Import duties on tools of trade coming from outside of common market

French Artisans

Import duties on tools of trade coming from outside of common market

De Walt 20/02/2008, 19:32
I'm planning to come to France within the next five to six months from New Zealand. In the container I plan to pack all my woodworking and building tools I have aquired over the years. In fact a complete workshop with some heavy items like e.g. a dimension saw.
Recently a friend of mine told me, that his son requested him to send over his plumbing tools to the UK only to find out that he had to pay import duties on "tools of trade" - apparently that was the operative word - even though his tools were patently his and had been used for several years.

I have searched the internet for import regulations when moving to France, but some how apart from prohibitions on guns, drugs and flammables I have not been able to find anything on duties on tools.
If anyone can shed some light on this, I would be very thankful.

As a woodworker I'm also a terrible hoarder. I got a fair amount of beatiful timber I would like to stick in the container - like teak, birdseye rockmaple and some New Zealand Native timbers. Would that create any problems? Beer [B]

Thanks
Wouter

http://www.acwwoodcuts.com

Re: Import duties on tools of trade coming from outside of common market

cooperlola 21/02/2008, 10:21

I don't know the answer, but you may find it here:

http://www.douane.gouv.fr/menu.asp?id=30

Healthcare Issues Site

Re: Import duties on tools of trade coming from outside of common market

Nick Trollope 21/02/2008, 22:15
As you/the goods are coming from outside the EU, you would be liable for duty and TVA (19.6%) on the tools. Your shipping agent should negotiate this for you.

The timber might be a bit more of a problem, you may need to prove its source. Again, ask your agent.

Nick

www.aplaceinfrance.com

Re: Import duties on tools of trade coming from outside of common market

Pierre ZFP 22/02/2008, 10:36

You should only be liable for duty/TVA on the tools if they are for your trade. i.e. you are a professional woodworker. Otherwise, provided you have owned them for at least 6 months, (or it might be 12 months??) they are your personal household possesions and are treated just like anything else so no tax/duty.

Good point that Nick made about the provinance of the wood, could be more trouble than its worth but I do understand you wanting to bring it.

Is there a Kiwi ebay where you could get a few bob for it?

Fool me once, shame on you
Fool me twice, shame on me
Fool me 3 times and you can see a statistical tendency

Re: Import duties on tools of trade coming from outside of common market

J.R's gone native 22/02/2008, 18:18
Its not Kauri is it?

Re: Import duties on tools of trade coming from outside of common market

De Walt 23/02/2008, 8:16
Thank you all for your suggestions. The shipping agent is coming around wednesday and will hopefully shed some light on what I can and can't take with me.
Import tax on trade tools I imagine can be claimed back again at a later stage and if not than that's life I guess. Meanwhile I'll have to furnish a comprehensive inventory and accounts with book value etc.
As far as the timber is concerned: some of it I hoarded over the years has some stunning grain and quality. Yes some Kauri - heart and very hard - and a lot of special pieces. Maybe I can use some of it as crates or even make some furniture of it before it goes in the container. The prospect of uprooting and moving the whole lot is such, that I may just have to close my eyes for a while and let things happen.
Any way thanks again and if any of you can think of something, please post it
Wouter Beer [B]

http://www.acwwoodcuts.com

Re: Import duties on tools of trade coming from outside of common market

J.R's gone native 23/02/2008, 9:48

You are a better man than me - "thats life I guess" - I would spend the rest of my life moaning about having to pay TVA on wood that I had reclaimed and the tools of my trade both amassed over many years.

I like your lateral thinking re transforming the wood into something non taxable, why not make a Kauri trojan horse and stash your tools and the rest of the exotic timber inside? Big Smile [:D]

Re: Import duties on tools of trade coming from outside of common market

Deby 27/02/2008, 17:21

What is it about the Kauri wood? We bought a lovely coffee table in this beautiful wood and shipped it back to France when we were living there. It was a present to ourselves. I remember it didnt cost alot to post it about a £100 quid which I thought was fab as it was coming all the way from NZ. We didnt pay any import duties I dont think. I know it was petrified wood and we bought it from a bona-fide place.

We havent purchased anything illegal have we?

Deby

http://www.chateau-de-clerac.com

Re: Import duties on tools of trade coming from outside of common market

De Walt 27/02/2008, 18:52
Hi Deby

You didn't do anything illegal at all. Kauri (Agathis australis) the New zealand variety Is not allowed to be logged and milled anymore here in NZ - this after hugely extensive forest were pillaged over a few centuries untill, in fact, fairly recently.
However, in past history - some 50 000 years ago some of those trees fell over in swamps and were well preserved. Those trees are now being recovered and milled legally. The timber is called "swamp kauri". Some of them have stunning grain, have a more whisky colour, and coming from large diameter boles are very hard and dense, but not always easy to machine because of the twisting and weaving of the grain. Your heart sinks when you got a nice plank and when putting it through a ripsaw you see two pieces snaking out from the other end. This timber is not petrified.
Salvage kauri are logs which were lost during river transport in the past, and can now, with a permit be "salvaged" and milled. Still beautiful and a bit lighter in colour. If for some reason a kauri if felled with special permission of DOC the timber is more sappy, straw coloured and quite ofted damaged by impatient kiln treatment. Smile [:)]

Wouter

http://www.acwwoodcuts.com

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