Moving back to the USA - Customs
 

After 13 years overseas, I am moving back to the US in a couple days. I'll be flying in with 4 giant bags full of stuff we've had in our overseas home for years. The CBP site says that any goods that we have had more more than a year are duty-free.

There are only a couple things that are less than a year old (total value about $300) and a whole bunch that is more than a year old. For some stuff, I honestly have no idea if I bought them in the US or overseas (this mostly applies to clothes).

I am planning to list the total value of everything purchased abroad on the CBP form (kiosk as I have GE)... and provide a separate list on paper of the goods that are more than a year old.

Has anyone here done this before? If I enter $2500 into the GE kiosk, I don't want to be charged duty if $2K of it is goods I have had for years.

Why claim what is over a year old??? Do exactly what the CBP rules say. List what you have bought in the last year. If they ask about other items just have your separate list handy with dates of purchase. Having the list prepared will probably show that you are following the rules.

Moving back to the USA - Customs
 

When I moved back to the U.S. After living in the UK I was told household goods were allowed in duty free. It was a family of 4 with lots of clothes and stuff acquired while living abroad. Won't hurt to just tell the CBP people you are moving back to US

We (family of 5) moved back to the US after 6 years in Germany with 6 or 7 large suitcases and 5 carryons.

We didn't declare a thing. Customs at JFK didn't bat an eye.

The blue and white customs form does not say to exclude what is a year or more old - it just says list all items acquired abroad. I think the GE Kiosk question is the same. So I have to list the blanket I bought in 2004 and has been in my home overseas ever since.

Of course when I can speak with a real person, it should clear things up. For the Kiosk I wonder if I should put $290 (goods less than a year old) or some much higher number that is everything I may have acquired since 2002.

Moving back to the USA - Customs
 

Or, just skip the kiosk this time and fill out a paper form and explain in person

I think you are required to do both the paper and the kiosk if you are a US Citizen.

No you're not. You can skip the kiosk anytime you want. If you put in $2,500 in the kiosk, you'll get sent to a person. If you put in $200 you'll just fly by unless they decide to stop you but that is unlikely.

So what is the correct way to do it? We will have four giant bags. I think the "less than one year old" stuff is about $300 and the "I've had this in my foreign home a very long time" stuff is $1500-$2000.

If I put $300 in the kiosk, I don't want to lose GE if I get stopped and such. I do have a page printed that inventories as best I can, all the "older than one year" stuff.

I emailed CBP about this but they auto-response said it would take 2-3 business weeks to get a reply. I am flying next week.

I think you are going overboard on this. I would just list anything that looks obviously new or unused. I have moved from overseas back to the US twice, returning each time loaded with luggage and only listing anything obviously new, well less than the $400 customs limit. No problem either trip.

There is no reason to play silly games here and the rules are clear. You must declare anything you bought overseas and are importing into the US. Period. Items 1+ year old are not dutiable, but this does not mean not reportable.

If you can't remember whether you bought something in the US, declare it as it's not dutiable at 1+ years old.

This leaves you with the last year's stuff which you can categorize and will be well within your duty free limit.

Easiest here is to do a paper declaration. But, you can do GE and simply explain when you are diverted to a CBP Officer.

As a GE-holder, it is truly folly to do anything but err on the side of caution. All it takes is one Officer having a bad day and your GE summarily revoked. And, for what? You're not going to be liable for duty anyway.

do they really subpoena financials to try and prove these things?

For the typical US person engaged in a transfer of residence back to the US? Highly unlikely.

I have a copy of my European residence visa to prove long term residence over here.

as usual, the voice of reason