Personal Effects Shipments
SP Customs offer a wide range of shipping solutions and custom-clearing services. We have been clearing customs for a long time and for a vast variety of clients, be it business or personal, and have facilitated easy, no-fuss transactions for thousands of happy customers. Be it airfreight, sea freight in either an LCL or FCL capacity, or parcel post, SP Customs will get the job done every time. And that brings us to clearing your personal effects. SP Customs specialise clearing your personal belongings through the customs and quarantine nets, while ticking off every regulation and government requirement currently associated with clearing personal effects shipping.
And it’s quite extensive.
Over the years, we have seen stricter regulations put in place, especially when clearing imports. Rightly so, we should add, but the requirements of clearing Australian customs and quarantine inspections are some of the toughest in the world. Heavy penalties and even possible prosecution are always lingering in the background, should you fail to follow protocol, so when it’s time to clear your personal effects (or any other type of shipment for that matter) it’s best to talk to SP Customs first.
What’s involved with shipping Personal effects?
SP Customs will strive to make sure your personal effects are cleared in a timely fashion, and with as little delay as possible. However, there are a few important things to note. If, for example, you wish to import your unaccompanied personal effects while wanting to qualify for the duty concessions, the legal framework dictates you must be arriving from a place outside Australia and the items in question must be your personal property that you owned while abroad. As a positive aspect of such a process, and an area of personal effects clearing that many are unaware of, the laws associated with customs and tax currently provide a duty and GST free-concession for certain items, should the following stipulations be ticked off.
- You must have recently travelled or intend to travel back to Australia
- the goods must be your own personal property and don’t fall under the list of prohibited goods (live animals, fresh fruits and vegetables etc)
- You provide an accurate packing list and copy of the airway bill or lading
- Your B534 form (see below)
- you must have owned and used the items for at least 12 months or longer
- Conversely, goods that are owned for less than the required 12 months will be subject to a vigorous duty and GST assessment
While the personal effects category doesn’t include motor vehicles, motor vehicle parts or bikes, SP Customs can clear them too, provided the right paperwork is carried out and the appropriate permits are obtained. Speaking of forms, and as touched on above, one of the most important documents you must obtain and honestly fill when shipping your personal effects is the Unaccompanied Personal Effects Statement document (or B534 form), available on the Home Affairs website. You may need to supply a copy to Home Affairs, so make sure you have one to present one, should you be required.
As you can see, clearing your personal effects is a highly regulated ordeal that can incur hefty penalties for incorrect documentation and procedure. Why not let SP Customs take the hassle and headache out from such a process, so that you can focus on other things. If you would like to talk to us, then feel free to send an inquiry today.