Mobile Passport Control (MPC)

[mahdnc]

17 minutes ago, alyssamma said:

If you win $10 in the casino do you declare that on your taxes? So that you have a clear conscious... 

 

For us, the $10 win is later offset by casino losses.....

[prmssk]

22 minutes ago, alyssamma said:

If you win $10 in the casino do you declare that on your taxes? So that you have a clear conscious... 

I don't know tax law on casino winnings and we don't gamble so don't know what I (and my husband accountant) would do.  My point wasn't to try and tell you where the line is drawn for the decisions you make.  I just find it very strange that someone would push back against someone else choosing to follow the law.  There is nothing wrong with voluntarily declaring what you know the law requires you to declare even if you wouldn't make the same decision.

[alyssamma]

9 minutes ago, prmssk said:

I don't know tax law on casino winnings and we don't gamble so don't know what I (and my husband accountant) would do.  My point wasn't to try and tell you where the line is drawn for the decisions you make.  I just find it very strange that someone would push back against someone else choosing to follow the law.  There is nothing wrong with voluntarily declaring what you know the law requires you to declare even if you wouldn't make the same decision.

Might have a double post....

 

You misunderstand me completely. I'm not telling anyone to *not* declare stuff. I was just wondering why you would since they just wave you through.

 

You want to declare, feel free...I have zero problems with that.

 

My point was really directed to your "conscious" comment. And there I was saying that people justify "breaking the law" all the time, while being critical when others do it.

 

If you drive 1 mph over the speed limit, you're breaking the law. If you don't declare that $10, you are breaking the law. Obviously these are *very* different than more serious crimes. 

 

If your conscious bothers you by not declaring then it should when driving 1 mph over, or not declaring that $10...

[prmssk]

4 minutes ago, alyssamma said:

Might have a double post....

 

You misunderstand me completely. I'm not telling anyone to *not* declare stuff. I was just wondering why you would since they just wave you through.

 

You want to declare, feel free...I have zero problems with that.

 

My point was really directed to your "conscious" comment. And there I was saying that people justify "breaking the law" all the time, while being critical when others do it.

 

If you drive 1 mph over the speed limit, you're breaking the law. If you don't declare that $10, you are breaking the law. Obviously these are *very* different than more serious crimes. 

 

If your conscious bothers you by not declaring then it should when driving 1 mph over, or not declaring that $10...

That is a very black and white view of morals and ethics.  I think for all of us our conscious kicks in somewhere in the gray area.

[alyssamma]

3 minutes ago, prmssk said:

That is a very black and white view of morals and ethics.  I think for all of us our conscious kicks in somewhere in the gray area.

Exactly my point 🙂

 

I was giving extreme examples to illustrate that 🙂

 

I think we agree... 

[hrhdhd]

2 hours ago, alyssamma said:

I think you misunderstood me. How would you possibly be caught if no one even asks you the question?

 

They just wave you through...

 

Or maybe you understood perfectly 🙂 We can just agree to disagree on this one 🙂

 

Guilty face? New looking watch? Sparkling diamonds?

 

The term "declare" tells me that the onus is on me as the traveler to declare what I have purchased overseas. The agent makes no declaration.

 

Anyway, I will continue declaring without being asked. 😉

[alyssamma]

4 minutes ago, hrhdhd said:

Guilty face? New looking watch? Sparkling diamonds?

 

The term "declare" tells me that the onus is on me as the traveler to declare what I have purchased overseas. The agent makes no declaration.

 

Anyway, I will continue declaring without being asked. 😉

And make sure you declare that $10 casino win also 🙂

 

And don't go even 1mph over the speed limit...

[dlh015]

My conscience is starting to bother me just reading this departure from MPC...🤪

[NutsAboutGolf]

6 hours ago, hrhdhd said:

Because it's the law, not to mention the right thing to do. If one is caught, they can fine, confiscate the items in question, and permanently revoke Global Entry. Not a chance I am willing to take.

 

Besides, about 2/3 of the time, I don't get charged the duty I owe because the agent is flabbergasted that I was honest. The other 1/3, I pay up.

 

If we're talking ethics here, shouldn't you demand to pay duty and if the agent refuses, request to get the Agent's supervisor involved?

[Arizona Wildcat]

3 hours ago, alyssamma said:

If you win $10 in the casino do you declare that on your taxes? So that you have a clear conscious... 

What does this have to do with the OP topic?  

FYI item that are considered insignificant by the IRS are not reportable.  It is unlikely that a $10 casino win would either:

#1 change the amount of taxes due and

#2 not be offset by a gambling loss of at least $10.

DeMinimus gambling wins are not reportable 

[YensidCA]

12 minutes ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

What does this have to do with the OP topic?  

 

Really this is a totally different can of worms.... Sorry I opened it. 😕

[alyssamma]

14 minutes ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

What does this have to do with the OP topic?  

FYI item that are considered insignificant by the IRS are not reportable.  It is unlikely that a $10 casino win would either:

#1 change the amount of taxes due and

#2 not be offset by a gambling loss of at least $10.

DeMinimus gambling wins are not reportable 

Completely incorrect. *All* income is reportable.

 

And I didn't go on this tangent...was responding to someone who did.

[alyssamma]

1 minute ago, YensidCA said:

Really this is a totally different can of worms.... Sorry I opened it. 😕

No worries...tangents happen. Some people just take this stuff more seriously than others.

 

You got your answer in the first few posts...it was a good question...

[Charles4515]

3 hours ago, alyssamma said:

You misunderstand me completely. I'm not telling anyone to *not* declare stuff. I was just wondering why you would since they just wave you through.

They have an agent there on the side. If you have something to declare you are supposed to see the agent to declare before walking through. 

[Charles4515]

50 minutes ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

What does this have to do with the OP topic?  

If they used the mobile app if you had something to declare you could use the app instead of the printed form. . But as has been said they don't use  the app or form anymore at Port Everglades. Last time at Port Liberty (Bayonne) they were doing the face scan there too. In either case not using the app or the printed customs forms that does not end the obligation to declare. What people actually do I don't know. 

Edited November 23, 2022 by Charles4515

[alyssamma]

24 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

They have an agent there on the side. If you have something to declare you are supposed to see the agent to declare before walking through. 

Correct. But no one is confused about how to declare. Or if legally, you should declare.

 

Edited November 23, 2022 by alyssamma

[SueMo]

If you purchase more than your customs limit at one of the ship's shops, a beeper will sound when you swipe your room key as you debark.  You will be pulled aside, escorted to customs, and asked to fill out a customs form.  You don't get in any "trouble" as long as you are honest in your declarations.  

[hrhdhd]

1 hour ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

If we're talking ethics here, shouldn't you demand to pay duty and if the agent refuses, request to get the Agent's supervisor involved?

No. The agent has discretion. Even when I am charged, an agent will often knock a few items off because she doesn't think/judge that each and every purchase is dutiable. I present my total and my receipts, and the agent takes it from there.

[NutsAboutGolf]

41 minutes ago, hrhdhd said:

No. The agent has discretion. Even when I am charged, an agent will often knock a few items off because she doesn't think/judge that each and every purchase is dutiable. I present my total and my receipts, and the agent takes it from there.

 

Agents having discretion is surprising, if one owes duties it's pretty black and white that one owes duty.  Simply comes down to if the agent likes you or not.

[alyssamma]

46 minutes ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

Agents having discretion is surprising, if one owes duties it's pretty black and white that one owes duty.  Simply comes down to if the agent likes you or not.

What's surprising is how fast and loose some play with their obligations to pay duty. 😀

 

Ps...(in Beavis voice) heh, you said doody

[FourNines]

7 hours ago, prmssk said:

Sometimes reports of large purchases made in the cruise line shops get reported to customs.  So it is possible to get caught.  

 

Sometimes it is also just a matter of one's own conscious and wanting to do the right thing.

Wait...Not arguing, but isn't the purchases made onboard the shops duty free?

If so, why declare it?

[d9704011]

7 minutes ago, FourNines said:

Wait...Not arguing, but isn't the purchases made onboard the shops duty free?

If so, why declare it?

Duty free simply means the item is sold without taxes and duties added.  That doesn't mean you can import the items without declaring their value; if you're below your personal exemption then OK.  If not, the customs officer may assess duties/taxes.

[FourNines]

4 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

Duty free simply means the item is sold without taxes and duties added.  That doesn't mean you can import the items without declaring their value; if you're below your personal exemption then OK.  If not, the customs officer may assess duties/taxes.

Thank you for the clarification.

[Charles4515]

59 minutes ago, FourNines said:

Wait...Not arguing, but isn't the purchases made onboard the shops duty free?

If so, why declare it?

That’s is the mistaken belief that many believe and gets people stopped. Duty free does not mean you the purchaser does not have to pay duty. It means the onboard store did not pay duty so theoretically can sell it to you at a lower price. Unfortunately some of the shop’s sales people pitch it like no taxes are due but that may not be the case if you are over your allowance. 

[markeb]

3 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

Agents having discretion is surprising, if one owes duties it's pretty black and white that one owes duty.  Simply comes down to if the agent likes you or not.

 

If you want to have real fun (not), Google "Harmonized Tariff Schedule". When you carry an item through customs, you get an exemption of $800 per person and then a flat fee of 4%. There are higher limits in the Caribbean. Over I think $1800, you revert to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule, which may well be a better deal!

 

For instance, if you import a Stainless Steel Rolex at >$10,000 (bad example because you can't find one to buy, but bear with me...), and there are two of you traveling together, you'd the first $1600 would be duty free. You'd then pay 4% on $8400 or $336.

 

Under the HTS, you'd pay $1.75 for the movement, plus 4.2% of the value of the case, plus 9.9% of the value of the watch band. If you bought the Rolex overseas and are hand carrying it, you don't have any of that information, but it probably works out to less than $200, and involves a ton of paper work. It's not worth the effort for CBP, generally speaking. Other items that are based purely on purchase price are easier. And truly prohibited items (new ivory, for instance), are easy targets. Actually the biggest issue on watches (and handbags) is CITES for exotic animal skins!

 

If you shipped that watch to yourself via FEDEX, FEDEX does everything and charges a handling fee, which is often more than the duty. I think I bought a watch from Germany years ago for about $2200. Duty was around $13 and FEDEX charged $35 for handling. Which is why CBP rarely bothers with duties unless something is really expensive or truly egregious.