Customs

[QueenOfBlades 224]

Soon I will begin figuring out what to do with my stuff before moving to the US from the UK and I am a little unsure about a few things. Will I have to pretty much declare everything at the PoE upon my arrival, including my clothes and things? I was also considering bringing my video game disc collection as well and do I have to declare those? I am aware most people advise selling or giving away their things and re-buy/aquire in the US as customs is such a hassle, but I really am hoping to bring as much as I can in a couple of bags with me when I fly over and just want to know what I need to declare and/or if I'll have to pay a customs fee on. The main things I'm concerned about is my game collection, which I will have in a disc wallet (all are legal discs, none pirated).

[Darnell 8,478]

people immigrating rarely pay customs duties on their personal belongings.

where are you reading stuff claiming otherwise?

[cathy2904 97]

You don't have to pay duty on anything that you have owned for more than a year and intend to keep for your own use. I am shipping some furniture and personal items. The pick-up is next Friday so I have had to do all the paperwork over the last few days I have not had to declare any individual items because it is all owned by me, is more than a year old and is for my own personal use.

Obviously, check the wording on the customs form when you fill it out on the plane but I'm pretty sure you're fine.

There's a sample here: http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/sample_declaration_form.xml

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Household goods of an immigrant are free of custom duties.

For things shipped on a container boat, we had to provide an itemized list. There is also a customs form for unaccompanied goods. We actually cleared that shipment ourselves rather than having an agent as we were picking up straight from the port. We had to go to a customs office in a high rise to get the clearance for release. The guy was super easy. He said "I like to keep it real simple...no forms, just show me your list". I don't know how he gets by with that but he gave us the proper clearance document that allowed pickup.

For things that are with you on the plane-- write "household goods" on the form they hand out to everybody. No itemized list and no value. If you are bringing other new items like gifts you bought, or perfume you bought at duty free, or sunglasses you purchased at the airport shop before departure, then those are not part of your household goods. They would be listed and valued. Your list might look like this:

Household goods

Harrod's bear $20

3 lbs cheddar cheese $15

180 tea bags $15

You get a certain amount duty free as a foreign citizen, so those few new items wouldn't cost you any duty or hassle. You just turn in the form.

[NickD 202]

We had never had to pay any customs fees either on personal items, even on trips back to my wife's home country to bring more things back. But before could bring that stuff back in boxes for free, now they are charging a lot extra for that additional luggage.

Doesn't quite fair since both my girls only weigh 120 pounds and are limited to 50 pounds of luggage. If they weighed 350 pounds, that extra body weight doesn't count.

[cathy2904 97]

For things shipped on a container boat, we had to provide an itemized list.

Nich-Nick is right (of course), I forgot that my stuff is being packed by the movers and they are going to provide the itemised list once that is done. I just know that on the CBP 3299 form I was not required to list any special items as everything is over a year old and belongs to me.

[lost_at_sea 995]

We put $0 on our customs form (we had 5 bags - mostly clothes, but I had packed some keep-sake jewellery and we both had our laptops with us and some other personal electronics). We actually completed 2 customs forms (because on the plane they're always like - do one each per family, per surname and I didn't change my name) and the officer was like "Why did you do 2?" and tore mine up and just took my husbands (which said $0). So, he definitely looked at it.

Our proper stuff is currently on a boat going to SF and that was itemised on a customs declaration separately.

Edited August 2, 2013 by lost_at_sea

[christeen 966]

Customs does not care about your personal items (clothes, video games, household stuff) unless it is for resale... They want to know about duty free items, liquor, cigarettes and cash over 10k ... Don't confuse the with stuff they don't care about...