Customs Clearance for Personal Furniture FOS Port

General Discussion
1

Hi all,


We're just about to complete on a lovely 3 bedroom property in Carcassonne. We've had furniture custom made for the property in Asia. Carcassonne will be our second home as we live in the Middle East.


Some of my family and friends, who have holiday homes in Southern France (which is not their primary country of residence..) have cleared their furniture (which they bought in various places in Asia) tax free from the port by submitting an affadavit that the furniture was for their own use and that they pledged not to sell it for one/two years etc..)


I know you can do this but the agent my shipper has put me through to says that french customs will have a look at the invoice and tax us accordingly. We obviously dont want to be taxed as it is for our own use and we've spent a considerable sum on it.....


Could anyone advise of a customs clearance agency in Marseilles who are trustworthy and can assist us? All advice is welcome here...Cheers!


Umar

2

Umar, you should contact the Direction Régionale des douanes Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur-Bouches-du-Rhône

48 avenue Robert Schuman
13224 MARSEILLE CEDEX 01

Telephone 04 91 14 15 16

dr-marseille@douane.finances.gouv.fr

Before shipping our container to France, from the US, I contacted the French douane, and we had no charges, but I must say we were moving to France permanently , but it wouldn't hurt if you got the answer directly from them.

3

Normally you pay the applicable VAT (21%?) over the costs of the goods i.e. the insured value of the goods, the transport, the customs-file costs (which is a certain % of the good's value) and about 15 € of stamp-duty.

It might be different for your friends as the goods were meant for a small business (or the port of arrival was Marseille and they slipped a little banknote into the affadavit ;-))