A customs declaration is a form required by most countries. Travelers need to complete this form when transporting goods across international borders. The purpose of the declaration form is to control what goods enter the country. Many countries impose restrictions on imported goods. Travelers have to declare everything they acquired abroad and pay customs duty tax on goods exceeding imposed quantity limits. Some goods are prohibited from transfer into or out of a country to protect the country's economy.
Video Customs declaration
Types of forms
- When personally transporting the goods, the form is called a customs arrival card, or a landing card, or an entry voucher. The traveler or family members are required to complete the form, sign it, and submit it to the customs or border protection official before entering the country. Most nations require a declaration of alcoholic drinks, tobacco products, animals, fresh food, plant material, seeds, soils, meats, and animal products.
- When shipping goods across the borders, one must use other customs declaration forms, such as: a commercial invoice, or a proforma invoice, an import declaration form, an ATA Carnet, or a re-export declaration. Incoterms on these forms define the shipment and customs declaration. For example, the form many require an Hs code (harmonized code), which helps define the type of goods and their associated tax rate, if any. Also, the forms normally require the importer to note the country of origin of the goods and may sometimes require a certificate of origin. These forms can also be used when hand carrying goods across a border. Errors on the forms can cause delays or confiscation of the goods. For that reason, importers often use a customs brokerage to clear goods through customs.
- Who must complete a customs declaration form?
Some nations require a customs declaration form from each person crossing the border; other nations require only one form per family traveling together. A family is usually defined as family members residing in the same household, who are related by marriage, adoption, blood, or domestic relationship.
Maps Customs declaration
Selected jurisdictions
Australia
The Australian Customs Service handles the customs imports and exports of Australia.
Canada
Customs declaration managed by the Canada Border Services Agency:
- Each Canadian resident returning to Canada can have a personal exception on goods and gifts purchased or received in another country. Personal exceptions are based on the length of the absence from the country. 24 hours, 48 hours, or 7 days.
- Alcohol limitations: 1.5 L of wine or 1.14 L of liquor or 24 x 355 ml cans or bottles (8.5 L) of beer or ale. (Must be of legal age in the province of importation.) Tobacco limitations 200 cigarettes, 200 tobacco sticks, 50 cigars or cigarillos and 200 grams of manufactured tobacco (Special Duty may apply).
- Each individual must declare traveling with $10,000 or more in cash.
China
General Administration of Customs handles the customs imports and exports for the Government of China.
European Union
The European Union has a European Commission for Taxation and Customs Union. The European Union Customs Union sets trade in the EU. The European Customs Information Portal is an importing and exporting service provided by the EU. Some territories within the EU do not participate in the customs union, usually as a result of their geographic circumstances. Through agreements, the EU has customs unions with Andorra, San Marino, and Turkey respectively, with the exceptions of certain goods.
Hong Kong
The Customs and Excise Department handles the customs imports and exports for Hong Kong.
India
The Central Board of Excise and Customs handles the customs imports and exports of India.
Indonesia
The Directorate General of Customs and Excise handles the customs imports and exports of Indonesia.
New Zealand
The New Zealand Customs Service handles the customs imports and exports of New Zealand.
Pakistan
Pakistan Customs handles the customs imports and exports for Pakistan and control of the list of tariffs in Pakistan.
Philippines
The Bureau of Customs handles the customs imports and exports for Philippines.
Poland
The Customs Service of Poland handles the customs imports and exports for Poland
Russia
The Federal Customs Service of Russia handles the customs imports and exports for the Russia. Russian Customs Tariff cover the Federal Customs Service of Russia
Singapore
Singapore Customs handles the customs imports and exports for Singapore.
South Korea
Korea Customs Service handles the customs imports and exports for South Korea.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Customs handles the customs imports and exports for Sri Lanka
Sweden
The Swedish Customs Service handles the customs imports and exports for Sweden.
United Kingdom
The UK Border Agency handles customs in the United Kingdom. The UK Border Agency works with HM Revenue and Customs.
United States
- U.S. Customs asks the Head of a household to complete the form (CBP Form 6059B as of July 2016, ). Family members residing in the same household, who are related by marriage, adoption, blood, or domestic relationship, can use one form.
- For returning U.S. residents: The personal duty exemption for each family member is $800.00. For example, a family of five members returning is allowed a combined personal duty exemption of $4,000 (calculated as $800 for each family member multiplied by 5).
- For international visitors: US laws allow visitors some exemptions, like tobacco, gifts, personal effects, etc. Head of a household can complete a form for a family. It is good to check the current duties and exemptions to avoid tax or loss of goods.
- Anyone traveling with more than $10,000 must declare it.
- At some international airports, the US operates United States border preclearance stations, where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is done before boarding the international flight.
- If exporting goods that are valued more than $2,500, an extra form is required: the electronic export information (eei) form. The Automated Export System (AES) is the system used by U.S. exporters to electronically declare their international exports, known as Electronic Export Information (EEI). This information is used by the Census Bureau to help compile U.S. export and trade statistics.
See also
References
External links
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection at cbp.gov
- U.S. The Department of Homeland Security at dhs.gov
- US Coastguard at gocoastguard.com
- Canada Border Services Agency at cbsa-asfc.gc.ca
- Customs Declaration Form / Bill of Entry Export for South Africa
- Customs, How to complete the customs declaration for Belize
- Customs Declaration for Japan
- Japan customs declaration form
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Source of article : Wikipedia
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