Help/Advice Container arriving!
Posted: Wed 14 May 2014 10:32 am
Need of some urgent assistance please....
A container is arriving on Friday in to Famagusta. It contains the majority of my stuff that is all at least 4 years old. No white goods and only one TV. There is also a bit of stuff on board for two other people.
My ins/outs to TRNC are not valid to be exempt from Duty. I went to see customs in Nicosia and they told me I had to be here for less than a year and so too the Ministry of Finance, but the agent is saying one has to apply for duty exemption within 6 months of arrival.... No matter I have been here more than a year and have only just purchased a house in Ozankoy where I want the stuff delivered to.
Apparently it is possible to consign the container to another, but one of the other people who has stuff on the container has already shipped in a duty exempt container and so can not assist, and the other person I believe in the same boat, but anyway they live in Lapta and so ferrying my furniture from there even if they could help would be a complete nightmare.
Now what I would like to know about is that if I do put myself down as the rightful consignee of the majority of this stuff, what experiences do others have of paying the duty? The Ministry of Finance said it was 40% on furniture and 30% on electrical goods, but that is on the UK value of the secondhand stuff, that they said would be minimal as none of it is new! Really though in the lap of the gods of whomever accompanies this container! Of course many tell me that they know X Y Z at Customs, but this is crazy having to leave this all to someone's whim on the day.
Another solution of course, is some kind soul willing to HELP who fits the bill on ins/outs and that is likely a good number of people who read this! I am now being told anyone on holiday here can be the consignee as long as you are here next week, and it can apparently still be delivered to my house allegedly! It is fine for swallows to take delivery, but not for someone who has been here more than one year spending money every week, paying school fees, buying things, investing in the country, employing people, and now just wants their home back, having only just recently got somewhere to put it!
If no one locally can help I am kind or resigned now to taking delivery myself but surely someone out there has been in a similar position and can advise? This is a ridiculous. A friend recently brought a secondhand piano over metahan and paid no duty (at the whim of whomever was on duty... Clearly a nice person!) as it was secondhand and for them, I have a piano on my container that I bought of eBay 4 years ago! Who knows what they will say about that? OMG..... Advice from experience anyone or can anyone help? Must be here now, and must be here still in about 10 days time! I think the stuff allegedly can then be delivered to my own house, but I just do not know what to believe any more, as receiving so much conflicting information.
A container is arriving on Friday in to Famagusta. It contains the majority of my stuff that is all at least 4 years old. No white goods and only one TV. There is also a bit of stuff on board for two other people.
My ins/outs to TRNC are not valid to be exempt from Duty. I went to see customs in Nicosia and they told me I had to be here for less than a year and so too the Ministry of Finance, but the agent is saying one has to apply for duty exemption within 6 months of arrival.... No matter I have been here more than a year and have only just purchased a house in Ozankoy where I want the stuff delivered to.
Apparently it is possible to consign the container to another, but one of the other people who has stuff on the container has already shipped in a duty exempt container and so can not assist, and the other person I believe in the same boat, but anyway they live in Lapta and so ferrying my furniture from there even if they could help would be a complete nightmare.
Now what I would like to know about is that if I do put myself down as the rightful consignee of the majority of this stuff, what experiences do others have of paying the duty? The Ministry of Finance said it was 40% on furniture and 30% on electrical goods, but that is on the UK value of the secondhand stuff, that they said would be minimal as none of it is new! Really though in the lap of the gods of whomever accompanies this container! Of course many tell me that they know X Y Z at Customs, but this is crazy having to leave this all to someone's whim on the day.
Another solution of course, is some kind soul willing to HELP who fits the bill on ins/outs and that is likely a good number of people who read this! I am now being told anyone on holiday here can be the consignee as long as you are here next week, and it can apparently still be delivered to my house allegedly! It is fine for swallows to take delivery, but not for someone who has been here more than one year spending money every week, paying school fees, buying things, investing in the country, employing people, and now just wants their home back, having only just recently got somewhere to put it!
If no one locally can help I am kind or resigned now to taking delivery myself but surely someone out there has been in a similar position and can advise? This is a ridiculous. A friend recently brought a secondhand piano over metahan and paid no duty (at the whim of whomever was on duty... Clearly a nice person!) as it was secondhand and for them, I have a piano on my container that I bought of eBay 4 years ago! Who knows what they will say about that? OMG..... Advice from experience anyone or can anyone help? Must be here now, and must be here still in about 10 days time! I think the stuff allegedly can then be delivered to my own house, but I just do not know what to believe any more, as receiving so much conflicting information.