NZGuitars.com

Do i have to pay import duty and GST on a used guitar on ebay which is a private listing?

Yes if Customs catch you

what if it is send from a friend in UK instead?

They won’t care about that. Still want your money!

I've purchased a guitar on reverb from singapore few years back... looks like i got lucky

You just need the value on the customs declaration to be like $300NZ and it should sail through, just don't get it sent to a work address or it may get pinged as for business use (have had this happen...)

Send it to your home as “personal effects”, i.e. your pre-owned item that you’re shipping “home” and you may be lucky.
Make sure the sender has no eBay reference in the packaging.
It comes down to the paperwork.
If Customs chase you for proof of purchase, then roll the dice ...

If the calculated GST on the item's "import-value" is >= $60.00 (i.e. if the item's "import-value" is >$395.00 or so), NZ Customs will charge you . They calculate the item's "import-value" by adding the declared value + the freight (& converting to $NZ equivalent if declared in a foreign currency). This info is derived from the little export document on the package. In my experience, when GST is charged by NZ Customs they hold the item in a bond store until you pay the invoice. It typically causes a delay of about 2 weeks. NOTE. NZ Customs/the government have said that as of 1st October 2019, most online sales will attract GST! It's getting harder... sigh

My recent import from the US got held up a week getting through Customs.

The date has been put back to 1 December 2019. And there's still some confusion, because the aim for smaller cost items is for the offshore sellers to charge & collect the GST and pay to the NZ IRD, and local customs will collect on items costing over $1,000.

But overseas sellers only have to comply if they sell in total more than $60k to NZ customers per annum. This suggests there is a potential tax collection gap for non-regular offshore sellers and goods up to $1,000.

http://taxpolicy.ird.govt.nz/news/2019- ... ation-date

All sounds like more trouble than it's worth.

jeremyb wrote:You just need the value on the customs declaration to be like $300NZ and it should sail through, just don't get it sent to a work address or it may get pinged as for business use (have had this happen...)

It also takes shipping charges into account.

Plus. Don't do this. If you have a $2000 guitar (or anything else) marked as $300 and something goes wrong guess how much you can claim for insurance? Hint: It isn't $2000. You're out $1700.

Thanks Conway, good to have a (currently) accurate description for how the IRD is hoping it will be!

Mike Clayton wrote:Thanks Conway, good to have a (currently) accurate description for how the IRD is hoping it will be!

Cheers Mike, see you shortly.

Molly wrote:All sounds like more trouble than it's worth.

100% with you. Like buying a guitar without seeing is not hard enough.

I have decided to ship it to Hong Kong and then take it back to NZ myself later this year

NippleWrestler wrote:

jeremyb wrote:You just need the value on the customs declaration to be like $300NZ and it should sail through, just don't get it sent to a work address or it may get pinged as for business use (have had this happen...)

It also takes shipping charges into account.

Plus. Don't do this. If you have a $2000 guitar (or anything else) marked as $300 and something goes wrong guess how much you can claim for insurance? Hint: It isn't $2000. You're out $1700.

Well yes, the customs declaration value includes shipping, and regards to the latter, the customs value and the insurance value aren't necessarily the same, best to refer to your carrier first.