Hawk7877 said:
Where is there a listing of what a "Tourist" can take into the DR without imposing any kind of custom fees?
Hawk
Like any country they generally say a portable PC, camera, personal effects and a small amount of liquor, cigarettes are allowed in with tourists, and anything obviously not to be used for tourist purposes, like a microwave or TV is not likely to pass muster with customs, especially in the original box, etc.
This is where the baksheesh tends to come in - how much of a gift to the customs guy) is worth paying to avoid the payment of the actual duty and taxes on stuff? A typical tourist with typical luggage probably isn't even going to be looked at - though if you let them they X-ray your luggage so a TV might be obvious in a suitcase, and thus comes the haggling.
I haven't been since Labor Day ( and until the peso stabilizes and costs come down, I am not likely to either) but I would bring down clothing and cosmetics and small gifts and while I don't usually submit to customs inspections at all, if I did I think the contents would not look too suspicious.
One Xmas trip I put small chocolates on the top of the suitcase (Dolores' idea IIRC) and when the lid was opened I said they were Canadian specialty chocolates (cost=99 cents a box) and "Feliz Navidad" , take one, it's Christmas etc. That's as far as the inspection went, handshakes all around and out I went.
One trip the green jacketed guy just took my carry-on and hefted it up and down, judged it too light , I guess to have anything bribe-worthy, and waved me on. While I had some PC parts for someone in the rollaboard suitcase.