Bringing Beer Back To Australia From Belgium

[ricardo]

guys thanks for all your help.

just to reiterate i'm not looking to smuggle it in, i've got too much for that. the company i'm shipping the container with have advised i need to label every single beer up with volume, price, size and country of origin

i've even emailed customs asking if there are any limits to the amount i can bring over and asked if they could give me an idea on how much i would have to pay (i gave them a few examples), If it's going to be $1000's of dollars i'll drink it before i leave i just want some idea on price. Thw annoying thing is customs seem to have ignored my email

 

[Wimmig]

Hi,


First time poster after some advice. I'm emigrating from the UK to Australia later this year and would like to bring my beer collection with me on the shipping container, roughly between 50 - 100 beers. I've tried contacting customs to see if i'm allowed to and how much i would have to pay (gave info on alchohol volume and bottle size) but they haven't replied back. I just don't want to be stung with outragious demands when i get there, Does anybody know of anybody who has attempted this who could offer some advice. Any advice would be appreciated


Many thanks

There are exemptions you can work with. If you can show the collection has value in the containers, and not the contents, and is for personal value only then you may be able to reduce the tax rates you would need to pay. If customs request shipping stickers per unit then they are making the assumptions you have a commercial shipment and is for reselling or profit. You will find customs may not reply to you if they are putting your request into the commerical category but you are going through the personal category.

I am going to go out on a limb here, and say enjoy the beers and leave them be. I don't think, in good faith, i could ever say it's going to be an easy process to bring 100 units of alc into the country and expect to not pay full commerical rates. You will have one hell of a hard time getting them in the country outside of generic bringing them in one trip at a time {2250/330(assumed) = 6.81 units per transit = 14 international trips}.

 

[np1962]

The key to this whole thing is the fact that you are emmigrating.
There are rules that apply that are different than if you just grabbed a couple of cartons the week before and brought them into the country.
If you have had the collection longer than twelve months it may well be exempt as al of your household goods and personal belongings of that age are.
Having lived 3 years in the UK and Ireland before returning in 2001 I managed to collect quite a few bottles of Whiskey/Whisky and brought them back.
They were packed in one or two(of 20 odd) of our moving boxes and shipped by a moving company. The box was clearly marked and a list of the contents supplied.
On arrival it had been inspected and cleared with no charges incurred.
As you can see though, the charges are not excessive if you have done the right thing.
Cheers
Nige

 

[ricardo]

The key to this whole thing is the fact that you are emmigrating.
There are rules that apply that are different than if you just grabbed a couple of cartons the week before and brought them into the country.
If you have had the collection longer than twelve months it may well be exempt as al of your household goods and personal belongings of that age are.
Having lived 3 years in the UK and Ireland before returning in 2001 I managed to collect quite a few bottles of Whiskey/Whisky and brought them back.
They were packed in one or two(of 20 odd) of our moving boxes and shipped by a moving company. The box was clearly marked and a list of the contents supplied.
On arrival it had been inspected and cleared with no charges incurred.
As you can see though, the charges are not excessive if you have done the right thing.
Cheers
Nige

Thanks for the advice, i hadn't realised that everything over 12 months is exempt, hopefully that includes beer. Do you think the fact i don't have any receipts would be an issue?

 

[np1962]

Thanks for the advice, i hadn't realised that everything over 12 months is exempt, hopefully that includes beer. Do you think the fact i don't have any receipts would be an issue?

I wasn't asked, nor would I of been able to produce any.
The key is to be as honest as possible with everything.
The worst that could happen is they hit you with a bill for excise, if you can't convince them you have owned the goods for 12 months and you don't want to pay the amount they ask they will destroy them.
Nige

 

[geoffd]

used to work in Quarantine

some people would bring cases of Fiji Bitter all the time and pay no tax, however it depends on who you get. If you are bringing back spirits, dump the bottle and put it in a lemonade bottle/coke bottle and you will have no dramas (unless you have a stack of them)

Australia


2.25 litres (18 yrs+)


250 cigarettes, or 250 grams of tobacco or cigars (18 yrs+)


AUD900 (450AUD for persons under 18 yrs) worth of other personal goods. e.g. cameras, perfumes etc


but remember, if you exceed the limits and don't declare what you have, you will pay tax on the whole lot, so you lose your 2.25 litres.

Hi Quantocks, I'd be interested in knowing what stupid ******* moron came up with the idea to limit alcohol on the basis of quantity only rather than quantity x ABV I mean it's so rediculous that a bottle of 40% spirit & a mid strength beer have the same volume limitation.

Having worked in the industry I'm sure you have been asked this before, is there any logic to it or just the usual stupidity to be expected of the public service. PS not dissing you, I do understand customs only enforce the laws not write them.

 

[ricardo]

I wasn't asked, nor would I of been able to produce any.
The key is to be as honest as possible with everything.
The worst that could happen is they hit you with a bill for excise, if you can't convince them you have owned the goods for 12 months and you don't want to pay the amount they ask they will destroy them.
Nige

I'm just worried i'm going to look like a retailer. I've kind of been stockpiling a few favourites (case of Maui bought last year an example) as i knew it would be hard to get a lot of American craft brewers out there. wonder if there is a limit where they say hang on thats far too much for one person

 

[Josh]

Hi Quantocks, I'd be interested in knowing what stupid ******* moron came up with the idea to limit alcohol on the basis of quantity only rather than quantity x ABV I mean it's so rediculous that a bottle of 40% spirit & a mid strength beer have the same volume limitation.

Having worked in the industry I'm sure you have been asked this before, is there any logic to it or just the usual stupidity to be expected of the public service. PS not dissing you, I do understand customs only enforce the laws not write them.

In the past if the duty payable was under $50 it was written off as too small for duty (TSD). A case of standard beer was under the $50 payable. Customs have removed TSD for anyone over their concession. Now theoretically if you have over 2.25L you pay on the whole amount. In practice, you'll get away with a bit more than 2.25L if you only have beer and no tobacco or liquor.

 

[brettprevans]

Hi Quantocks, I'd be interested in knowing what stupid ******* moron came up with the idea to limit alcohol on the basis of quantity only rather than quantity x ABV I mean it's so rediculous that a bottle of 40% spirit & a mid strength beer have the same volume limitation.

Having worked in the industry I'm sure you have been asked this before, is there any logic to it or just the usual stupidity to be expected of the public service. PS not dissing you, I do understand customs only enforce the laws not write them.

its really simple. an accountant came up with the idea. more tax on volume im guessing.

 

[ricardo]

Just as a reference for anybody from the UK thinking about doing this, i shipped 120 bottles with pretty high ABV's 7 - 28% from the UK. I declared everything, total cost AUS $218. Hope this helps anybody in the future