Hello All - Looking for some advice from all the experts out there. When flying in on my next trip, I'm going to be bringing a lot of tools to work on my house, and will therefore have a lot of luggage (4 bags). As far as I know, as long as what I'm bringing in is for my own personal use, there are no customs fees. Is that correct?

Thanks in advance!

Used tools? No packaging? Small quantities? Should be OK...but you might be charged a 10% "sales tax" on the estimated value.

Even for my own personal use? They are new in the packaging. Guess I should take them out? I guess they'll take a look versus just asking me? I've been down about 20 times before, never brought more than a couple of bags, and they've never asked to look inside.

Don't look like a vendor of tools!
They should look like your used tools.

Will do.

Bringing power tools as well. Saws, drills, etc. Is this a really bad idea?

Some would say that buying locally supports the community and that if you are going to live (or invest) here you should want your neighbors to succeed.

We try to spend our money at home - this is home.

Maybe it would be easier and possible to live (or invest) there if one could bring in some tools already purchased & then begin to support their community (if they so chose to).

Telling someone what they "should" want of their neighbors and how they should act at their "home" is more like Cuba than Belize I hope.

Softening your attempts to control others is mere propaganda.

Mind your own business..that really helps your community.

Add to watched users

Thank you, John!

To clarify, my comments were about what one might wish FOR their neighbors rather than FROM them.
It's a substantial difference in thinking.

Fair enough. I'm don't mean to be a finger pointer I'm just trying to learn more about Belize too.

I like to support my Local Stores, But I don't like to pay the High prices they put on tools here. I have brought power Tools in my luggage I just list what I have. I have paid duty on them. It just depends on who you get at customs. I also go through the Goods to Declare line. It seems to be faster and lots of time they just look at my List, And let me go. Even when I pay its still cheaper than buying here, And they seem to last longer.

So one additional question, if you own a home in Belize and you're bringing in items for your personal home use (in this case towels, sheets and shower curtains which are organic and that I haven't been able to find while shopping in Belize) do you have to pay duty on them? I had it in my head that personal use items did not fall under the category of having to pay duty. Am I just completely wrong about that?
Thank you

You pay duty on just about everything that is for personal use, plus GST, plus Environment tax.

OK. Must have been dreaming, or might have been 5 or 10 too many Belikins!! Thanks

Actually, the way it should work (providing you are from the US and have a ticket for a 30 day stay) is that the items you are bringing should be for your personal use while here on your holiday and are duty free (of course - providing that you are planning on either consuming them (snacks or medicine or toiletries) or bringing them back with you upon your return.

Anything else you would need to pay duty on and of course there are limits on alcohol, etc....

Now that's making more sense. Thanks for the clarification!

It took about 10 years of coming and going and reading that Belize customs declaration before it made any kind of sense to me ---but Snoopy's Mom seems to have gotten to the heart of it! Maybe customs can hire her to write a declaration form we can understand. Or not - many of us are like Monty Python - "keen to guess."

Just went through customs at the airport and got charged for the pots and pans but not for fishing rods. Pots and pans were staying, rods and reels were coming and going. If its to stay you pay.