Rings, watches and bracelets: customs detect undeclared luxury goods from Argentines returning from Spain

Customs has grossed nearly $ 7.5 million so far this year for purchases of luxury goods that Argentine tourists returning from Europe have tried to enter the country without declaring. When they requested VAT refund at their place of exit, when they arrived in Argentina they did not declare the purchases.

“When tourists request VAT refunds at Iberian airports, customs receive a notice of information “, said the body led by Guillermo Michel.

In turn, the exchange of information with Spain puts Argentina “know the details of purchases reliablyeven if the tourists try to deny them “.

In this way, the customs It raised $ 7,460,882 corresponding to undeclared high-end consumption.

When customs receives the alert, they immediately ask the Migration Department identify the flight with the passengers in questionthat upon arrival in the country are examined to identify whether or not they have declared the goods.

What did customs find?

Among the most emblematic cases of this year there are a watch worth € 15,375whose customs tax was $ 960,804, and a watch 52,066 euros initially held in Ezeiza. “The passenger did not have enough capital to pay his tax liability,” they told customs.

Finally, six days later, the passenger paid the $ 3,169,385 corresponding to tax liability and was able to withdraw it.

“The exchange of information with Spain is fundamental, given that in many cases tourists bring the goods, claiming that they already possessed them before leaving Argentina”, they warn at customs.

Now, they try to advance with the same protocol with Italy. “There have already been meetings on this”, they indicated.

So far in August, even on flights from Madrid, they have been detected a $ 5,938 bracelet, two Hublot watches valued at approximately € 10,000 each and a Tag Heuer watch valued at € 5,343. They paid taxes for $ 324.1635, $ ​​581.394, $ 475.388, and $ 280,000, respectively.

Also worthy of note was the discovery, once again this year, of a Cartier watch worth 5,165 euros, for which the passenger paid 273,486 dollars; some € 5,082 rims, which involved a payment of $ 321,418.50; a bracelet of 5,910 euros, whose tribute consisted of $ 395,178 and, finally, a ring of 3,843 euros, which paid $ 201,792.50.

The deductible depends on the route you are traveling on: if you are by plane or by sea, every Argentine traveler, over the age of 16, can take bring products up to US $ 500 and US $ 250 for minors, because the administrative sanction and the economic sanction are applied outside of it. By land or by river, the deductible is USD 300 for adults and half for minors, or USD 150. Added to this is the franchise in the free shop.

“If you leave Argentina with a Rolex, for example, you have to declare it for when there are no problems when you enter”explained to Clarin by the entity headed by Michel.

At Ezeiza airport there are AFIP and Customs Offices where before leaving you can declare or at least find out whether or not it is appropriate to declare any personal object with which you leave the country. Upon return, the OM 121 form is completed.

What to declare when returning from abroad

• When the goods are brought for commercial use.
• When the goods are transported for personal use in excess of the permitted amounts or values.
• Goods subject to some kind of restriction or control.
• If you take money with a value equal to or greater than 10,000 euros.

What does not need to be declared

• If a computer is brought
• A tablet or notebook.
• Clothing and non-commercial items.

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