[RRDXA] Customs reference number for ham equipment

[Marcus]

Hi Mark,

as mentioned earlier, all customs reference numbers may be found in the TARIC database, which 
is maintained by the EU. This database is available in a number of languages. For english 
language it might be found here:

http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/dds/tarhome_en.htm

An index of available databases on taxation and customs is here:

http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/common/databases/index_en.htm

Scroll to TARIC and select the preferred language.

Finding a suitable number is not easy in some cases. The numbers mentioned some years ago on 
Elecraft equipment by DARC are no loger valid. But the point is: You just have to find a 
number, that looks reasonable to the customs office employee and that there are no import taxes 
or import restrictions for this number :-)

In this case You simply have to pay VAT (no processing fee or something alike is drawn by the 
customs office !) and You are done.

Now the important thing:

Most of the newer (or say commercial) logistics companies like UPS, GLS and alike draw a lot of 
money by doing the customs declaration for the parcels on behalf of their customers. Of course 
they charge their customers for this "service". Unfortunately they don't invest a lot of time 
in finding a suitable (and import tax exempt) customs reference number.

The net result: You pay for the "service" and You pay higher then necessary taxes.

As a result I decided to do the customs declaration for myself, which proved to be really 
simple after You have finally understood the system. I never had any problems with my local 
customs office.

To accomplish this You have to make shure those commercial logistics companies don't get 
control over Your parcel, because they won't hand over the parcel to You, if they ever get 
control of it and You don't sign the contract for the customs "service".

In Germany You can register Yourself at the "good old post" as "customs self declare customer". 
But this doesn't work for the other companies. Whenever a parcel is received from abroad, they 
forward it to the official customs office and You will be notified. So You can go to the 
customs office and present there the optimal customs reference number. They will be happy to 
see a well informed citizen and not to have to search in the TARIC database themselves :-)

VY 73

Marcus, DL1EKC