Import Furniture; duty free??

My advice, ............. Don't even consider it!!!! Yes, there is a law allowing those who have obtained their residency to bring in a container with tax free goods from their previous dwelling, BUT ...
1. There is always a problem getting the goods out of Customs,
2. You HAVE to pay VAT (sales tax) on electrical goods (& maybe other goods too), & this area of confusion takes ages to clear at customs. You CAN pay a "present" to the customs people to try to speed things up a bit, but once they know you are prepared to pay a "present" things get slowed down for more "presents"!!!
3. Importing cars is NOT included in the 'Tax Free' allowance. This is NOT made clear until you try to import your car!! If your car is pre 1996, you will have great difficulty getting the permissions to bring it in anyway!!

If you have 6 months to spare & at least 3 hair-pieces to throw away, you could give it a try. Everyone I know who has tried to import a container has reported back - "I wish I hadn't bothered"!! They have been badgered for the "presents", been made to call back to the port at least 6 times for inspections, paper-checking etc & on each occassion have been made to wait nearly all day in the hot sun & STILL not get seen - I wonder why?????

Check the archives on this subject - there are numerous horror stories told of the impositions that the customs officials (& sometimes lawyers / shipping agents in cahoots with the customs officials) have placed upon the people importing containers, so as to get their way (& bonuses). If it can't be bought here, it is not worth bringing it with you!!!!! If it CAN be bought here, why bring it with you??

Good luck - Grahame.

From someone who knows more about Customs than she wished, I advise you to listen to Grahame. Unless you are a daredevil and are not afraid of a stroke.

TM, you may be able to get goods through Customs duty free. But, you will never get goods through Customs without a commission to somebody. You have to be prepared monetarily for any event. If you do not have the cash and/or have to ask how much, you are not ready for the abuse.

If you can live without certain household or personal items, don't bother to ship them, less is more. When there are similar items that can be bought in the DR you have the advantage. Regards, PJT

TM, all the replies you have rec'd have been right on target. Shipping hhg and vehicles always seem to be a target for inspection and a over dramatization for paperwork. Not just for in your destination but from the origin point as well.
Vehicles are considered hazardous cargo, therefore, a MSDS sheet (Material Safety Data Sheet) must be filled out prior to sailing. Then depending on whether you own your vehicle or still are paying plays a part in the whole process as well.
It is very time consuming, it is not as easy as fill up a container and see it when it gets there, but ultimately it is your decision to make--good luck! No matter who you get estimates from they will market a hassle free service but when all is said and done it goes back to what PJT said, "if you can live w/o certain hhg don't bother to ship them" Here is a website where you can get an estimate
www.americanfast.com
(you can click on rate quote or view add'l info under divisions)

Moved here six months ago -- finally decided against bringing my car and furniture after being given some very confusing rules by the Dominican Consulate and the moving agents, and some friendly council not unlike what you've read here.

Still ended up paying some extremely arbitrary and disproportionate sum (made up, really) for the stuff I did bring. I was actually taxed heavily for my clothing items and hardly at all on the electronics -- puters, TV, sound system, etc. Not a "fun" experience by any stretch of the imagination. Actually, quite the opposite, you feel completely powerless.

Just what it takes to get through the door I guess.