The Breitling Watch Source Forums

This is something that has been in the back of my mind for a while. If you send a watch overseas to be repaired or as a loan to someone else, how do you avoid paying import duties both ways? After all the watch hasn't been sold, but how do you prove that to customs? Does my question make sense?

I've sent watches overseas for repair. I assume the manufacturer gets a waiver. But they put the value of the repair on the return and I've paid duty on that. Which rather sucks.

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SHARKMAN

I've had watches sent from overseas into Aus marked as 'warranty repair' or the like, and haven't had to pay duties despite being declared at full value. (Found this out with previous ebay purchase which was marked like this without me requesting it).

In Canada at least (I assume that most countries are the same) the duty is supposed to be assessed on the value of work done, and I have never had any issues when receiving something back from an 'official' service centre. I did have a situation where an item was returned from an individual and I got hit for the full value of the watch and I had to fill out a refund request and provide copies of service receipts to get a refund of the excess.

The GST (Goods & Services Tax) in Oz is 10% and is the only real remaining import tax left to us common folk here. No GST paid on exported goods, as I understand it. It only kicks in on items purchased from overseas and imported to Australia if the value exceeds A$1,000.00. If it goes over the $1000, then its rated at the full amount. So its a threshold tax of a grand.

If you have work done overseas, mark the package as 'warrantee repair' and you should escape any enquiry. Of course, the insurance value on the shipping label may give it away and as the recipient you will get a Customs notice asking what the value of the works was you paid for. You submit, (scan online) your receipt and if the value is less than $1000, you pay no GST.

I sent one of my watches back to Switzerland and paid no GST on its return to Australia. That was by a Shipping Courier and not through the normal postal service. The value of the work might have been $200.00 for all I know (it was warrantee), but I doubt it was more than that and there was no questions asked. Equally, I imported a watch from the states and the owner put the real value of the transaction on the shipping slip. I paid GST on that one for the full amount. Ouch! There is no way you can pay the GST in advance of an import either, so Customs are courteous and you are not treated like a tax dodger. All very Civil.

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Jim

"You have Control".

Import taxes to Australia described here.

http://www.customs.gov.au/site/page5549.asp

No idea how it works for returning warranty items.
Ask the AUS Customs, in the end you are paying their salaries one way or the other

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"It is just a matter of time!"