Moving back to Australia with my cigars, what to expect at customs.. any advice?

[Monarch]

So will be finally moving back home to Australia after an epic 11 years in China. I picked up the fine leisure of enjoying cigars and ended up with a humble collection in that time, about 200 cigars thanks to the lower to none import taxes here and FOH! Of course I want to bring them home with me, so just wondering if anyone has experience going through a similar process?

Most likely they will be shipped or is it preferred to carry by hand with me?

Did you declare? If so did you pay duty and taxes? How did you estimate the value in AUD? Is it worth the risk/tax?

[rckymtn22]

I have the feeling the answer is going to be start smoking them now, send them back 3 cigars at a time, or sell your first born to pay for the taxes if you bring them all at once!

[Bijan]

37 minutes ago, Monarch said:

Did you declare? If so did you pay duty and taxes? How did you estimate the value in AUD? Is it worth the risk/tax?

As far as I know duty free allowance for cigars in Australia is really low... Like single digit cigars low. And taxes are high...

Not sure if there's any special allowance for moving.

[El Presidente]

1 hour ago, Monarch said:

So will be finally moving back home to Australia after an epic 11 years in China. I picked up the fine leisure of enjoying cigars and ended up with a humble collection in that time, about 200 cigars thanks to the lower to none import taxes here and FOH! Of course I want to bring them home with me, so just wondering if anyone has experience going through a similar process?

Most likely they will be shipped or is it preferred to carry by hand with me?

Did you declare? If so did you pay duty and taxes? How did you estimate the value in AUD? Is it worth the risk/tax?

Declare and you will pay. There is no leniency. 

Don't declare and found out. You will pay + perhaps a fine ($250 from memory but check). 

Throw the dice?........it depends on your risk tolerance.  Pray that the people in front of you are found with live chickens or snake gizzards. 

If you are sending furniture/belongings back, I would include some in there. 

 

[Monarch]

1 hour ago, El Presidente said:

Declare and you will pay. There is no leniency. 

Don't declare and found out. You will pay + perhaps a fine ($250 from memory but check). 

Throw the dice?........it depends on your risk tolerance.  Pray that the people in front of you are found with live chickens or snake gizzards. 

If you are sending furniture/belongings back, I would include some in there. 

 

Thanks Prez. Pre-covid I never had issues brining a clutch full for home visits, but this is the whole stash. I think that sounds like the smart move to spread my risk. No doubt I'll be wrapping the aged Hoyo Churchills in dirty underwear and others tucked down my undies and socks. Gosh our customs...

 

[Fuzz]

2 hours ago, Bijan said:

As far as I know duty free allowance for cigars in Australia is really low... Like single digit cigars low. And taxes are high...

Not sure if there's any special allowance for moving.

Absolutely no special allowance for moving back home. Duty will be charged on the weight of the tobacco.

Packing them in with your furniture in a container faces similar risks, as those containers all get scanned nowadays. Those types of containers are not scanned randomly like goods containers, they are all scanned regardless. And they will detect plant matter in the x-ray. Fines for undeclared goods in shipping containers are worse than the fine for hiding it in your luggage.

[El Presidente]

Just now, Fuzz said:

Absolutely no special allowance for moving back home. Duty will be charged on the weight of the tobacco.

Packing them in with your furniture in a container faces similar risks, as those containers all get scanned nowadays. Those types of containers are not scanned randomly like goods containers, they are all scanned regardless. And they will detect plant matter in the x-ray. Fines for undeclared goods in shipping containers are worse than the fine for hiding it in your luggage.

When it comes to trafficking, you can take Fuzz's word to the bank 

 

[westg]

I have always bought cigars back in and never declared , coming back from Cuba a whole suit case full. Never declared . Coming back from Dubai once my ex wife was terribly sick on the plane. I had twelve boxes , never had the chance to declare , we where escorted in an ambulance . I will always run it . Always !

[Fuzz]

Don't do it in Sydney. That's where Border Force is filmed!

[Monarch]

Feck alright, might have to hand carry the bastards in. I'll wait till the last minute to decide to check the tobacco box on the landing card. Lordy, Oz is really not a cigar friendly place...

[rckymtn22]

Usually the border control people get more excited about booze, show up with just over the allowable limit (1.1L here in Canada), plunk the two 750ml bottles down on the desk and most likely they will forget to ask you about tobacco.

[Drguano]

Welcome to Australia…anything to declare?

[Duxnutz]

Double ziplock each box and put them in an esky (cooler). Check the cooler and wheel it through on your luggage trolley. Prob highly likely to cruise through. 
 

The above mentioned advice regarding booze is GOLDEN. In a galaxy far away I used to often bring an extra bottle of booze back to Oz and declare it. Duty free allowance was around 3 bottles but the 4th would trigger duty (tax) on the whole lot. Being an honest person and declaring the surplus bottle I’d offer to dispose of said excess bottle or forfeit. With the liquor prices in Australia, the red blooded border bloke literally has a mental breakdown with the thought of throwing away any alcohol so waves you through. 

YMMV and the above is not legal advice!
 

 

[Cigar Surgeon]

On 1/6/2022 at 7:37 AM, rckymtn22 said:

Usually the border control people get more excited about booze, show up with just over the allowable limit (1.1L here in Canada), plunk the two 750ml bottles down on the desk and most likely they will forget to ask you about tobacco.

That only works in the East in my experience. Show up with tobacco in Calgary and you'd think you had packets of Columbian fresh.

[BrightonCorgi]

As @El Presidente said, pack or "hide" them with your furniture or whatever is being shipped.

[PigFish]

Tell them you are a tennis pro and forgot you vax card. While waiting for the firing squad have a mate pick up your luggage and find your card….

[Monarch]

UPDATE

So I just got back to Oz. Took the punt and smuggled my entire collection undeclared. All good, we are laughing. I got worried when I was pointed to the customs gate and saw line ups at all the scanners, looked like everyone was getting checked, turns out they were just the honest ones.  Officer saw my “nothing to declare” card and pointed to door 8. Felt like Leo DiCaprio in the ending of Inception. Celebrated with a PSP D4 on homecoming which was a brilliant smoke btw el prez. Happy days. 
 

[Chucko8]

4 hours ago, Monarch said:

UPDATE

So I just got back to Oz. Took the punt and smuggled my entire collection undeclared. All good, we are laughing. I got worried when I was pointed to the customs gate and saw line ups at all the scanners, looked like everyone was getting checked, turns out they were just the honest ones.  Officer saw my “nothing to declare” card and pointed to door 8. Felt like Leo DiCaprio in the ending of Inception. Celebrated with a PSP D4 on homecoming which was a brilliant smoke btw el prez. Happy days. 
 

 

Congrats mate. I’m hoping I get a similar result one day soon coming back into Oz. If my wife doesn’t don me in though!

[Monarch]

On 3/21/2022 at 8:30 PM, Chucko8 said:

Congrats mate. I’m hoping I get a similar result one day soon coming back into Oz. If my wife doesn’t don me in though!

Declare your wife!

[Vortigan]

I'm looking forward to hearing how the dirty underwear Hoyo Churchills taste! 

[Monarch]

2 hours ago, Vortigan said:

I'm looking forward to hearing how the dirty underwear Hoyo Churchills taste! 

Aged!!