Berlin customs officers confiscate Apple Vision Pro

Germans trying to bring Apple Vision Pro into their country without realizing they have to pay import tax are facing fees, fines, and even the confiscation of their devices.

Apple may be launching the Apple Vision Pro internationally soon — and perhaps China very shortly — but for now it is solely available in the US, and that's proving to be a problem.

Some international users have decided not to wait and instead have flown to the States to be one of the first to own an Apple Vision Pro. Unfortunately, some who then returned home to Germany have subsequently been stopped by customs authorities.

According to local publication Heise Online, Berlin airport customs officials say that around eight people have been stopped in the last few days. Businesses who try to manually import the headset this way are required to register in advance, while individuals can declare it on arrival.

They have to declare it, though, by going through the airport's red zone, the "something to declare" route. They must then present both the device and the invoice for it.

What happens then is complex because according to Heise Online, these travellers easily exceeded the regular customs duty exemption of 430 Euros ($463) — yet the publication also says that Germany does not impose custom duties for computers.

Nonetheless, the device has to be declared because failure to do means risking criminal tax proceedings. What's reportedly happened to at least some of the travellers stopped at Berlin Airport is that their device has been confiscated.

The confiscated Apple Vision Pro, and potentially any accessories, should ultimately be returned. But reportedly, based on the current speed of processing such issues in Germany, the users who wanted to be early adopters may find themselves having to wait an entire year before their Apple Vision Pro is returned to them.

International import duties are always complex, but they are not helped by how different countries enforce their laws. The UK's Post Office, for instance, has been known to impose duty on goods that are exempt, and refusing to even discuss it.

Consequently, buyers should be wary of any method of importing a costly item like the Apple Vision Pro — whether that's in person, or through online orders, with eBay.

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14 Comments

andreas71 5 comments · 13 Years

About 9 months ago

There may be no import duties for computers but you will still need to pay VAT (19% for Germany) upon importing the device which may give you a hint why people try without declaring.

Double VAT for failing to declare.

bloggerblog 2514 comments · 16 Years

A Vision Pro could be your personal computer, just like bringing in a laptop or an iPad. Is this only for residents of Germany, are tourists exempt?

mike_galloway 115 comments · 4 Years

bloggerblog said:

A Vision Pro could be your personal computer, just like bringing in a laptop or an iPad. Is this only for residents of Germany, are tourists exempt?

I found the following paragraph on VAT in the EU - it’s really for companies but individuals bringing in high value items are treated similarly.
For the purposes of EU VAT and customs, bringing goods into the EU for the first time, from another non-EU country, is termed an import. Generally, the country of arrival will look to charge its standard VAT rate (e.g. Germany at 19%) on the import transaction. This must be settled prior to the release of the goods from customs. The goods are then in ‘free circulation’ and may be stored and sold or sent to another EU country.
But if you are a tourist going through Germany to another non EU country then you would probably want a refund of the VAT, which is probably difficult if not impossible and not worth the bother on a single item. It seems likely that you just need to pay up on entry to the EU and forget about any theoretical refund when you leave.
As a tourist It is possible to get a VAT refund on purchases made within the EU, so when The AVP is available in Germany and, for example you are USA citizen on holiday you can get your 19% back and then deal with US customs which don’t have VAT but may apply other taxes and duties which are usually less than EU VAT.
Theoretically as a UK citizen I could go to Germany, buy my AVP get a refund of 19% when I leave and then pay 20% when I come back to the UK as whilst we are no longer in the EU we still have VAT.
UK Travellers bringing in goods to the UK have a £390 personal allowance and exempt from paying VAT (£135 for online shopping).
Needless to say it's all a bit more complicated than I have suggested - many pitfalls and traps.

InspiredCode 405 comments · 8 Years

Buying through eBay would require an export license or it could be confiscated by US customs because the price is too high.

bloggerblog said:

A Vision Pro could be your personal computer, just like bringing in a laptop or an iPad. Is this only for residents of Germany, are tourists exempt?

Of course tourists are exempt.

Importing a good means you bring it to the EU with the goal for the item to remain there.Travelers with their personal belongings that they bring for the purpose of their trip and take home with them again never pay VAT upon entry.

Now, in situations where a customs officer can question this intent you may have burden of proof that you are a traveler and the device will leave the EU together with you once you go home. If there is doubt VAT payment could be imposed on you to secure compliance with the option of getting it back upon proof of the item leaving the EU. In normal day to day travel this may not occur.

Now, when an EU citizen return from the US with an item not on sale yet in the EU the situation is completely different. Now the assumption is that it is very likely that this device is being imported by an EU citizen with the intent of keeping the device in the EU - therefore customs declaration is mandatory.

Trying this with such a high profile device that has such high publicity at the moment is clearly stupid and everybody who tries this to save paying VAT cannot complain when the gamble does not pay off and the device is gone for some time.