How much can you bring home?

[antiguaman]

Originally Posted by Tiggernut

£145 per person is the legal limit before you pay customs! This includes all purchases - clothing, electrical, gifts etc. It is also your responsibility to 'prove' whether things have been bought in the UK or in the USA so just saying 'I bought it in the UK' isn't good enough!

Having said all that in my last 4 trips I've yet to see anyone in the customs hall on my way back in... but obviously it's a risk you take. Personally we stick to the limits just in case!

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Of course you do just like the rest of us

[motty1969]

Been four times now ,and never even had our cases looked at by customs. So my advice is fill em up with as much as you can get in! For all our cameras, Ipods etc, I take copies of my receipts just incase we get stopped ,to prove I bought them at home.

[Guest]

I'm really glad I read this thread - we've bought both camera & camcorder recently & it wouldn't have occurred to me to take the receipts with us as prrof they were bought before our trip. Thanks for the tip.

[Heather1957]

A friend was stopped coming back from the States with clothes (nothing else) and he had to pay duty - luckily he was able to produce receipts as he was told that C & E would give the items an 'approximate' cost which could have been more than he paid.

If you think of sending the receipts back to the UK you may find you end up paying even more duty by not proving the value of the items.

While lots of people come and go without being caught, you cannot 'trick' C & E - I suspect they've faced every possible explanation/ excuse.

You may not see anyone in the arrivals lounge but they can see you - I also know of a person who was followed half way home and was then pulled over on the motorway.

I'm really not trying to scare you - I'm no angel but we all have to accept if we get caught you'll have to pay up.

[ERICSMUM]

I always spend more than the £145 duty-free allowance, and i must admit that I go through the Red "Anything to Declare" channel. I am rarely charged, and then only about £20, so I am happy to do it, for peace of mind. I would lose my job if i was prosecuted by C&E.

Linda

[DIBBadmin]

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