brian.w

If you have a few items that are boxed and still new which you have had for over a year or so,im sure i read anything newer than that could be charged a fee from customs,How will they know,do they need proof?
Its i have some items new,i have been buying these past years,months etc i plan on taking with me and i wanted to know instead of building them,or removing them from there boxes was going to leave them the way they was.is this a good idea as its protected being still in there packing boxes,but then customs might think they are new,which some might not be.

Also i got a plasma not so long ago and surrond speakers again these would be going as well and i kept there boxes back for me to pack them back into,would this not look to them as if its new,how can they tell or what would they do,i just feel keeping them in there proper boxes and packing would be idea for shipping.

JoolsB

I'm sure I read somewhere that you also get taxed on things that have been 'in use' for less than a year-obviously done to avoid people saying that new items are actually old but have been sat unopened in boxes/using a brand new item such as a toaster once before shipping

Also, some electrical items might be stamped with bar codes/serial numbers that indicate their year of manufacture-something to be careful of (i.e. our tv has the year on the back).

I think you could get away with the odd/inexpensive new item but lots of undeclared obviously new, costly gear could cause probs...

brian.w

so how can they prove it if no info on the item of when it was made etc,its my word against there's,also why should they be able to do this,we are in the uk purchased an item new,probably paid vat etc or whatever taxes and then want to move to another country and start again with items again thats cost you to send over to maybe be charged again to have them there,its my own stuff not as if i am going to sell them once there,if i was would still not be anything to do with them really.
But does one make them look used take items out of there packaging and pack another way,as some items this could be possile.

Also is it ok to send kitchen items over with you,do they get cleaned like the outside stuff you have to send and if so how clean have them to be?and what with?

Pollyana

The idea is that the Australian Govt don't want you spending money somewhere else and bringing stuff with you, they'd rather you bought it here. Hence the tax on new goods. Also, they don't know if you are importing it to sell, and if its new that could well be your plan.
They won't worry about the odd thing here and there, but if you have a reasonable amount of new, expensive, gear, its going to be in your interest to declare it as the fine if they inspect the container and find it full of undeclared new stuff will be on top of the tax.
If they think its new, the onus will be on you to prove otherwise, or pay up, before Customs release your goods.

Kitchen stuff - do you mean utensils? Make sure they are clean, as in washed, thats all. Outdoor stuff has to be cleaned to get rid of dirt and possible insect life - that shouldn't be an issue with kitchen utensils.