American in Europe: can I avoid import fees?
I'm travelling across Europe, and my phone was stolen in Berlin. I'd like to buy a used replacement on ebay, but I see that I appear to be liable for a hefty import fee. Is that right? I'm only buying a phone for personal use, and will take it home with me.
Or, if the import fee can't be avoided, is there some other way for me to get a good used smartphone in Europe that I'm not thinking of?
EDIT for clarification: I'm talking about a smartphone; I'm primarily interested in data and apps. The phone I hope to get is a 2nd-gen Moto X.
Best Answer
The only straightforward, legal way to do this without much fuss is to buy the phone from within the EU. There is ebay and a whole variety of other local websites working within the EU, and second hand phone shops are everywhere.
You may be liable for some kind of import fee on returning to the US, although there is a personal allowance of $800 - this would cover the cost of your desired phone brand new, nevermind second hand.
Another option may be to investigate your travel insurance (if you have any). Whil they'll likley just give you cash, they may have their own procedures for replacements (and also likley a time limit within which to notify them to make a claim).
Finally, you may be able to import the phone and then claim import VAT relief as a temporary admission. The UK government describes the system on their gov.uk website, although you'll have to claim this relief in the country you import it to, which hits the language barrier problem again.
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Do I have to pay customs from US to EU?
Customs Duty is not due for goods, provided directly to the buyer when their value does not exceed 150 euros. This exception does not apply to perfumes and toilet waters, tobacco or tobacco products and alcoholic products which are subject to special limits on the quantity provided.Is there a way to avoid import fees?
Depending on what you bought, you may have to pay an import duty, which is a type of tax levied by the federal government on particular imported items. Unfortunately, there's no legal way to avoid import duty\u2014if the duty is owed, someone has to pay it.How do I avoid custom charges UK EU?
Currently, you can send a parcel to any destination in the UK and throughout Europe without any additional customs charges or documentation being required. However, if you are sending a parcel outside of the European Union, such as to China, USA, India or Australia, you will need to complete customs documentation.How much can I import from USA without paying duty?
Up to $1,600 in goods will be duty-free under your personal exemption if the merchandise is from an IP. Up to $800 in goods will be duty-free if it is from a CBI or Andean country.DHL Parcel Delivery to Canada | How to Avoid Parcel import duty, Taxes and related charges|
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Answer 2
If you buy it in Europe, then you may be liable for duty when you return to the USA. Fortunately, unless it is really expensive, it likely falls under your personal duty free allowance (assuming you haven't bought a lot of other expensive stuff). But you need to make sure it covers all global frequencies not just the standard GSM used in Europe.
If you buy from the USA and have it shipped to Europe, then you are stuck paying whatever import duties are charged by Germany. You maybe able to get the VAT and other taxes refunded when you take the phone out of Germany, but I am not familiar with German rules (I know many countries only refund VAT if you bought it from certain stores authorized to issue the paperwork for a refund).
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