Anyone know about how much it costs to bring back extra bottles of liquor? The last time I was in the Dominican, we brought back 4 1.75L bottles of
vodka and 7 bottles of rum, but they didn't charge us. We're going to Baja in early September and I'd like to bring back a few extra bottles, but I'm
not sure if it's still a good deal (I suspect it is) if you add in the duty.wilderone - 7-13-2004 at 08:42 AM
Generally, one liter per person may be entered into the U.S. duty-free by travelers who are 21 or older, although travelers coming from the U.S.
Virgin Islands or other Caribbean countries are entitled to more. Additional quantities may be entered, although they will be subject to duty and IRS
taxes. Duty is calculated on the alcohol content of such beverages, very low for wine and beer, higher for spirits.
There is no federal limit on the amount of alcohol a traveler may import into the U.S. for personal use, however, large quantities might raise the
suspicion that the importation is for commercial purposes.
Rates of duty on some items are: Wine: $.33/litre; rum $1.32; scotch $1.99; vodka $1.78; liqueurs $3.08, etc.
Import Booze
bajalera - 7-13-2004 at 10:33 AM
Several months ago, prior to crossing north at TJ, I bought 4 bottles of Agavero liqueur (tequila & damania) for a son-in-law who really likes it. I
thought 4 bottles for 2 adults was legal--so when the guy in the border booth asked what was in the shopping bags, we told him there was liquor.
He shunted us off to further inspection, where a nice young guy said you're only allowed one bottle apiece, so Steve and I both said Oh well, and
prepared to dump them. At this point the customs guy said Well, you weren't aware, etc. etc., so I'll let it go this time, but in the future . . .
Steve thanked him and said something about flexibility and could you pay a duty, and the man said no to the duty--and also that when people argue or
put up a fuss about losing their booze, he sends them right to the bottle-dump--and also, we had declared the purchase instead of lying about it. You
apparently get brownie points for this.
We've crossed the border many times with enough booze to open a bar, and in recent years no border people have ever asked about liquor. I thought they
didn't care any more. Anyway, one bottle seems to be the limit, and anything more is at risk.
I've heard that if you cross in a "common carrier"--plane or bus--the limit is 4, but don't know if this is true.
Lera
BajaGrrls - 7-13-2004 at 12:07 PM
Thank you both for the advice. I've never had a problem, so I'll likely just buy what I want, declare it and pay the duty. I think it's still quite
a bit cheaper than buying it retail in the states.MrBillM - 7-13-2004 at 12:56 PM
The legal limit for importation by an individual is One Liter
per 30 days, Period, without an importation permit. It is NOT
allowable to bring in more and simply pay the duty. BajaGrrls - 7-13-2004 at 01:27 PM
Aaahhhh! This is why it's so confusing. I've checked the US Customs web site, but it's pretty difficult to understand. In the past, I've never had
a problem bringing back extra as long as I declared it. I've never had to pay, so I wondered if I did, how much it would be. Is Mexico an exception
to this rule? (Paying the duty on any extra.) What if the bottles were opened, i.e. we drank 1/4 of the bottle so they couldn't be sold?
The truth is, it's not that big of a deal, I just don't want to buy more than I can legally bring back.Dave - 7-13-2004 at 04:16 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by MrBillM
The legal limit for importation by an individual is One Liter
per 30 days, Period, without an importation permit. It is NOT
allowable to bring in more and simply pay the duty.
Almost.....If your destination is NOT a border state you can bring more and pay duties. How MUCH more is open to debate and the inclination of the
customs agent. If he/she determines there maybe profit involved, no way.
Mea Culpa
MrBillM - 7-13-2004 at 04:55 PM
Right. I always think in terms of being a Californian.BajaGrrls - 7-14-2004 at 08:22 AM
Cool, thanks for clearing up the confusion. I live in Chicago, so I'm hoping it won't be a problem. Since I'm flying, I really don't intend to bring
back more than a extra bottle or two, so I'm hoping it won't be an issue.
