Customs fees?

[J.C. Bryant]

I know nothing bout customs charges. If I were to buy an used instrument from Ireland, would I be subject to custom charges,etc.? Thanks for your help.

[Kenny]

Officially, yes, you’d be charged import duty on that purchase, although in practice it’s maybe yes, maybe no. Many of us have bought things and they’ve arrived with no duty owed and in other cases you have to pay before you receive the goods. Whether you owe or not is a mystery until it arrives. The amounts are defined in the Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) published by U.S. Customs and Border Protection: https://www.cbp.gov/trade/programs-a...ing-duty-rates on that page click/tap on the database link to find specific rates for nearly anything you can imagine.

[tjmangum]

Yes, custom fees can be a mystery. Also, there may be a factor of a refund of the VAT (Value Added Tax) if bought from a retailer.

[mandokismet]

I recently purchased a used banjo from a private individual (not a retail shop) shipped from Ireland to the western US. "Declared value" was $600 and shipping with An Post was $107 with no VAT and I didn't get charged import duty. Shipping time was 8 days door to door.

[Jim Garber]

My worst case was buying a vintage mandolin from South Africa. It cost quite a bit plus it was in customs for at least a week. What a pain. Buying from the UK there was no hold up or charges that one time.