mstiggiewinkle

Good to hear that.

I called them too, at my shippers advice, after two weeks to get it rushed through (i had a tight window). I had provided "other" reason as "family reasons" and given my mothers address. The HMRC chap looked over the paperwork with me. Very approachable and friendly. You will be fine.

Guernsey2612

Do I need to complete a TOR if I am returning to UK in 6months from NZ?

Thanks

mstiggiewinkle

If you a) intend on shipping home possessions, and b) dont want to pay import tax, yes.
The TOR is a customs form. If you are NOT bringing goods (furniture, books, pets etc) outside of a couple suitcases of clothes then yes, otherwise, be prepared to pay import taxes.

Guernsey2612

Thank you.

So do I need to provide packing list from UK as well as Packing list from NZ?

What enclosures should i send to them?

Thanks again for help

kirstyp

My understanding is you can't apply under ToR if you've been out of the EU less than 12 months.

You can still apply for duty free import though. You will will likely need to show documentation evidencing what was shipped out and what you are shipping back as well as an explanation of your circumstances and reason for return that HMRC would then review. If you've bought anything new duties/taxes would be applicable.

Your shipping company will be able to assist with this application as well as advise you on the process and the enclosures you need.

Hope that helps?

Micra14

I am returning to the UK from New Zealand in April 2018. I've been working in NZ since I arrived here in 2011 and I'll retire when I get back to the UK. I'm finding HMRC's Transfer of Residence form a real pain and the discussion on this forum very helpful. However, there are some things I haven't found a clear 'answer' to and I'm hoping others may be able to help.
I'll number my ToR concerns for ease of reference.
1. The form assumes I'll have an employer when I return: I won't, as I'll be retired. How can I prove that I'll be retiring when I arrive in the UK? I've deferred my UK State Pension and I plan to apply for it when I return to the UK so I haven't got any paperwork yet. Presumably HMRC will be able to tell by my NI number that I'm eligible to receive my State Pension?
2. I own the home in the UK to which I'll be returning and the documentation (deeds) proving I'm the owner are held by my UK solicitor. He is very slow to respond even to requests marked 'urgent' so I can't easily send a copy to HMRC before I leave NZ. I do have copies of Council Tax and Utility bills though, in my name and with the address of my UK home - can I submit these as evidence?
3. Should I attach the 'upload' list to the ToR form that the movers (Crown) will make when they collect my things from my NZ house? This would mean I couldn't submit the ToR form until after the goods have been collected, which feels risky to me, even given the length of time it will probably take for my stuff to get from NZ to the UK. I don't want to incur storage costs or additional charges.
4. I can of course itemise the things I'm shipping and attach that list, but, like others who have posted on the Forum, I haven't got receipts for most things, either because they were bought secondhand in NZ or because I brought them with me from the UK in 2011 - and nothing was new then. I'm not shipping many large single items or anything of high value, just things that will be useful or have sentimental value. I did buy a new bicycle in NZ in about 2013 but I can't find the receipt. Basically, I've got no clear idea what most of my stuff is worth - is there a rule of thumb for estimating the value of, e.g., clothes, shoes, bedding, books, other household effects?
5. The form asks why no family members are traveling with me: I'm single, I'm returning to the UK alone and I'll be living alone when I get there - what more should I say? Just writing this makes me feel like Billy No-Mates!
Finally, I find the fact that I can't save the form as a draft annoying as it means I have to have everything resolved and entered in one go, rather than being able to return to it and check and amend things before printing it out and sending it to HMRC. I see that others find this a help so I'm trying to see that my glass is indeed half-full rather than half-empty!
Thanks in advance for any advice anyone can give.

mstiggiewinkle

My advice is to not overthink it. It is purely for customs. They simply want to know that you are a returning national who does not need to pay import tax.
I cited "other" vs job/education details and simply wrote family reasons.
I used my mothers address - no documentation was given nor required.
The list i submitted i estimated cost and provided no receipts as nothing was new.

Micra14

Thanks very much mstiggiewinkle - much appreciated.

mstiggiewinkle

You are welcome. I tried to attach images but the page keeps crashing.
If in doubt keep it simple, make sure your list of goods is as accurate as can be and dont sweat the small stuff.
Good luck!!

durham_lad

From the experience of my son moving from the USA last year (I went over for 2 weeks to help him)

1. He didn’t have a job lined up so he said on the form that he planned to look for work after arriving.

2. He was moving into our place until he found a house so he said that on the form and including a scan of a utility bill in our name, which is the same last name as him.

3. Yes, he attached the detailed shipping list from the movers after they had loaded up his belongings. He did have problems where the scanned images exceeded the allowed size. Can’t remember how or if this was solved but he did call them.

4. He is far too disorganized to have any receipts so he just did a rough estimate of value.

5. Simply state that you are single, not everyone has the luxury of family traveling with them.

Best of luck, you’ll be fine.

Micra14

Many thanks - really helpful.

bdlhome

Thank you, this is incredibly helpful. We are moving back to the UK and it will be under very similar circumstances with us moving back for family reasons and staying with family initially until we purchase a house.

copernicus

Probably a silly question too, but here it goes:

I'll be shipping a container and in the list of goods I included a generic description such as "5 boxes of household items".

We just realize that we have a lot of cleaning and bathroom stuff that I'm not sure if we can take with us. We usually buy in bulk, so we still have a couple of unopened bottles of shampoo, 24 rolls of toilet paper, soap,perfumes, etc.All together is easily more than $100 to replace. Can I take a box with all this or has anyone had issues with things like this? (I don't know if they can be technically considered household items or if they may question when I bought them)

Thanks in advance for your help!

NewWorldMan

As long as you don't sell them or give them away, then it's not a problem.

NewWorldMan

For anyone who's interested in recent wait times.

Applied Sunday night. Received number on Thursday morning.

Also, if you email, you now receive an email acknowledgement along with an instruction to phone if you don't hear anything within two weeks.

All in all, a lot less painful than I was expecting.