Customs duties on antique books and maps imported as gifts from US to Germany
I am a German citizen and US resident (Green Card holder) and will be traveling from the US to Germany later this year to celebrate my parents' birthdays (both "big" birthdays).
I will be bringing an antique book and antique maps that are of special significance for my parents as birthday presents (combined purchase value ~$1500). All items are more than 100 years old and were originally printed in Europe (Belgium, Netherlands, Germany; I've learned that country of origin can make a big difference when it comes to customs).
I've been trying to find out if, and if so how much, customs duty I will have to pay on entering Germany. I've researched the topic at zoll.de and ec.europa.eu, and it looks like the value will definitely exceed my personal allowance, but it appears that customs is a really complicated topic with lots of exceptions and special rules, so I'd like to get a more definitive answer.
Of course, I do have receipts that state how much I paid for the items. However, prices can vary quite drastically, and different copies of the same book/map can be purchased for substantially more or less, so one of the difficulties is that there is no "standard" value for antique items, and I'm a little worried, for example, that the value for customs purposes might be assessed substantially higher than what I paid for. I am not a professional antiques dealer or anything of the sorts, so I don't have any sort of commercial import/export permits.
How would I determine the customs duty that would be due and what additional documentation should I bring?
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Do I have to pay import tax from USA to Germany?
Customs Duties and Taxes on Imports Germany is party to the European Union's Common Customs Tariff, therefore preferential rates apply to imports from countries which the EU has signed agreements with. Duties range from 0-17%, with the general tariff averaging 4.2%.How much are customs fees from US to Germany?
The import tax charged on a shipment will be 19% on the full value of your items. For example, if the declared value of your items is 100 EUR, in order for the recipient to receive a package, an additional amount of 19.00 EUR in taxes will be required to be paid to the destination countries government.Do I have to pay customs for package from USA to Germany?
Take the applicable customs regulations into account: imported goods from the USA and non-EU countries must be declared. The amount of customs duty is regulated by the customs regulation \xa7 29. Know all the important requirements with regard to paying taxes. Contact person for this is the General Customs Service.How can I import without custom duty?
Duty-Free Import Authorisation (DFIA): Under this scheme, an exporter can import inputs without paying basic customs duty on them. However, there is a 20 percent value-addition requirement. Also, DFIA imports can be made only after the export process is completed.Customs Info Database | Find Foreign Tariffs for U.S. Products
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