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duty free items to bahamas

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mstineyb
  4/1/2010 23:15 EST

I am moving to Nassau Bahamas shortly and would like to know when I ship my belongings other than my personal clothing and toilet articles will I have to pay customs fees on things like cookware, dishes, microwave, etc. which have all been used? I have not been able to find the info anywhere on the website.

dolfie
  4/2/2010 17:31 EST

Yes, you will need to pay duty.
Get invoices of all your stuff, or they put a value on it.
Try to contact a broker in advance. See: brokers
Note that if you rent a house, many come with all you bring.

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dolfie
  4/2/2010 17:40 EST

try to copy and paste this link and take your time to read. Almost each case is specific. Maybe you'll find something useful in it.

http://www.expatexchange.com/expat/index.cfm?frmid=171&forumid=0&dbname=ee&shared=N

breija
  4/2/2010 21:50 EST

Hi,

Yes, as dolfie has said you will have to pay duties, and it will be important to place a value on everything you decide to bring in.

A really good idea is to find your residence and see what is included. Often, rentals (and even some purchases) are "turnkey," meaning they are ready to move in and just live. Often, linens, towels, and all kitchen needs are already there.

That being said, I brought down a lot of my own bedding and kitchen stuff. some of our stuff was 10 to 20 years old already, so we made sure we included a fairly detailed manifest with the container, of course valuating everything low. If you are fairly detailed, customs likely won't go through everything. We brought down kitchen accessories, kitchen small appliances, a lot of books (for work), sewing machines, small hand and power tools, and a vehicle.

The general duties now are around 45%. Here is a link to the 2008 Customs tariff book. Be aware - this is not necessarily the up to date book, and you may want to contact Customs directly (contact info on the site) to find out specific rates. In particular, the rates for bringing your vehicle or boat down are not as listed in the book. Vehicles valued at over $20,000 US have import duties of 75%!

http://www.bahamas.gov.bs/bahamasweb2/home.nsf/vContentW/356C5F1011AA0C38852575B600584CBA

I strongly suggest that you come down to find a place to live and see just what you NEED to bring. Then, once you are a resident, each family member is allowed 2 "exemptions" of $300 twice per year, duty free. So, that is another way to bring some of your stuff down.

If you plan well, it can work out fine. We stored a lot of stuff, and now that we have been here a number of years and know we will be here longer, we are looking at bringing down another container of furniture, appliances, and tools and such that we really miss!

All the best!

mstineyb
  4/6/2010 13:18 EST

Thanks for the info. I have a place to stay already. I have contacts there that took care of it. Being a US citizen I plan on spending 6-8 months and then getting an extension. The majority of my belongings will be shipped to me shortly after my arrival. I just wasn't too sure about bringing the bed linens, dishes, cooking utensils, computer as far as paying duty on them and being questioned by customs/immigration as to my intentions on staying and bringing all these items. I think I would have to place low amounts on all even though most are less than a year old. As for my clothes, shoes and handbags, I have numerous. I don't think I have to pay duty on them. I am not planning to sell anything as they are things accumulated thru the years that I want to keep.

breija
  4/6/2010 13:38 EST

Glad to hear that you have a place to stay already. It sounds as though you are planning to stay without having a job. Have you checked into this already?

Given that you have a place to stay, find out from your contacts what the furnishings are. Clearly, if you are planning only a short term (less than a year) extended stay, it would not be worth bringing in your household items (linenes, dishes, cooking utensils) and paying any duty on them. Keep in mind that duties are also payable on freight costs. While you may valuate your belongings low, given that you say most of it fairly new, Customs may deem it necessary to re-evaluate the amounts. It would really depend upon the customs officer.

When it comes to your clothes, shoes, and handbags - technically, they are all dutiable with the exception of whatever you carry in with you. If you are carrying a lot, customs may require you to open your bags. Again, it's hard to know because it depends on how busy they are when you arrive, and on the custom's officer.

Hope that helps! Enjoy your stay down here!

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mstineyb
  4/12/2010 19:12 EST

Thanks again. I wil not be working since I retired from US Customs several months ago. Of course US and BAH have different rules and regulations. I will be there for 6-8 months for now and going back and forth from time to time. That is why I need to bring whatever I can and ship what I can't bring. I am in the process of packing and expect to be there in May.

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