USA customs declarations on visits??

[El Cabron]

Sure, I know that if you have over $10,000 in cash you have to report it.

But what about a watch worth $50,000 or a gold necklace worth $25,000.

Anyone have experience with this?

Thanks.

[greyhawk]

Does the answer to that question not very much depend on whether you're originally a US citizen or not?

[realestone]

you only have to declare items that are gifts, commercial items you plan to sell while here or items you plan to leave here for whatever reason you dont need to declare your personal items ie your jewelry , ipad etc

[greyhawk]

you only have to declare items that are gifts, commercial items you plan to sell while here or items you plan to leave here for whatever reason you dont need to declare your personal items ie your jewelry , ipad etc

even if I am an American?

That's what I'm worried about for you. If what I've read is correctly understood and customs sees this as "Importing foreign goods" you're pretty much fucked. While you can of course say "this watch and necklace are not going to remain in the US, I will be taking them back to Thailand" chances are customs won't belive that.

[joesmoe2012]

Yes, if you buy a $50k watch overseas you have to declare it when you return to USA.

You may also be obligated to pay some tax on it.

[crumbs]

Watch & necklace are non-starters unless the watch is on your wrist->in the basket, necklace around your neck->in the basket & you're dressed to match.

[Fallout]

You will probably have to pay taxes like VAT when importing goods from abroad. There is probably a treshold under which you don't have to pay, but this is usually ~500$ . You will have to declare it and go to the customs line (something to declare).

When you buy sth inside a land and are leaving that land, you usually can get back their VAT (using some forms at the airport or the shop or somewhere), so if the VAT in the USA is lower than in the original country, you more or less don't loose money.

[Fallout]

In Germany (where I live) you have to pay VAT (19%) + customs fee (0-5% depending on the type of items) ...

There probably is information available for the USA on some website of the gov I guess

[DeathAndTaxes]

http://www.immihelp.com/immigration/sample-us-customs-declaration-form-6059b.pdf

Okay, lets say I write down the value of all my shit and its $50,000 on that form.

Since the cash is less than $10,000 do I need to make a new form? Or is that the end of it? Do I need to go to a special line? Is there anything wrong with or different about brining in $50,000 worth of stuff? Do I have to pay taxes on the spot or something?

http://www.fincen.gov/forms/files/fin105_cmir.pdf

This form seems to only count for money and money type things.


If all I have to do is just tell them how much I have on put it on that card and just keep going I really don't care. I just want to know what happens if they look down and see I have a $50,000 Thai watch.


Thanks guys for your help, never done anything like this before.

Are you considered a US resident?  If not then you don't declare EVERYTHING you are bringing into the country you only declare what you are "leaving" in the United States.

See line 15 on the form and the "important info" on the back.

15) Visitors - the total value of all articles that will remain in the United States is[/b]
...
Visitors (Non-residents) - declare the value of all articles that will remain in the United States.

Also yes if you are traveling together the declaration must be joint.  The cash limit is per household/declaration so $10K total for all members of your household on a single flight.  If you ARE taking the same flight don't try to have you and your spouse go through customs seperately with $10K ea, unless you are looking for a free prostate exam. They match flight manifest against customs declarations and screen for likely split households (i.e. man & woman on same flight with same surname, going through customs individually both with large amounts of cash).  Yes it is stupid and pointless but .  If you travel separately on different flights arriving at different times then you can each file a declaration and bring in $10K ea.  So stupidly easy to bypass one would think they would just make the limit $10K per person in the household by no, that is sheer awesomeness of our government hard at "work".

 https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/195/~/currency-%2F-monetary-instruments---amount-that-can-be-brought-into-or-leave-the


Summary:
1) If you are a visitor only declare the value of good you will be leaving in the US.  You will pay a duty only on the value of goods (not cash) declared.
2) There is no duty on cash but you need to declare it (any amount).
3) The limit on cash is $10K per declaration.  $1, $900, $9,999, $10,000 are all fine, no problem, and no duty.  $10,000.01 or more you will have a bad day.
3) The declaration should be done per household if traveling together.
4) #3 only really matters when it relates to cash limit as you can bring as much property as you want individually or jointly so there is no change there, they duty is only due on what you leave behind.

[DeathAndTaxes]

I have paid taxes on all the stuff here in Thailand as I have been a resident for 8 years. Trust me the taxes were much higher here than in the USA.
Any way I can get an estimate on the taxes I will have to pay? Can I get them back when leaving USA again?

There is no VAT but there is an import duty.  It depends on the item and there is an exemption amount per household.  You can't get it back when you leave because you only declare goods which you will leave in the US.

Three examples:
You are bringing the $50,000 to the US to wear/use while in the US. You don't intend to give it away as a gift or sell it while in the US.
You intend to leave the US with the Rolex at the end of your trip.  
You do NOT DECLARE the Rolex.  No duty is due.

You are bringing the $50,000 Rolex to give as a gift to a friend/family/mafia boss while in the US.  
You intend to leave the US without the Rolex at the end of your trip.    
You MUST DECLARE the Rolex.  The duty is based on face value minus the exemption.

You are bringing the $50,000 Rolex to the US because you have found a buyer who will give you a better price than a buyer in your country.
You intend to leave the US without the Rolex at the end of your trip.    
You MUST DECLARE the Rolex.  The duty is based on face value minus the exemption.

[DeathAndTaxes]

I guess the question is, what is a resident and what is not.
I have been in Thailand for 8 years and have all the paperwork needed. But with an American passport can I really just tell them I am a visitor to my own country?

That is the important distinction.  I would assume you are considered a non-resident citizen of the United States but you probably should find some cite that defines that.  

[Minor Miner]

I guess the question is, what is a resident and what is not.
I have been in Thailand for 8 years and have all the paperwork needed. But with an American passport can I really just tell them I am a visitor to my own country?

That is the important distinction.  I would assume you are considered a non-resident citizen of the United States but you probably should find some cite that defines that.  

They do not care about stuff that is with you (not in the boxes I mean stuff that is used) that you are bringing in and removing from the country.    The 10,000 is for cash or coins or diamonds or gold or anything that is a liquid substitute for cash.    Your rolex and your wife's birkin do not matter.   They are yours and you are NOT LEAVING them in the USA.    that is the distinction.   are you LEAVING them here.

[DeathAndTaxes]

I guess the question is, what is a resident and what is not.
I have been in Thailand for 8 years and have all the paperwork needed. But with an American passport can I really just tell them I am a visitor to my own country?

That is the important distinction.  I would assume you are considered a non-resident citizen of the United States but you probably should find some cite that defines that. 

They do not care about stuff that is with you (not in the boxes I mean stuff that is used) that you are bringing in and removing from the country.    The 10,000 is for cash or coins or diamonds or gold or anything that is a liquid substitute for cash.    Your rolex and your wife's birkin do not matter.   They are yours and you are NOT LEAVING them in the USA.    that is the distinction.   are you LEAVING them here.

Well resident vs non-resident DOES matter because for example a US resident going on a trip abroad comes home with a $50,000 rolex it does need to be declared because the duty for residents is what is entering the US.  I am almost certain given his circumstances he is considered a non-resident but like I said it would be good to find a reference that defines that.

[Minor Miner]

I guess the question is, what is a resident and what is not.
I have been in Thailand for 8 years and have all the paperwork needed. But with an American passport can I really just tell them I am a visitor to my own country?

That is the important distinction.  I would assume you are considered a non-resident citizen of the United States but you probably should find some cite that defines that. 

They do not care about stuff that is with you (not in the boxes I mean stuff that is used) that you are bringing in and removing from the country.    The 10,000 is for cash or coins or diamonds or gold or anything that is a liquid substitute for cash.    Your rolex and your wife's birkin do not matter.   They are yours and you are NOT LEAVING them in the USA.    that is the distinction.   are you LEAVING them here.

Well resident vs non-resident DOES matter because for example a US resident going on a trip abroad comes home with a $50,000 rolex it does need to be declared because the duty for residents is what is entering the US.  I am almost certain given his circumstances he is considered a non-resident but like I said it would be good to find a reference that defines that.

It matters because as a resident you are BRINGING the rolex here and it is STAYING here.   As a citizen living abroad, you are entering with goods and LEAVING with goods.   That is what is important.   If he is leaving the rolex and "other valuables" here in the USA and just doing it as a way to bring more than $10k into the country, that is an entirely other matter.    But if Goat just needs access to some cash while in the USA, surely he knows he can just pull it from a bank or wire it to a casino for pickup.

[DeathAndTaxes]

I guess the question is, what is a resident and what is not.
I have been in Thailand for 8 years and have all the paperwork needed. But with an American passport can I really just tell them I am a visitor to my own country?

That is the important distinction.  I would assume you are considered a non-resident citizen of the United States but you probably should find some cite that defines that.  

They do not care about stuff that is with you (not in the boxes I mean stuff that is used) that you are bringing in and removing from the country.    The 10,000 is for cash or coins or diamonds or gold or anything that is a liquid substitute for cash.    Your rolex and your wife's birkin do not matter.   They are yours and you are NOT LEAVING them in the USA.    that is the distinction.   are you LEAVING them here.

Well resident vs non-resident DOES matter because for example a US resident going on a trip abroad comes home with a $50,000 rolex it does need to be declared because the duty for residents is what is entering the US.  I am almost certain given his circumstances he is considered a non-resident but like I said it would be good to find a reference that defines that.

It matters because as a resident you are BRINGING the rolex here and it is STAYING here.   As a citizen living abroad, you are entering with goods and LEAVING with goods.   That is what is important.   If he is leaving the rolex and "other valuables" here in the USA and just doing it as a way to bring more than $10k into the country, that is an entirely other matter.    But if Goat just needs access to some cash while in the USA, surely he knows he can just pull it from a bank or wire it to a casino for pickup.

Yes I understand that but they don't wait to see if you leave with the Rolex.  You must declare what the law requires you to declare and (please READ THE FORM BEFORE RESPONDING) what has to be declared DEPENDS ON IF YOU ARE A RESIDENT OR NOT.

If you are resident you declare all property acquired abroad when entering the US.
If you are a non-resident you only declare property acquired abroad if you intend to leave in the country.
Same exact property, the requirement to declare or not to declare depends on if the person is a resident or non-resident. 
So once again non-resident vs resident ABSOLUTELY matters.

The customs guy isn't going to listen to a long life story and make a personal exception.  If the law (the legal definition of non-resident vs resident) says he is a resident, then he follows the rules for residents.  If the law says he is a non-resident then he follows the rules for non-residents.
For the record I assume he would be classified as a non-resident and thus would NOT declare the property unless he intends to leave it in the US.  That was already asked and answered up thread.  I just advised Goat while I think he is a non-resident he might want to confirm that.

[zebedee]

Ah, the productivity created by govt.