US import duty/tax on jewellry?

Scuzi

Scuzi

Scuzi

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It's probably a long shot posting this here but I know a few members have been in a similar scenario so maybe they can help me.

If I bring a piece of jewellry which was purchased in the UK into the US where it will be given as a gift and remain in the US, will I have to pay duty and tax on it and if so, at what rate? I'm a non-US resident travelling under a visa waiver if that makes any difference.

I've been looking at www.cbp.gov for hours and I have found plenty of charts and tables with rates but they're too confusing for a simpleton like myself :D

Thanks :)
 
If it's a engagement ring then it's not a gift.

I did take a engagement ring over to the US I just put it on my little finger :o
 
Biohazard said:
Surely by definition it is a gift?

Or is this to cover tight arses who want things back incase they split?
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I'm pretty sure the law in the US states that if an engaged couple break up, the ring has to be returned to the man. I dunno if this has any bearing on the duty though?

Let's just say for the purpose of discussion it is such a ring.
 
Scuzi said:
I'm pretty sure the law in the US states that if an engaged couple break up, the ring has to be returned to the man. I dunno if this has any bearing on the duty though?
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Sure its not that the man has a right to it if he chooses to assert it, not just a blanket 'must hand back'.

But yeah, I wonder if that has any bearing on duty declaration.

I couldn't say.

Scuzi said:
Let's just say for the purpose of discussion it is such a ring.
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I coudn't say.

I'd argue like heck it was a gift.
 
Scuzi said:
It's probably a long shot posting this here but I know a few members have been in a similar scenario so maybe they can help me.

If I bring a piece of jewellry which was purchased in the UK into the US where it will be given as a gift and remain in the US, will I have to pay duty and tax on it and if so, at what rate? I'm a non-US resident travelling under a visa waiver if that makes any difference.

I've been looking at www.cbp.gov for hours and I have found plenty of charts and tables with rates but they're too confusing for a simpleton like myself :D

Thanks :)
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If you were bringing it into the UK from outside the EU the duty free rate is on anything above £390 per item. I imagine it is a similar story for the US?

Tariff details for jewellery will probably be in here somewhere:

http://www.usitc.gov/publications/docs/tata/hts/bychapter/1002C71.pdf
 
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Scuzi said:
I'm pretty sure the law in the US states that if an engaged couple break up, the ring has to be returned to the man. I dunno if this has any bearing on the duty though?

Let's just say for the purpose of discussion it is such a ring.
Click to expand...


Like I say just put it on one of your fingers. And in a few years time it will make a great story ;)

But trust me on this..take the receipt for the ring with you because you may need it one day.
 
Crizzy said:
If you were bringing it into the UK from outside the EU the duty free rate is on anything above £390 per item. I imagine it is a similar story for the US?

Tariff details for jewellery will probably be in here somewhere:

http://www.usitc.gov/publications/docs/tata/hts/bychapter/1002C71.pdf
Click to expand...
That's the document that fried my brain! :p


deuse said:
Like I say just put it on one of your fingers. And in a few years time it will make a great story ;)

But trust me on this..take the receipt for the ring with you because you may need it one day.
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I'll be bringing the receipt just in case. The last thing I want them to do is to value it on the high side if it comes to that!
 
Scuzi said:
That's the document that fried my brain! :p


I'll be bringing the receipt just in case. The last thing I want them to do is to value it on the high side if it comes to that!
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I agree, tariffs are so complicated it makes it feel like they don't want you to bother.
 
Scuzi said:
That's the document that fried my brain! :p


I'll be bringing the receipt just in case. The last thing I want them to do is to value it on the high side if it comes to that!
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I sent the box empty in a bigger box and told my GF not to open it(which she did not.)

If you don't have a ring case\box at customs they won't look for a ring ;)

And congrats..don't forget to tell us all how it went ...with pics :)
 
Scuzi said:
It's probably a long shot posting this here but I know a few members have been in a similar scenario so maybe they can help me.

If I bring a piece of jewellry which was purchased in the UK into the US where it will be given as a gift and remain in the US, will I have to pay duty and tax on it and if so, at what rate? I'm a non-US resident travelling under a visa waiver if that makes any difference.

I've been looking at www.cbp.gov for hours and I have found plenty of charts and tables with rates but they're too confusing for a simpleton like myself :D

Thanks :)
Click to expand...

just wear it through security and dont declare it.

Customs + immigration have more important to things to worry about than whether the ring you are wearing is yours or not.
 
deuse said:
I sent the box empty in a bigger box and told my GF not to open it(which she did not.)

If you don't have a ring case\box at customs they won't look for a ring ;)

And congrats..don't forget to tell us all how it went ...with pics :)
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Not a bad idea! I'd probably get caught though because my luck sucks :(

Drew, they might like bigger diamonds but half a carat is about as high as I'm willing to go. Anything else is ludicrously expensive to a tightarse like me :D
 
put it on a chain wear it round your neck and say it's all they could salvage from your former fiancées car crash so you keep it as a memento :(
 
Tefal said:
put it on a chain wear it round your neck and say it's all they could salvage from your former fiancées car crash so you keep it as a memento :(
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the chances of them wanting to strip search you are so slim its unreal

If they've got to the point they're asking you to take your clothes off then you've already done something really wrong lol.
 
MrLOL said:
the chances of them wanting to strip search you are so slim its unreal

If they've got to the point they're asking you to take your clothes off then you've already done something really wrong lol.
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don;t they ask you to put anything metallic in a little tray as you go though the metal detectors though?


women's engagement ring might be odd if he took it out of a pocket/ off a finger :p
 
I bought the ring over there from a family friend, diamonds are a lot cheaper there. 1.5ct for about the same that the high street jewellers here charge for 0.75-1ct.
 
Tefal said:
don;t they ask you to put anything metallic in a little tray as you go though the metal detectors though?


women's engagement ring might be odd if he took it out of a pocket/ off a finger :p
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That would be at the security checks at the airport which will be done in the UK

They couldnt give a **** about tax because its just security you could be going anywhere.

All you have to worry about is customs once you've landed. They dont even look at your hands.
 
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