question about US customs

[paul_jones]

Does anyone know if i get stopped at customs entering san Francisco from overseas with two profoto packs battery packs and a bit of camera gear, will i have to pay any import tax or fees? Im there for a three day shoot.

What do i have to to avoid this?

cheers paul

[HarperPhotos]

Hi Paul,

When I have had to shoot overseas I would sagest you get a carnet certificate to avoid problems with customs.

Cheers

Simon

[bcooter]

Do you have a work visa or a visitors visa?

Have you called U.S. customs and Immigration? (good luck on that one).

You could also call the California Film Commission.

A carnet will help but only is really useful when going back to your original country of origin.  It helps to look official, but a broker or a producer that specializes in foreign production probably could answer most of this.

You wont (or shouldn't) be charged duty/taxes unless you reside in the U.S. 

If the project warrants it, I would call a customs broker, if not just rent.

BC

Does anyone know if i get stopped at customs entering san Francisco from overseas with two profoto packs battery packs and a bit of camera gear, will i have to pay any import tax or fees? Im there for a three day shoot.

What do i have to to avoid this?

cheers paul

[Camdavidson]

Paul

Renting gear in SF is much easier than dragging your strobes from New Zealand. 

[Rob C]

My way around this was to contact the local Consulate of the country to be visited, writing a letter on company paper listing the purpose of the visit and the items of equipment, making a declaration of the intent to re-export everything on departure, adding my VAT number, passport number, all the checkable stuff I could think of to legitimise myself, and then having the Consulate stramp it with official stamps. Some countries love that - looks cool. I was also able to have a second letter from the same people requesting my film bag be subjected to a hand search instead of X-Ray.

It never failed me, and worked just as well at customs on return home. But, it took an X-Ray disaster at Palma de Mallorca to make me do this! Kodachrome and X-Ray mate to make green-tinted tan.

Rob C

[Nye Simmons]

If you have proof of ownership of  the equipment PRIOR to leaving US then there should be no hassle coming back in - previously used a printout from my insurance company listing camera and lenses and customs didnt even want to do an inventory. That was Galapagos, several years back. wouod be surprised if it has changed

If you have time for dinner and need recs can give you a couple

cheers

[wolfnowl]

Going from Canada to the US one needs a 'Y38' form that is filled out by the Canadian Customs people on this side of the border before going across.  It lists every item that has a serial number, by description and number.  This proves it was purchased before entering the US and serves as proof it wasn't purchased in the US upon return.  I'm sure there's something similar for you as well.  But renting sounds a lot easier and cheaper.

Mike.

[narikin]

its coming back to your country that you need to worry about, not going into the US. ( Gear is cheaper in the USA, and some countries watch out for you slyly importing that away) that principally is what a carnet will be for.

I would agree with others - renting seems best.

[englishm]

The Y38 is intended as proof that the goods were legally imported into Canada, and can therefore be exported temporarily and later re-imported without further duties etc.  But this is not the question Paul is asking:  Traveling (presumably) from New Zealand, he is concerned about getting knicked at SFO for import duties on his gear.  This is what an ATA carnet is designed to avoid... but they are not cheap:  $100 to $500 for the application, and then a security deposit of 40% of the value of the gear being imported. (Issued through the Chamber of Commerce here in Canada)

I agree that renting this type of gear locally makes far more sense than lugging it across the Pacific.  The real question in my mind is whether Paul has secured the required work visa from US Immigration:  they will want to know that he isn't taking work away from US photographers (Canada has the same protectionist policies).  Thist could be a real issue: one that could see him turned around and put back on a plane home as soon as he arrives.