Importing duty free boat parts - New Zealand

[Timd_chapman]

Does anyone have experience of doing this? Is there a process to be followed or do we simply label a parcel ‘Yacht in Transit’?

[stormalong]

Each country has it's own process. Some countries make it so difficult that it is not practical. Other countries are easy.

Tell us which country you are asking about.

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by Timd_chapman

Does anyone have experience of doing this? Is there a process to be followed or do we simply label a parcel ‘Yacht in Transit’?

Hi, Tim,

I do not specifically recall importing parts into NZ duty free, but if the yacht is truly in transit, there shouldn't be any problem with it. We have had parts shipped duty free throughout the Pacific. Yes, the address should read

Name: You and whoever else you want to be able to pick up the package

Name of Vessel, YACHT IN TRANSIT

Care of: Post office address

Nation

and since it's New Zealand, add North Island or South Island, depending on where the vessel actually is.

Ann

[CassidyNZ]

If you really are a yacht in transit, on arrival in NZ the NZ Customs would have made you fill in a Temporary Import Exemption form (TIE). The consignor of the parts you’re expecting (vendor, private person) simply has to quote the TIE number on the documentation.

If the value of the article, which needs to be declared, is less than (I think) NZ$350 there is in any case no duty payable. I buy lots of boat gear from abroad on eBay and only pay duty on expensive items as mentioned. The duty free value threshold can be found on the customs website.

Of course you can lie about the value but one thing I’ve long since discovered about authorities in NZ: they’re pretty easy going until they discover you’re lying - then they become a total PITA.

Another way to score an advantage is to have expensive parts separately consigned. Each parcel then has its own value and a $1000 purchase can come in as three $335 items - no duty.

Incidentally, there are numerous vendors in NZ who will waive the GST (15%) on presentation of your TIE.

[stormalong]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Hi, Tim,

I do not specifically recall importing parts into NZ duty free, but if the yacht is truly in transit, there shouldn't be any problem with it. We have had parts shipped duty free throughout the Pacific. Yes, the address should read

Name: You and whoever else you want to be able to pick up the package

Name of Vessel, YACHT IN TRANSIT

Care of: Post office address

Nation

and since it's New Zealand, add North Island or South Island, depending on where the vessel actually is.

Ann

I was in NZ for 19 months doing a major refit - not easy to get permission to stay that long. I had 900 lbs of equipment and materials shipped to me by freighter and had to hire an agent to get the shipment to me duty free.

Upon entry into NZ I was issued a TIE - temporary import entry document. Everything that I had sent to me by post had to have a copy of the TIE in an envelope pasted to the side of the package and had to be clearly marked TIE Enclosed. That was ten years ago so procedures may be different now. The TIE also got you tax free equipment at the local yacht chandlers.

The same was true entering the country by air. The TIE got my checked in boxes of boat parts into the county duty free.

[jstevens]

The first time I imported a part while in transit was in Portugal in 2007. I have a Brookhouse NMEA Mux that I wanted to have upgraded to the latest software level so i sent it NZ for the upgrade. Brookhouse was carefull to label the return shipment for a yacht in transit with a value of E0 since it was an existing part on my boat when it received a temporary importation into the EU in 2006, and there was no charge for the upgrade.

The mux arrived in PT at the Faro Airport and I received a call to come pick it up and pay the duty. I asked them to forward the package to the Marine de Lagos, which had a customs officer on duty at least once a week, but the response was the package could not leave the Faro airport until the customs issue was resolved. I had rental car reserved for the next week for a Navigator's Club excursion so I waited until then to drive to Faro and pick up the package.

When I got to the customs office I was treated very cordially, but it was clear the office was not familiar with the Yacht in Transit rules. It took the official several hours to look up all the regs and finally clear the package to me for a E1.5 service fee, which I gladly paid. Then I went to the storage facility to pick up the mux and was told I owe a E49 storage fee (E7/day). This for a package the size of a paper back book. I grumbled, but paid.

So my take away from this experience is that whatever the country, customs is among the most bureaucratic agencies of the government. Expect to be screwed and you will never be disappointed.

John

[Timd_chapman]

Originally Posted by stormalong

I was in NZ for 19 months doing a major refit - not easy to get permission to stay that long. I had 900 lbs of equipment and materials shipped to me by freighter and had to hire an agent to get the shipment to me duty free.

Upon entry into NZ I was issued a TIE - temporary import entry document. Everything that I had sent to me by post had to have a copy of the TIE in an envelope pasted to the side of the package and had to be clearly marked TIE Enclosed. That was ten years ago so procedures may be different now. The TIE also got you tax free equipment at the local yacht chandlers.

The same was true entering the country by air. The TIE got my checked in boxes of boat parts into the county duty free.

Thanks, that’s good info about the TIE.

[Timd_chapman]

Originally Posted by stormalong

Each country has it's own process. Some countries make it so difficult that it is not practical. Other countries are easy.

Tell us which country you are asking about.

Clue’s in the title

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by Timd_chapman

Thanks, that’s good info about the TIE.

NZ Customs recommends writing “Ship’s Spares” on the package address label, as well as the vessel name. For a foreign boat with a TIE that enables them to match the package with the TIE. You do not need to enclose the TIE with the package.

We’ve brought equipment worth thousands into NZ with no duty nor GST. And when a package for the boat arrived in NZ after we had cleared out, still labelled ‘Ship’s Spares’ and with the boat name, we were charged GST as the TIE was no longer in effect.

For GST-free purchases within NZ you must provide the vendor with a copy of the TIE, as they have to report all zero-rated sales. They used to be very strict about only the person named on the TIE can use the TIE, but we haven’t found that to be an issue.