I'm an American expat with a 7 yo. My mom back in Florida likes to ship us gifts every month. Delivery used to cost me ten euros a box. In February, the Belgian Post began charging import fees based on what was in the gift box, such that now a bunch of clothes and toys routinely costs me €200 euros. My Belgian boyfriend tells me that the EU's February law was made in response to an American law levying similar fees against gifts originating in the EU. I called the Embassy to find out more but got passed around to a busy signal. Has anyone else had any experience with this? Must I tell my mom to quit spoiling her granddaughter?
Import Fees on Gifts Originating in the US
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24785
Hi and welcome to Expat.com Jenmarya!
I hope other forum members will be able to help you out!
Regards
Armand
951
It usually depends on how its packages and if a customs paper is filled out. This is done when i sent and receive gifts to the usa from a friend. Another option is make the packages less and more frequent so they are worth less, I think if its worth less than 100 dollars you don't get charges as long as it has a customs paper on it
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Hi Hannah, thanks for the input. My mom fills out the customs forms religiously, doesn't make a difference. My boyfriend has suggested I tell her to send infrequent, small things but that seems kind of cruel: My mom loves to shop and feels she connects with her granddaughter by getting her things that suit her quicksilver-changing interests. But maybe that's the only solution.
951
Yeah im sure she wont think its curel if you explain the amount its costing you after all makes the gifts not worth while if it costs so so much
726
Get your mum to order gifts from European websites.... lead her to Amazon.co.uk or amazon.fr and she has to make sure it's with free postage to your house (not from the sellers who use Amazon where postage is usually not included in initial price) and then she can shop shop shop till she drops and the VAT is paid for in the price and no additional import fees. Hopefully amazon allows payment by US credit cards.
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schoolmum- Nice idea but it doesn't quite fit. She loves to physically shop. She lives in Florida where it's so hot, many people go to air-conditioned malls just to do light exercise, and she does so with a Purpose.
Is there any service (like DHL) or a government form we could fill out that would allow customs to bill her directly? She's happy to pay the import fees.
726
You'll have to find someone who works either for a European institution, NATO or diplomatic. They avoid import fees.
726
Window shopping with a smart phone in hand... to check internet sites.
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schoolmum- What would these diplomat types be able to do? Advise me further? Or shout "Avoidus!" a la Harry Potter or ??
726
they don't pay import duties as they are all on special status in Belgium, bit ironic really, EU and NATO officials (though not usually diplomats) are paid well above average salaries and also pay the least amount in taxes!!! Anyway, they can be very useful friends too.
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