Can we avoid paying import duty for a work laptop temporarily shipped to India via DHL?
My girlfriend is an Indian national who has been living in the UK for more than 10 years and now has Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK. Just recently, her mom in India became ill and she travelled to India to be with her. On departure at Heathrow, she left her work laptop behind accidentally in a tray at security. The laptop has been found, and she arranged shipment to herself in India via DHL. The laptop has arrived in Delhi, but DHL now want ₹38,000 INR / £400 GBP for import duty before releasing it. Is this a legitimate charge?
My girlfriend is staying with her mom until she gets better (recovering from a heart attack and having a pacemaker fitted) so we don't know how long that will take, but she will be coming back to the UK at some point to work (she works for a well-known UK University, who the laptop belongs to) and to be at her home and life. The laptop belongs to her work - she needs it to continue her work while she is away, but it will come back to the UK with her.
So, in summary, she has had her work laptop shipped out to herself whilst on a personal errand to India, after losing it at the airport, but will bring it back when she returns to UK, DHL want import duty, and we're not sure it's applicable in this case, as it is not being imported permanently and doesn't actually belong to her.
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Do I have to pay DHL import duty in India?
You will not be paying to DHL any further shipping costs. Rather, you will be asked instead to pay customs duties, taxes and other import charges related to customs clearance in your home country, as per local regulations.How can I avoid duty charges when shipping to India?
If you move back to India, you are eligible for exemption from customs duties under Transfer of Residence. All you would need to do is apply for Transfer of Residence and provide all the required documentation for the clearance. Forgetting to do this can cost you customs duty on the entire shipment.Do I need to pay customs duty for laptop?
As per the new rules, any adult who has stayed for over three days overseas can bring a laptop back to India as a part of their baggage without additional duty. However, such an individual will be able to bring back only one laptop as their personal property without paying extra duty.Why is DHL asking me to pay import duty?
To ensure the DHL courier can deliver your goods in shortest possible transit time, when we enter your country, DHL pays the customs authority immediately on your behalf for any duties and taxes that are due on the goods.DHL Parcel Delivery to Canada | How to Avoid Parcel import duty, Taxes and related charges|
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