Originally Posted by bensyd
Am I the only one here that removes the tags and claims they are not new? Obviously for some things it can't be done wine etc. But for most other things it is possible.
A friend of mine did this and got caught (she was wearing jewelry she had just purchased in Hong Kong, but that she didn't declare). Now not only was she paying on the things she did buy, but customs decided most everything she had with her - including the stuff she brought from home - was newly purchased abroad and subject to duty and fines.
I brought several thousand dollars worth of home appliances for personal use through U.S. Customs, declared them and was not charged any duty. Just because you go over the "limits" doesn't mean you will have exhorbitant or fees or any at all.