Laptop gifts

[EddP]

When I arrive in Manila, I’m bringing 5 laptops for my friends in Davao. I am wondering if I need to declare or pay a VAT tax of sort’s when I go through customs in Manila. I have taken out of their boxes and put into laptop bags and all fit into my carry on. So they may not look new?  What do you think?

[JJReyes]

My suggestion, if you don't want to potentially pay taxes, is to send the laptops one or two at a time in Balikbayan boxes.  5 laptops would be considered excessive for personal use.

[Dave Hounddriver]

1 hour ago, EddP said:

all fit into my carry on

That will raise eyebrows.  All laptops in carry-ons must be removed from the case and placed in separate trays for xray and examination.  There is probably a limit to how many you can have but we have never had more than 2 each so I do not know what that limit might be.

[Kingpin]

38 minutes ago, JJReyes said:

My suggestion, if you don't want to potentially pay taxes, is to send the laptops one or two at a time in Balikbayan boxes.

Foreigners can't send tax-free BB shipments.

 

[JJReyes]

28 minutes ago, Kingpin said:

Foreigners can't send tax-free BB shipments.

I was not aware.  My wife and I sent dozens of balikbayan boxes from Honolulu and this issue never came up.

[Jollygoodfellow]

1 hour ago, Kingpin said:

Foreigners can't send tax-free BB shipments.

 

I sent all my stuff from Australia tax-free by BB. Nothing from memory on the declaration forms about nationality that I remember.

[BrettGC]

44 minutes ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

I sent all my stuff from Australia tax-free by BB. Nothing from memory on the declaration forms about nationality that I remember.

Same.  

[mountainside]

25 minutes ago, BrettGC said:

I sent all my stuff from Australia tax-free by BB. Nothing from memory on the declaration forms about nationality that I remember.

 

25 minutes ago, BrettGC said:

Same.

Did the same things years ago.  But now the tax-free option is apparently available only to "Qualified Filipino Citizens".  Here's the link to the Bureau of Customs' info sheet:  https://customs.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Balikbayan-Information-Sheet.pdf  Local US LBC office says they follow the policy.

[BrettGC]

Just now, mountainside said:

 

Did the same things years ago.  But now the tax-free option is apparently available only to "Qualified Filipino Citizens".  Here's the link to the Bureau of Customs' info sheet:  https://customs.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Balikbayan-Information-Sheet.pdf  Local US LBC office says they follow the policy.

I must've got lucky then, all my stuff arrived here July last year with none of those issues. 

[Freebie]

6 hours ago, Kingpin said:

Foreigners can't send tax-free BB shipments.

 

Also never had an issue for the 10 boxes that Ive sent myself from UK. And as I, nor the person who shipped my various boxes to me  was ever asked to show my nationality how would anyone know if I was a Filipino or Non Filipino.

Edited March 12, 2023 by Freebie