 duty free and children $200, and assume that gives a $1200 total allowance?

However, I also read on the PSS removal site that first time permanent resident migrants are exempt from the import duty at all? Can anyone clarify please? If that is the case, I may purchase a few extra items now to take advantage of cheaper costs, and then ship them over.

Dorothy

You do not pay import taxes on personal effects. If you came with a container full of brand new stereos and tried to say they were for personal use then yes, you would pay duty. You may pay AQIS inspection fees and any fumigation/destruction fees when you get your stuff to this end, though.

apobateman

Thanks Dorothy - so should I still declare these items as where it asks to list anything bought by me in the last 12 months? Everything I have purchased in the past few months is for personal use and has been opened and used, with the exception of a brand new upright vacuum cleaner that my wife wanted, and bicycle that I bought her for xmas :-)

Dorothy

When your removalists come they should do a detailed listing of all your possessions anyway. Ours was about 8 pages long and detailed every single item put in the container. I personally wouldn't worry about it. The movers will itemise things, so you don't have to.

spottydog

Declare everything, in theory you should pay duty on all items owned for less than 12 months, in practice if the items are for personal use (i.e. not multiple items still in their boxes for obvious resale) you are very unlikely to be charged duty. We had a number of things bought within 12 months of moving here, declared everything and had no problems.

Sherlock Holmes

I have to echo the above reply completetly. If you declare, you probably won't pay anything (unless it's a silly amount over the top) if you don't declare and they find it, it will cost you heaps.

Alfresco

We declared our laptops on arrival and paid nothing.

Also declared the new tumble dryer in the container and had to pay duty on that.

moneypenny20

Didn't declare a brand new Dyson and a new microwave both still in their original packaging. Didn't get thumped for duty either. Possibly just lucky though.

Sherlock Holmes

But then...I even put on the form that a chest of drawers might have wood worm....they didn't even look. I think it is luck most of the time.

nickyjohnt

My sister and her husband recently moved over, packed their container themselves, they had many new items still in original packing (Ikea furniture,Plasma Tv and a Cement mixer for me) They declared all new items and did not pay a cent duty they expected to pay some duty on new stuff but maybe they were lucky.
Good luck
John

JenniGee

So we should have no problems with iPod, DSi's etc that we get for the girls for Christmas then?

scaria197

Question...we are also right now packing our own stuff and shipping it out Feb 7, 2010...how detailed do you get in the list?

Is this level of detail sufficient?

For example:

>24 Pc Ikea Dinner Set (less than 12 months old)

>6 Pots and Pans

>23 -inch LCD monitor (less than 12 months old)

>15 Dress Shirts

>6 Pairs of Jeans

>32 inch Sharp Television SN: XXXXXXX

>47 inch Toshiba LCD (less than 12 months old) SN: XXXXXXXX



-scaria197

The Bloke

You could delete the "less than 12 months old" and they would never know the difference.

Alfresco

Nah. Just label the general contents of each box such as:

Master b/room - Ladies Clothes.

or

Kids room - Kids toys.

or

Kitchen - pots and pans.

etc...

Label the room, then the contents of each box. Makes unpacking easier.


Big items can be labelled individually. Don't mention it's new if you can help it. Our tumble dryer was brand new in the box still, so we declared it.