European travel advice needed for possible import / export duty costs please.

Davety

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Hi. Hoping for some advice regards traveling to Bulgaria in my Camper van.
Since we left the EU, the clarification from my searches so far on the internet have only resulted in unclear information.

My situation is as follows : I have a long term residency visa for Bulgaria due to me spending an equal if not more amount of time in that country.
Specific to my query, I have an old train set from the fifties which I intend to take back with me, which also includes some accessories which are in fact new, recently purchased in the UK from various sources. Probable value on paper near to £500 - £600 at a guess.

I also intend to take back my Mountain Bike and Racing Bike on my bike rack for some cycling, but intend to leave them at my property in Bg. The value of these together amount to around £4000. ( Separately, depending on the price of duty, I may transfer my Camper van over to Bulgarian plates at the end of my 90 day stay, I fully understand the position on this. )

Here is my problem. Forgetting the train set just for a moment, I also have a generator which I take when I go camping for access to 240 volts.
I am assuming if I go traveling normally across Europe supposedly in holiday mode, I wouldn’t have to pay any export / import duty on the generator or the bikes ??
What I am trying to find out is, regarding the position of paying import duty, where does this cross the line when it comes to carrying personal possessions on board such as for example, my said train set, bikes, generator, tool kit etc ?
I assume if I had to ship the bikes, generator, train set etc separately in a crate to Bg I would then have to pay duty on them.

So in a nutshell, I’m trying to find out whether taking them with me as personal items in my camper, I would not incur any import costs ? Otherwise, in theory import duty would be payable in every country for whatever personal items you wanted to carry ?? What if I say at each border crossing that I was traveling to Turkey. How would customs know ?? Hoping I’ve made my quandary clear enough. Hoping for some knowledgeable advice please. Thanks very much in advance.
 
This article from KGMP gives you the basics. Mainly 20% VAT for non-EU goods. There is a list of exemptions as well, but as you say, I'm not sure how the Bulgarian customs would know what you are bringing in is liable for VAT. If the goods are not new in box and clearly for your personal use, how would they calculate VAT on a used generator?
 
Thanks v much for your input. Will wait to see if anyone else has any thoughts.
 
We shipped "half a houseload" to Thailand..For personal use.
Some Boxes were opened and checked !
About 3 yrars after there was a suggestion we pay tax on a small air cooler item as if we were selling it.
All resolved, at no cost, after a brief visit to the local office
My thoughts are "No problem/tax"
 
Are you crazy? Just stick them in the van and drive there, no-ones going to ask you about that stuff.
 
Ha ha, I may sound crazy, but I've dealt with quite a few over-zealous jobsworth customs personnel with no grey area over the years, so I'd rather be armed with as much info as I can get prior to taking the trip.
Having said that, I understand what you are saying and was beginning to come around to your way of thinking anyway and taking the risk.
I believe if I said I was taking a 90 day overland tour, taking a lot of high value stuff to supplement my travels such as the aforementioned generator, tools, bikes and suchlike, it should be ok as they would be pertinent to my trip and traveling.
However, if I was moving permanently, then certain import duty restraints and costs would probably enter the equation, hence I'm just trying to get a definitive grasp on the precise difference.
Thanks very much for your own thoughts on the matter, and others so far, I'm definitely leaning towards your suggestion.
 
Leave a 20 Euro note in view in your motorhome garage and you will have no problem.

Money or cigarettes also works in most parts of Africa. :giggle:
 
Once you get through the entry port in France, are there any more border checks on your journey to Bulgaria?
 
Once you get through the entry port in France, are there any more border checks on your journey to Bulgaria?
If I use my proposed route there would be Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania then into Bulgaria. I've driven or been driven many times pre Brexit with no problems. I've not done it since full Brexit, hence my search for someone who has. Maybe I would get waived through all or some of the borders which has happened in the past with no problems. By the way, I am driving my own campervan conversion which is based on a Nissan Primastar. Cheers.
 
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In Sept I took a laden car and roofbox full of our stuff (some new) to our house in Crete. Not stopped and questioned at any border on the way out.

3rd degree at Dover on return though ... single female ... had to hand over V5, passport, greek docs etc.
 
Ha Ha, sounds like the same woman I encountered when I drove back in July !! Once I said I've driven from Bulgaria was exactly like you said.
Funny actually more than anything. I was with a mate who was taking a whole load of his ex-wife's dresses, shoes and clothes back to her in the UK which he had in the boot. I think they thought we were a couple of cross dressers !!!!
 

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