How To: Be prepared for customs after shopping in the US

Never before has European money been worth so much in the US. The Euro is listed at $1.50. This fabulously low exchange rate tempts visitors to go on a shopping spree. But be careful: you will have to go through customs upon your return home. And electronic devices will suddenly turn out to have incompatible plugs, unfamiliar keyboards and a different voltage.

Of course no one travels all the way to the US just to buy a notebook. That’s not worth the trip, despite the incredibly low exchange rate. But if you’re in the US anyway, why not do some shopping at extremely favorable prices. Why not just by the camera of our dreams, that way too expensive watch, or a new notebook, if it’s currently that much cheaper in the US than it is at home? Here, we have listed a number of things you have to be prepared for when you run into the customs officers on your way home:

Back in Germany: At the airport, customs officers will be waiting behind a red and a green exit. Important: only use the green one if have goods worth less than €175. If you have anything you have to pay customs duty for, take the red exit. Expensive souvenirs as well as all knives, exotic animals or plants have to be paid for at customs. Up to a total sum of €350, the tax is 13.5 percent. For everything above that limit, you will have to pay double: the customs duty depending on the value of the goods and 19 percent import sales tax.

Duty-free: The €175-limit is per person, and not per souvenir. So while you alone can’t import three pairs of shoes for €170 each, you can, if you’re traveling with the whole family, for example, have three people import one pair of shoes each.

Value-added tax: Other than Germany, the US does not have value-added tax, instead each state can make its own sales tax. Currently, depending on the state, this is between 4 and 10 percent. You will not be reimbursed for that at the airport. The import sales tax and the customs duty will be added to the purchase price.

Tariffs: If you want to import goods from the US anyway, you can go on the internet and check how much you will have to pay. The Taric-code can tell you the exact tariff.

Trip to the US: The customs officers won’t fall for it if you tell them you already brought the notebook, the watch or the camera with you from Germany. If you’re planning to take things like that – especially if they’re new – on your trip, you should tell the customs office prior to your trip.

Gifts: If you get a gift from your relatives, friends, or even people you don’t know in the US, you have to pay customs duty for them if they’re worth more than €175. It doesn’t matter whether it is old or new, or whether you already received it several months ago. You have to pay customs duty for things you bought and gifts alike.

Technology: Importing electronic devices is usually difficult. The first obstacle already is that the power supply in the US has a lower voltage: 110 volts at 60 Hertz. Most power supply units, especially of portable devices, can handle that. Otherwise you will have to buy an adapter in Germany for a few Euros.

Guarantee: You can still make use of the guarantee on your acquired products. However, not all manufacturers will pay for transport to the US and back to Germany.

Find more information on the German customs homepage