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Thread: Exactly what constitutes 'new'?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
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    Default Exactly what constitutes 'new'?

    As a returning NZ citizen, I'm not charged duty on my shipment back to NZ - but the person at the NZ Embassy in Washington told me that everything in my container had to be at least six months old.

    Question: I earn my living as an artist so obviously I have brushes, tubes of paint, frames, boards and stretched canvases - as well as foam core, etc. I could buy a box of stretched canvases a year before leaving yet as they're not painted on, obviously they'll appear 'new'. Any way around this? Are exceptions made for things required to earn a living?

    (though I guess I could go in and tone each canvas with a pale oil wash).

    Thanks in advance for all the brilliant answers

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
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    37,824

    Default

    In the case of your work supplies, you would presumably have kept invoices which would show exactly when you'd bought them?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
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    Manchester > Now Tauranga
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    Default

    Doesn't matter. They are still 'new'. There's a separate place on the form where you declare 'new' items that you have owned for a medium/long period of time. You need to state their value, and if you do have the invoice then that is requested IIRC.

    As for the 6 months, then I'm interested to see where that's written down in the manual. It's often been mentioned, but when I looked it simply said 'used'. Clearly I was looking a while ago and for a new arrival, not returning kiwi, but I thought it was het same document.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
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    Ireland now Chistchurch
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    Default

    I'm not sure how well this in enforced because I brought over a brand new wine cellar unit still in its cardboard box as part of my container and customs examined it and phone me about it,I explained I bought for myself and it was for my own personal use, the officer then asked my would it be used in a commercial use ie. in a restaurant and I quickly answered no then there was no issue at all in this case. IMO If it was for resale it would be a completely different scenario. This is my experience.......

    David

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
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    Default

    Doesn't matter. They are still 'new'.

    This is the way I think NZ will see it too. I think perhaps an oil wash over all the canvases will solve the problem....or maybe a few pencil marks. Then it is 'work in progress'.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
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    Default

    Duncan is right. I just spoke with a customs officer at the NZ Embassy in Washington DC.
    He specifically looked up 'painting canvas'. All I have to pay is 15% GST....no duty plus a tiny percent of the shipping costs. He said to just include the invoice with the canvas to show how much I paid for them.

    Fabulous! That means I can buy up a big supply for my container as it will take me a while to find the equivalent in NZ. Plus they are SO much cheaper in the US.

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