Personal belongings

mandankat wrote:

I want to bring a container of personal belongings without paying duty on them, what is the best approach to do that.   Kathi

The only way to avoid paying duty on your items shipped into the country is to apply for and be accepted in Belize's QRP (Qualified Retirement Program).  Before you ship your container, you have to itemize what is in it.  It's not necessarily the easiest process, but people do it.  (Not me.)

Read about the QRP here:  Options for living in Belize

Good luck!

You can also bring in personal belongings duty free the first year after you've applied for and been approved for Permanent Residency.  But that process can take about 18 months from start to finish.

Otherwise, just pay the duty. Besides vehicles, duties on most personal belongings are incredibly reasonable.  I paid $15 bze to bring a Dell laptop computer in (my friend shipped it to me and I picked it up at the post office) - not bad!

Sharon Hiebing

Wealthships wrote:

You can also bring in personal belongings duty free the first year after you've applied for and been approved for Permanent Residency.  But that process can take about 18 months from start to finish.

Otherwise, just pay the duty. Besides vehicles, duties on most personal belongings are incredibly reasonable.  I paid $15 bze to bring a Dell laptop computer in (my friend shipped it to me and I picked it up at the post office) - not bad!

Sharon Hiebing

Thanks for the clarification, Sharon!  I wasn't sure about how duty-free shipping in worked with permanent residency. 

As for duty on computers, I had read that a computer for personal use was supposed to be duty-free, but perhaps that all depends on who "processes" it.  Your post office guy may have pocketed the $15, but still, you're right that that is a very small amount of duty.  Most "household" items are supposed to be 20% duty, but some items can be up to 40% or more.  Except for computers, I think I read that electronics were charged at the higher end, but tools were only 10%.  I also read that books are supposed to be duty-free, but I have also heard people say that they were charged duty for them at the post office.  So I never know what to believe.  Because of this, I never ship anything in since we did our original pallet (for which our shipper served as our customs broker and paid our duty).

Emily, if you bring your computer and other personal belongings with you when you get off the plane, they won't charge you duty on it. But if you have one shipped in, they probably will unless you know the custom officer or post office worker pretty well. Ours happens to be a hard case.

I've heard recently from friends they are now charging duty on books, where previously they didn't.  What you are charged is going to depend on what custom officer you get and his or her mood (just a fact of life in Belize).  I've never seen them reference a chart or anything and say, "that's an electronic, you owe 40%. It just doesn't happen that way.

Bottom line, I don't get too caught up on the duty for personal items because all of the times I've had things shipped here or brought them over the border, the duty is so small, it's hardly worth worrying about.

One of our landlords for our vacation rental that we manage, the Kumquat Cottage, ships us stuff all time.  Instead of going into all that detail above in my first post, that actually was what the laptop was for-the cottage. I don't usually ship stuff to myself either, but if I did, I wouldn't sweat it.

Plus, everyone should keep in mind that duties are one of the few ways for the Belize government to make money, which they need badly, so shirking your responsibility to not pay duties, if they are due, isn't right in my book. They charge so little in other taxes, etc., the least folks can do is pay the custom duties. IMHO.

Before there was personal income tax, countries paid for their infrastructure etc via import / export taxes. One of the things I like from what I have seen thus far is little government interference / taxes. I like this. Therefore I would be happy to pay the duties to gain all the other things.

You can bring in personal belongings duty free if you qualify for the QRP program. There are age and income restrictions, so go to Belize Tourism Board website and see if you fit into that mold.  Personally, I would shed whatever is unnecessary and bring in only what is near and dear to you.  Nearly everything else can be purchased here.  I came 5yrs ago w/eleven boxes, three suitcases and my dog. I have seen both sides, those bringing containers in and those who did not.Container shipping can be costly and not without its own set of difficulties.  Think it though carefully.

Hello CaribeGal,
Thank you so much !!!!!
I see the light because of you !

QRP --  I have to read very carefully on this webside

http://www.belizefirst.com/QRPUpdate.htm

Once again thank you very much

xxooxx

88mimi88 wrote:

Hello CaribeGal,
Thank you so much !!!!!
I see the light because of you !

You're very welcome.  Glad to be able to help! 

I suggest that you obtain information from this link:

http://www.belizeretirement.org/

It is the website of the Belize Tourism Board, the body that actually administers the "QRP".

I used this, and made extremely helpful use of contact with Roshel Godfrey (Licensing and QRO Officier of the Belize Tourism Board) to gain admittance in to the program. From submission to approval took just over six weeks.

http://www.abelizehomeforus.wordpress.com

Thank you for all of you
Seem that Mrs. Roshel Godfrey is very known.

She is the person to liaise with.

abelizehomeforus.wordpress.com

can anyone tell me when you bring your personal things, do you need to list every single thing in your suitcase? and then pay duty

Thanks
Captain Dave

Has anyone done the math on the QRP?  Is it worth the extra costs compared to the actual duties? If the duties on a newer car are 40% then the costs will more than balance. But if you are not really bringing a vehicle is it worth the money to join the QRP?