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Bob and Susan
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8807
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
Member Is Offline
Mood: Full Time Residents
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I changed my mind....
maybe it did happen....
at least the guy is REAL...and he did have problems with his solar system.
I'll sure be doing things correctly.
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JSchuricht
Newbie
Posts: 8
Registered: 3-10-2006
Member Is Offline
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Wow I am quite impressed with all the replies so quickly.
Comitan, Did the official that visited you do so at your Baja home or in the US?
Dave, They only questioned the batteries, thinking that they should have cost double, but never pressed the issue.
Gypsy Jan, More details are on the way. I have participated in hauling many household items down in the past and this was the first challenge I have
ever had.
Bajajudy, I had also heard that solar equipment was duty free but am doubtful of that now.
Pompano, any help would be greatly appreciated. I do not have any FM status yet; I do have a house in Baja, no utilities or taxes thou.
Details?
3/10/06 ~6AM arrived at Tecate border crossing. Got a red light as did every car that came after me for at least an hour while we pulled stuff out of
the truck. After an hour of customs officers digging through our stuff we were allowed to reload everything. Then customs official drove the truck
over to the loading dock (first right after passing through the gates) to pull everything out of the truck again. I was traveling with my father, who
had taken the first driving shift, so he was taken inside to talk to some lawyers while I stayed behind, ultimately un-securing the batteries for the
workers who could not figure out how to get them out.
After I had everything unbolted, I met up with my father who was waiting in a near by building. We ended up waiting until about 3:30 with intermittent
conversations with the attorney until they took us over to a warehouse across the street. They allowed us to load everything they did not want and let
us go.
Yes, this did happen. I wish they had taken the truck instead of the goods. The customs agent that we talked to first declined to accept the penalty
payment directly stating that he was up for re-election. As for scamming the Mexican customs, that is more or less something that I wanted to avoid.
The house is in Punta Chivato and it takes about 12hrs from San Diego. I prefer to keep delays to a minimum and already dump a lot of money into the
local community. As for proof that I am real and this did happen, I can point you to a basic website I have about my solar system. http://solar.schurichtfamily.com/
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oladulce
Super Nomad
Posts: 1625
Registered: 5-30-2005
Location: bcs
Member Is Offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by bajajudy
I believe that solar batteries are duty free....
Learned some new Importation info this week when we contacted a broker about an upcoming load we'll be transporting in.
If you combine all of the components of your Solar power setup in to one "System", you don't pay the Import duty of 17%. Instead you pay 10% IVA tax
on the entire system.
On our last trip we brought a couple of solar panels in thru San Ysidro and paid 17% . I'm not sure if San Ysidro Aduana is set up to calculate the
exceptions and variations in Import laws- it might be an Otay thing. We didn't know the difference and the man at the card table didn't offer to lower
our tax.
The broker said he'll need the original "Invoices" for the items or he'll use the website of the vendor to gather the retail prices. "No receipts" he
said, "invoices only". You send him all the info in advance and he'll itemize and price out the load and have the paperwork ready when he meets you at
the border. He answered a question I've always had which was "can this all be done at San Ysidro?". The answer was No, we have to go to Otay Mesa. He
guides you through the customs inspection and for these services, he tacks on 5% of the value of your load. If you pay the 10% IVA tax on solar equip
and then use a broker + 5%, you're back up to 15% .
Something new to me was if your load exceeds $5000 dollars in value, you must use the commercial lane at Otay Mesa. Once your load is deemed
"commercial", every single item you are transporting from your surfboard to your toothpaste will be itemized and you'll be liable for the Import duty
on all items. This broker stated that there is no "tourist allowance" when you have a "commercial" load. Someone has probably posted this info before
but it was never in my "realm of possibilites" til now.
One way around this, the broker suggested, since our total load will be over $5000 we can meet him at his wharehouse and divide the load so that
neither vehicle goes over the $5000 limit. My husband will drive our truck and trailer and I can ride with the broker. I tend to be a "pelonita" and
have been stubborn about paying the broker's fees but the horror stories have convinced me that it'll be worth it for the Importation of this big load
we have coming up.
Thank you for posting. Mr oladulce will sleep better now.
[Edited on 3-11-2006 by oladulce]
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comitan
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4177
Registered: 3-27-2004
Location: La Paz
Member Is Offline
Mood: mellow
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JS It looks like you got off fairly easy, they impounded my car, the money was to get my car back, They came with a release paper here at my home in
La Paz. I don't think your predicament went that far.
Strive For The Ideal, But Deal With What\'s Real.
Every day is a new day, better than the day before.(from some song)
Lord, Keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth.
“The sincere pursuit of truth requires you to entertain the possibility that everything you believe to be true may in fact be false”
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JSchuricht
Newbie
Posts: 8
Registered: 3-10-2006
Member Is Offline
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They were holding the truck until I paid.
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Bob and Susan
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8807
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
Member Is Offline
Mood: Full Time Residents
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if you have a house you have taxes....
they don't mail them you have to go pay....
you better check....
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bancoduo
Banned
Posts: 1003
Registered: 10-3-2005
Location: el carcel publico mazatlan sin.
Member Is Offline
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What happened to the mordida. Sounds like all the officials are honest hard working. I guess things have changed. Good to know.
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MrBillM
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21656
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Out and About
Member Is Offline
Mood: It's a Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Day
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Mordida isn't Dead Yet-Thank God !
I think it's just that these rather flagrant abuses are too much for the officials to ignore. I try to go through with articles and amounts that are
reasonable and negotiable. Whenever I decide to bring in some significant items, I always create Invoices and pull through the Declaracion Line.
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awfulart
Nomad
Posts: 260
Registered: 5-10-2003
Location: Rio Rico AZ
Member Is Offline
Mood: Wondering what our Nit-Wit elected officials are doing now?
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Costly Mistake
How does one produce a legitimate receipt on a household item that is quite old. Sound like one must manufacture receipts in order to comply.
It does appear to me though that the Mexican Government does not want to do anything to encourage Americanos to retire in Mexico. Or, I guess you
sell everything and buy a place already furnished.
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awfulart
Nomad
Posts: 260
Registered: 5-10-2003
Location: Rio Rico AZ
Member Is Offline
Mood: Wondering what our Nit-Wit elected officials are doing now?
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Costly Mistake
I did forget about the one time freebee. Is that a one time freebee for husband and sparate one time freebee for wife and does it all have to be
done at once by both and how do they keep track?
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Bob and Susan
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8807
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
Member Is Offline
Mood: Full Time Residents
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It tied to the fm3...and you must move the stuff within 6 months
husband once....wife next..........
We're getting rid of our old stuff and buying nre....can't take it with you
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Bob and Susan
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8807
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
Member Is Offline
Mood: Full Time Residents
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Thank you John for sharing this horrible experience with us...
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oladulce
Super Nomad
Posts: 1625
Registered: 5-30-2005
Location: bcs
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Pompano
I just recently had 16 solar batteries brought through the San Ysidro/Tiijuana border and paid the correct and enforced import duty on them. They
were not exempt from import taxes. |
Now I'm really confuso. I thought you could only bring in up to $1000 dollars in goods per person through San Ysidro, and if over that amount would be
redirected to Otay and require a broker.
Did you utilize an import broker Pompano?
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Baja Bernie
`Normal` Nomad Correspondent
Posts: 2962
Registered: 8-31-2003
Location: Sunset Beach
Member Is Offline
Mood: Just dancing through life
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So Okay!
I used to have to go to lunch, once a month, with Mexican Customs guys. They used to really laugh at the things Americans did to get around import
laws that only existed in their minds. They, in those days, were more than happy to make the gringos think that they had beat the system by accepting
just a little bite (mordido) from the silly folks.
Have things changed so much--I think not!
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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bajalou
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4459
Registered: 3-11-2004
Location: South of the broder
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by oladulce
Now I'm really confuso. I thought you could only bring in up to $1000 dollars in goods per person through San Ysidro, and if over that amount would be
redirected to Otay and require a broker.
Did you utilize an import broker Pompano? |
16 golf cart batteries is under $1000.
No Bad Days
\"Never argue with an idiot. People watching may not be able to tell the difference\"
\"The trouble with doing nothing is - how do I know when I\'m done?\"
Nomad Baja Interactive map
And in the San Felipe area - check out Valle Chico area |
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synch
Nomad
Posts: 316
Registered: 9-14-2004
Member Is Offline
Mood: wandering...
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| Quote: | Originally posted by JSchuricht
They were holding the truck until I paid. |
That explains it
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neilm
Junior Nomad
Posts: 65
Registered: 10-25-2004
Member Is Offline
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Are the import duties on 'new' stuff...
only, or do they apply to used hardware, too?
Neil
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Dave
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6005
Registered: 11-5-2002
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Bob and Susan
It tied to the fm3...and you must move the stuff within 6 months
husband once....wife next..........
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Nope. Share the same last name and address it's once. Many try and some get away with it but it ain't legal.
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tippytoestrish
Junior Nomad
Posts: 52
Registered: 4-9-2006
Location: Fresno, CA
Member Is Offline
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ok, now I'm really wondering about the rules for what we can take and what we could get into trouble for? Is there a list of stuff we shouldn't be
bringing down for our 3 month stay? I only remember airplane rides mostly, and any of our baggage that was searched never seemed to get us into
trouble. any links for lists? thanks!
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64513
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Don't bring desk top computers, ranges, refrigerators, big TV's, etc... You know, stuff they think is going to a house in Mexico to stay.
All things a vacationing tourist will need/ use during a brief stay in Mexico is okay.
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