AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums Belize Life Living in Belize Bringing items in through BZE customs

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.