Carrying home "importing" a Rolex from Turks and Caicos

[Stuntpilot]

Declare it or not. I don't think either will be a big deal

[Jim Smyth]

Its a personal choice that brings both Risk and/or Reward. Some people have had enough of the double & triple taxation and this is there small way to protest the tax man. Lesson learned from reading this thread for me is to mail the box/papers back if you go this route. Me personally I just buy it here in the States and dont have to worry about it. YMMV

[JRique]

Originally Posted by johnbeth

Tax avoidance is theft. Simples.

LOL?

Explain to us why you have to pay a % of the product that you bought overseas using the money that you got by working. Because there is a law?

I can't see as keeping my money would be theft, as the definition:

theft: the act of stealing; the felonious taking and removing of personal property with intent to deprive the rightful owner of it.

So the government is the rightful owner, lol, I can see that: because there is a law.

[The Libertine]

Avoid vs. Evade; there is a difference between the two.

[GB-man]

Originally Posted by JRique

LOL?

Explain to us why you have to pay a % of the product that you bought overseas using the money that you got by working. Because there is a law?
.

That's right. You're a fast learner lol

[MonBK]

Originally Posted by GB-man

That's right. You're a fast learner lol

[DCheeta]

I won't get into the debate, people can do what they want - break the law, follow the law, whatever.

But here's my experience. I bought a Grand Seiko in Tokyo and declared it when I returned to JFK. I had the watch and its value written on the customs form, but during my travels I had lost the credit card receipt. Well, the customs folks at JFK were none too pleased. They had a team of four officials tearing through our bags, treating us like we were drug smugglers, threatening and intimidating us. One of them threatened to arrest my wife because her cell phone rang a few times (the car service trying to find us).

I'm sure they had a reason to act that way, past experience or whatever. I give law enforcement the benefit of a doubt because they are doing a tough, thankless job and I'm grateful for them. But it was a VERY distasteful experience, and I was trying to follow the law!

In the end they relented and I only had to pay the import tax, which came to around $60-70 I think. No fines or fees, and no jail time for my wife.

[Aceldama]

I enjoy the fact that people are trying to get out of a few hundred on a watch that costs a few thousand...

[clb521]

Anytime I can keep our goverment from getting more of my money Im all for it. Our government wastes so much money its ridiculous. I personally pay a ton of taxes and have no problem trying to get away with not paying more.

And i also think we are overtaxed in this country.

Buy the watch and ship the box and wear it back. At that point how can they tell where its been bought?

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[kromdom]

Originally Posted by clb521

Buy the watch and ship the box and wear it back. At that point how can they tell where its been bought?

customs agent is also a TRF member and subscribed to this thread?? heck, even saved screen captures as evidence?

[clb521]

Originally Posted by kromdom

customs agent is also a TRF member and subscribed to this thread?? heck, even saved screen captures as evidence?

Has that ever happened? What are the odds?

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[stainlesssteve]

I've been through customs at least a dozen times sporting one of my Rolexes. Never been asked about it. If they ask everyone with a Rolex on to prove where it was purchased, they would have to confiscate every watch because no one travels with their watch receipt. Obviously if your bags are searched, and you have a new Rolex box in there, you will have problems. I'd like to hear from someone who did not purchase their watch overseas, and had it confiscated because they could not produce a receipt for it.

[Tools]

Originally Posted by Chadridv

. . .
I've asked them to hold the watch for me while I do my due diligence here. I'd heard a bunch lately about Rolex importation policies changing recently, taxes on arrival in the states, etc. unfortunately I'm a dum dum and never really paid attention to all that.

So what's the story? If I buy it, could I just carry it back with me like I would any other watch? Would I need to claim it with customs? Would there be fees/taxes the sales person is conveniently "forgetting" to tell me about upon arrival in NY?

Thanks everyone! I hope this will happen :)

Buying stuff overseas and customs law has not changed for decades.

You must, by law, declare at customs whatever you buy out-of-country (even that "other watch" you mentioned), and you get an 800 dollar exclusion. So, you pay import duty on that portion above the 800 bucks to the Feds.

Sure, you can try to sneak it in, but that's a Federal Crime and not just a slap on the wrist..

NY probably has it's own resident tax laws on out-of-country/out-of-state purchases

(I too am amazed at how many blithely advocate criminal action that can affect your records/job/credit for many years)

[SMD]

Originally Posted by Defiancekofb

Again I'm just giving my opinion to the OP. I don't know why this is turning into an argument situation. You do what you think is right for your situation and I'll do what I think is right for my situation. I know the risks, I take them because I believe it's worth it and it's low risk. (I'm not trying to sneak in drugs or sneak in $100,000 undeclared cash.) You obviously don't think it is worth it, so I'll agree to disagree.

PS - As you can see by the replies in this thread, it's 50/50, some agree with my perspective, others agree with your perspective.



So by this statement, this is tax evasion. The same crime people are arguing is wrong by bring home a watch undeclared from another country. Perhaps the FBI should investigate that website for all the wrong doing they are currently partaking in.

Its not tax evasion at all. Paying state sales tax on out of state purchases is the responsibility of the tax payer. You are required to file a use tax return and pay all amounts owed. This is not the responsibility of a store with no physical presence in the state where the product was shipped. Whether people pay use tax or not is another matter, but it is required.

[skydriver]

I just returned from an 8 day Caribbean cruise, and walked through customs with no issues. I was wearing my Rolex, which I bought in the states, and declared my total purchases which was only about $80. Customs did not question me about anything.

[Mfrankel2]

Originally Posted by mr.president1

Wow, I've been on the edge of my seat to see what he does for importation. So, yeah declaring it is the legal thing to do, but if it were me, I would not declare it. It's kind of like speeding. You just play your cards right, and it'll probably be okay. But if you're blatant about it, you'll probs get caught. So, if you are good at being chill, and you mail the box and papers back, you'll be fine. When I came back from Europe, I bought an extra suitcase and bought a lot of very very expensive clothing. Probably spend just as much on that as I would have a SS OP rolex. Of course, tags were off, and the receipt was history. They can't prove what they can't prove, and since it isn't legal for them to just assume you bought it there, they have no choice but to take your word for it.

Actually it IS "legal" for them to question if any items have been purchased abroad & the burden of proof would be the travelers to then show documentation that it was purchased prior to in the US. Not as likely to happen with clothing without tags but if there was a full suitcase of brand new unworn designer items and it didn't look right to Customs, you'd be going home without your clothing & need to then provide proof of US acquisition in order to get it all back.

[usrudiver932]

Another thing to make it more believable get it right away and do some tanning like you have had it for a while. Cuz if u go there get all tanned up and they ask u to remove and u are tanned they may think it was a recent purchase. My 2 cents