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20/02/2008, 19:32 De Walt Joined on 29/05/2007 New Zealand Posts 8 Import duties on tools of trade coming from outside of common market 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? Thanks Wouter http://www.acwwoodcuts.com    Report

21/02/2008, 10:21 cooperlola Joined on 05/05/2006 72 - Sarthe - home of les 24 heures du Mans Posts 6,315 Re: Import duties on tools of trade coming from outside of common market I don't know the answer, but you may find it here: http://www.douane.gouv.fr/menu.asp?id=30 Healthcare Issues Site    Report

21/02/2008, 22:15 Nick Trollope Joined on 23/08/2004 Broons, Dept 22 Posts 2,449 Re: Import duties on tools of trade coming from outside of common market 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    Report

22/02/2008, 10:36 Pierre ZFP Joined on 12/11/2004 PdC(62)/Luxembourg Posts 1,649 Re: Import duties on tools of trade coming from outside of common market 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    Report

22/02/2008, 18:18 J.R's gone native Joined on 16/07/2006 Picardie, Sussex Posts 1,695 Re: Import duties on tools of trade coming from outside of common market Its not Kauri is it?    Report

23/02/2008, 8:16 De Walt Joined on 29/05/2007 New Zealand Posts 8 Re: Import duties on tools of trade coming from outside of common market 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 http://www.acwwoodcuts.com    Report

23/02/2008, 9:48 J.R's gone native Joined on 16/07/2006 Picardie, Sussex Posts 1,695 Re: Import duties on tools of trade coming from outside of common market 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?    Report

27/02/2008, 17:21 Deby Joined on 23/08/2004 Posts 638 Re: Import duties on tools of trade coming from outside of common market 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    Report

27/02/2008, 18:52 De Walt Joined on 29/05/2007 New Zealand Posts 8 Re: Import duties on tools of trade coming from outside of common market 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. Wouter http://www.acwwoodcuts.com    Report

27/02/2008, 20:52 J.R's gone native Joined on 16/07/2006 Picardie, Sussex Posts 1,695 Re: Import duties on tools of trade coming from outside of common market Deby I hope that you are now reassured, if not you could sell me your lovely (I am certain) table as I would dearly love to have one I do remember that the postage from NZ was a fraction of what it costs between UK/France and vice versa, I sent home all of the SH books that I bought and read there. I truly regret not sending home a swamp kauri artifact.    Report

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