Jewelry purchase and duty

[htkodiak]

My DW is planning on trading a ring for an upgrade while in St. Thomas at a duty free shop.Will she have to pay a duty on the difference in trade in value vs. purchase price ?Thanks for any info on this subject.

[Retired_to_Cruise]

Seems to me that the fact that this will be done at a Duty Free Shop describes what will happen!

 

[Essiesmom]

Duty Free in the shop on the island means that the vendor did not pay duty on it.  But it is still subject to duty when entering the US.  EM

[ShakyBeef]

Am I missing something?  Isn't St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands???  Why would one have to pay duty on something bought in the U.S., being brought into the U.S.?🤔

[Nic6318]

Hi

 

Here is a link for what U.S. residents are allowed. 

https://visitstthomas.com/shopping_duty_free.html

 

Quick summary... each person is allowed $1600, 5 cartons of cigarettes, 5 L. liquor (as long as one of the bottles is made in the Virgin Islands)

 

hope this helps 

[denmarks]

Each U.S. resident, including children, can take home $1600 worth of duty free goods bought in the US Virgin Islands. When returning to the US you will be required to fill out a separate customs form for these items.

Non-U.S. origin goods will be subject to a duty equal to the difference between the 6% the USVI normally levies on imports and whatever duty was paid on these items when they entered the U.S.( If there was a 5% duty charged at entry into the U.S., there would be an additional 1% charged upon entry into the USVI.)

 

This may be considered a repair or alteration and duty would probably be on the charge to you.

[Philob]

5 hours ago, htkodiak said:

My DW is planning on trading a ring for an upgrade while in St. Thomas at a duty free shop.Will she have to pay a duty on the difference in trade in value vs. purchase price ?Thanks for any info on this subject.

 

You should proof of value(?) for the old ring too.

[donaldsc]

You will certainly have to pay any customs costs owed when you return to your home country.  I just can't figure why so many people don't understand the difference between duties and customs.  Read this - https://www.smartertravel.com/customs-duty-free-guide/

 

DON

[htkodiak]

Love the snarky responses.😂 Thanks  for your replies .

[clo]

1 hour ago, denmarks said:

Each U.S. resident, including children, can take home $1600 worth of duty free goods bought in the US Virgin Islands. When returning to the US you will be required to fill out a separate customs form for these items.

Non-U.S. origin goods will be subject to a duty equal to the difference between the 6% the USVI normally levies on imports and whatever duty was paid on these items when they entered the U.S.( If there was a 5% duty charged at entry into the U.S., there would be an additional 1% charged upon entry into the USVI.)

 

This may be considered a repair or alteration and duty would probably be on the charge to you.

Good info.  Are you aware that your font is really small and some of it quite faint.

[clo]

24 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

I just can't figure why so many people don't understand the difference between duties and customs. 

Plenty don't understand the difference between customs and immigration.  Maybe the same people?

[ShakyBeef]

17 hours ago, donaldsc said:

  I just can't figure why so many people don't understand the difference between duties and customs. 

 

I admit I am guilty of not realizing the OP was speaking of Excise Duty, and not Customs Duty (which is still "duty").  I was thinking Customs Duty, and the whole U.S. territory not being a foreign country thing had me confused about the rules.  I also admit that I am not well informed on the rules and details of how the whole process works.  I just follow the official instructions that I am given at each time it comes up in my travels.  I never cared enough to delve into the rules and workings of it all, so have remained for the most part, 'duties ignorant'.  Thus, I was confused by the OP's situation.

17 hours ago, clo said:

Plenty don't understand the difference between customs and immigration.  Maybe the same people?

Although I admit ignorance on the duty thing, I definitely don't fall into this category of ignorance.  My father is a retired U.S. Customs Port Director. 

 

We're all ignorant in some categories. What's so hard to figure out about that?  It would be nice if we could help to edify each other without denigration.

 

Thank you, everyone, who posted information to answer the OP's question and help to remedy my ignorance.🙂

 

17 hours ago, htkodiak said:

Love the snarky responses.😂 Thanks  for your replies .

I hope my post didn't come off as snarky, and if it did, I apologize.  It was not at all intended as such.  It was truly an admission of my ignorance and confusion about the situation.

 

[htkodiak]

9 minutes ago, ShakyBeef said:

 

I admit I am guilty of not realizing the OP was speaking of Excise Duty, and not Customs Duty (which is still "duty").  I was thinking Customs Duty, and the whole U.S. territory not being a foreign country thing had me confused about the rules.  I also admit that I am not well informed on the rules and details of how the whole process works.  I just follow the official instructions that I am given at each time it comes up in my travels.  I never cared enough to delve into the rules and workings of it all, so have remained for the most part, 'duties ignorant'.  Thus, I was confused by the OP's situation.

Although I admit ignorance on the duty thing, I definitely don't fall into this category of ignorance.  My father is a retired U.S. Customs Port Director. 

 

We're all ignorant in some categories. What's so hard to figure out about that?  It would be nice if we could help to edify each other without denigration.

 

Thank you, everyone, who posted information to answer the OP's question and help to remedy my ignorance.🙂

 

I hope my post didn't come off as snarky, and if it did, I apologize.  It was not at all intended as such.  It was truly an admission of my ignorance and confusion about the situation.

 

 

[htkodiak]

No need to apologize , maybe I should apologize .I just find that sometimes on  these boards more time is spent telling the OP that they need to ask better questions.I need to get over it.😉

[ShakyBeef]

1 hour ago, htkodiak said:

No need to apologize , maybe I should apologize .I just find that sometimes on  these boards more time is spent telling the OP that they need to ask better questions.I need to get over it.😉

 

That is certainly not what I was trying to do with my post.  Again, I'm sorry if it seemed that way.  And I agree, I see that a lot on these boards, too. 

 

Thanks for posting your question.  Because you did, and because some answered it with good information, I learned something today and am a little less ignorant than I was yesterday.