http://www.ezv.admin.ch/zollinfo_pri...x.html?lang=en

So at this site I see this

So the key bit I'm looking at is this 6 months rule. So what happens if I've had the item for less than 6 months? Say I buy a sofa from the UK just now. I'm coming over to CH in Sept/Oct. What will I get charged at customs for that?

How will they even know that it's 6 months old? I'm guessing if I got it just now and used it for a few month they wouldn't be able to tell if it was 6 months old or not...but if they didn't believe me they might charge customs on the list value in Switzerland (expensive sofa's there I've heard)

Thanks in advance for your help. I've search the forums endlessly.

Hi, we too are bringing our belongings over and wondered the same things.

Also, we do not know if we need any prior paperwork or do we just turn up at a border? Then at the border do we either drive through or stop and say we have our car and a van of belongings to import?

Hi,

we just imported our household and here is the list of papers we submitted
You can see all on the second page of Declaration 18.44 (http://www.ezv.admin.ch/zollinfo_pri...gpKfo&typ=.pdf.)

Basically, for EU members you need:

- a copy of your residence in Switzerland (eg. rental agreement or proof of purchase of a house)
- a list of the belongings you are importing (detailed)
- Declaration 18.44 where you declare that you have used the items for more than 6 months and that you intent to use them not sell them. Also includes claimed value & weight of belongings (which will be the basis of any taxation). If some of your belongings are new, then you need to list them (& value them separately). They need the original signed.
- a copy of the first three pages of your passport

they also asked us for:
- registration to the police prior to the import of things (that is easy you probably already have it- they need the original)
- when furnishing a secondary residence, proof that you are maintaining a primary residence at your EU home country.

good to also have:
- a paper that declares that you are not importing anything illegal (guns, alcohol or any of other forbidden effects, like animal skin etc).

We were missing one paper and they denied to duty free clear us, so we were asked to pay tax (which they would return when we had given them the rest of the papers). The tax was about 7.5% of the declared value- I am not sure if it works like that in all cases.

This is just my experience, probably not covering all the necessary papers & situations you might encounter. I would suggest to ask your moving company (or do it yourself if you are importing on your own) to gather all the papers and send them to the customs beforehand to be checked so they can tell you if something is missing at your case.

Hope this helps,

Nadia

Ps. on the 6 months issue, I had the same question- first of all you officially declare that all your belongings are older than 6 months ago, and they clearly state that it is an offense to lie and they also check (randomly) that you do not have new looking things.

we bought new sofas etc to bring out with us, we unrapped them and stuck them on the wagon with everything else. the relocation company took care of all the paperwork

I'm thinking that an item that is brand new or six months old (such as a tv or sofas even) wouldn't look much different!

From what I've heard is that if they charge you the importy duty at 7.5% you can claim back the 15% VAT from HMRC...so it might be worth my while claiming everything is brand spanking new!

I think you will need to show receipts at the exit customs point to get the VAT back...

I am in the same boat. I purchased new furniture (nothing fancy) just to avoid trying trying to establish a totally new house in Switzerland from scratch. All before I know about this 6 months rule. I have all the receits, if it is only 7.5% then it is still worth it, since all what i bought are relativeky cheap stuff.

You can claim the original VAT that you paid back if I understand correctly.

When you go through customs make sure that you keep (& list) new items separately and have invoices for all of them. They DO ask for the invoices of new items. On claiming back the VAT, yes you can do that, I would first check with the original place you bought it from if they are ok with that (especially if purchases some months ago)- I think you will claim it back from the original vendor not Switzerland (at least that is how it worked for us).

On a similar note, if I buy antique furniture in France, can I pay the 7.5% Swiss tax and reclaim the 19.6% French VAT?

So do you just write a letter to the original vendor saying gimme back my 15% VAT and they do?

I imported my own furniture from the UK.

Find a company willing to take them.
I can give you the name and telephone number in England of the company I used.
I paid in May 2007, £1,750 inc VAT for a 40ft articulated lorry on its way back to Italy. UK company sorted it out for me and the lorry was Italian with an Italian driver. I was moving furniture from a 6 bed, 5 reception Room house and I only filled half of it.

All you need to do is:

Get the lorry loaded in the UK.

Following paperwork required to give to driver:

1) Address of goods coming from
2) Address in CH of where goods going to
3) A list of the items and a value (make this low incase the lorry driver screws up and you have to pay the IVA at customs)
4) A copy of your passport
5) Copy of Letter/Notice from Comune of residency
6) A statment in English stating that the goods are your personal belongings and to be used by you in your reidency in Switzerland.

Make sure the lorry driver gets a "Proof of Export of Goods" from Dover or whatever port that the goods are leaving the UK.

The Swiss will not let the goods in if they do not have proof of where they come from.

Provided you bring personal belongings into Switzerland within 3 years of becoming resident of date of Comune, they should be free of IVA (Swiss VAT).

If you need the name of the UK firm I used and the frieght agent in Switzerland who speaks English (the guy was from Yorkshire married to a Swiss girl) I can dig out the paperwork.

PS: If you buy new furniture in UK; get the receipts from the shop, declare them on import, you will have to pay the IVA at 7.6% but then you can claim the VAT back from the Customs in the UK so 8% better off.
The Swiss customs would very unlikely notice new furniture mixed up with old furniture.

Interesting rule that I was never aware of until now... how does this impact things that one would want to "stock up on" before a big move, like smaller products familiar to them... hair products, spices, childrens clothes (with tags still on for future use when they get older), etc. ??

No problem really. The idea is that it was in use before. Even if it only was for a few weeks. You do not have to show purchase receipts of your belongings. But a precise packing list is a positive factor in getting things through without problems

The lorry transporting our stuff never got checked and I was just waved through with my Jeep being packed to the roof with stuff.