Will I pay taxes on my personal items if I move to Vietnam?

[Matt_Stevens 5]

So my wife and I are planning on moving to Vietnam late this year. We are selling most of what we own, but my brand spanking newly built PC, which cost me $2500, needs to come with. But airlines are no longer allowing computers to be shipped (from what I can tell). Only laptops are okay.

The Vietnamese government taxes all electronics that come in, but does that apply to citizens and gifts? I'm not a Vietnamese citizen. The PC is used for editing, by me and will belong to me. it's used for my work.

Do I have to pay taxes on it and if so, how can I avoid? I'm not taking bribery here. That I want nothing to do with. I'm just looking for the answer on electronic devices lie my computer, a DVD player I own and a PS3 I want to bring with.

Thanks

Edited April 17, 2011 by Matt_Stevens

[Anh map 2,098]

If you're not ready to pay some coffee money every now and then, you ought to stay away from Vietnam. Uncle Ho still has the loudest voice.

Just bring them along as "gifts".

[CBP-SRT 9]

So my wife and I are planning on moving to Vietnam late this year. We are selling most of what we own, but my brand spanking newly built PC, which cost me $2500, needs to come with. But airlines are no longer allowing computers to be shipped (from what I can tell). Only laptops are okay.

The Vietnamese government taxes all electronics that come in, but does that apply to citizens and gifts? I'm not a Vietnamese citizen. The PC is used for editing, by me and will belong to me. it's used for my work.

Do I have to pay taxes on it and if so, how can I avoid? I'm not taking bribery here. That I want nothing to do with. I'm just looking for the answer on electronic devices lie my computer, a DVD player I own and a PS3 I want to bring with.

Thanks

Personal computer doesn't need to be taxed. Don't bring nobody coffee money either. Their government wants more tourism and coffee money is declining. They tried to make me pay for my computer I brought for a gift, but I kept walking and until I was out the door. And why do u think airlines are banning computers? That is not true. You are thinking about printers on carry on. You can ship anything you want even if it's a gun as long as you have paperwork. It's only check in that you can't.

[dtc 1]

So my wife and I are planning on moving to Vietnam late this year. We are selling most of what we own, but my brand spanking newly built PC, which cost me $2500, needs to come with. But airlines are no longer allowing computers to be shipped (from what I can tell). Only laptops are okay.

The Vietnamese government taxes all electronics that come in, but does that apply to citizens and gifts? I'm not a Vietnamese citizen. The PC is used for editing, by me and will belong to me. it's used for my work.

Do I have to pay taxes on it and if so, how can I avoid? I'm not taking bribery here. That I want nothing to do with. I'm just looking for the answer on electronic devices lie my computer, a DVD player I own and a PS3 I want to bring with.

Thanks

desktop computer are made up of parts, what you can do is disassemble your computer into parts, like motherboard , ram sticks , graphic card and hard drives,power supply, throw the case away since it a very heavy peace of equipment, then when you get to vietnam just have your wife bring it to a computer repair shop and buy a new case . last time that i went home to see my wife i actually bring along some computer parts and them "b....tards" at the airport did not give me much trowble at all,if anyones say anything about your bunch of computer part tell em that it 4 personal use, which is not again the law; just dont bring any cd in or out of the country at all , they will look at cd and try to stop people from bring bootleg movies and software programs in or out of vietnam , unless you can somehow show them that your cd & dvds are original stuff. burn bootleg dvd and other illigal stuff like porn into iso images on your hard drive , or store it online. personally spearking i will bring high end tools like "snap on" and dewalt drills , instead of worry much about electronics, you just can not buy hi-end hand tools in vietnam. and bring along some heavyduty leather jacket for riding motorcycle, you will need that if you gona live in vietnam.

[hniHnitsuJ 8]

Personal computer doesn't need to be taxed. Don't bring nobody coffee money either. Their government wants more tourism and coffee money is declining. They tried to make me pay for my computer I brought for a gift, but I kept walking and until I was out the door. And why do u think airlines are banning computers? That is not true. You are thinking about printers on carry on. You can ship anything you want even if it's a gun as long as you have paperwork. It's only check in that you can't.

Really, you could ship a gun back to VN. Wow. for real???

I totally agreed. Please don't spoil or breaking the rule by giving them coffee money. I personal hate it. Only if I am going back to VN with my mom. Because she is old, and I can't let her waiting for so long.

[dtc 1]

do not bring anytype of firearms to vietnam. pocket knifes are ok , i dont know about kitchen knifes or hunting knifes , but dont bring firearm , it a capital offensive if they catch you.

[Tuanv 2]

NO FIREARM IN VIETNAM! They don't kid around with this kind of stuff.

[CBP-SRT 9]

Really, you could ship a gun back to VN. Wow. for real???

I totally agreed. Please don't spoil or breaking the rule by giving them coffee money. I personal hate it. Only if I am going back to VN with my mom. Because she is old, and I can't let her waiting for so long.

Now now don't get carry away. You can ship it or leave it in luggage, but depending on the country. Only certain countries allow guns, VN is not one of them. Computer towers are perfectly fine. You don't have to take it apart! I brought one back last summer to give away. Had no problem. They were going to open it, but got lazy and the line was long and they just told me to go. Brought laptops back before also, and they try to tax me but i said no and its personal use or say its broke u need to fix it, that's the end of it. Never had to pay any tax if u do they are busting your balls for coffee money. People who give them money are supporting a bad habit and cause! You should realize that it is very different now and that kind of stuff is starting to go away.

*Correction on last post. It was a typo that I said check-in bags at the end. I meant you can't do it on carry-on. Only check-in bags

Edited April 18, 2011 by CBP-SRT

[EmYeu 3]

Bring a dekstop as check in bag is Ok. They will not bother you.

I built my wife a desktop Last year in Feb and i also carry my laptop. I have a lot of electronics and they wouldn't even bother me. The last time I went was in Sept. I check in a printer and it was good to go too.

They just want to check with Iphone and Ipad so they could tax you.. but other they will not.

if you bring too much they will tax. but if you bring one item of each they wont' tax you at all.

[CBP-SRT 9]

Bring a dekstop as check in bag is Ok. They will not bother you.

I built my wife a desktop Last year in Feb and i also carry my laptop. I have a lot of electronics and they wouldn't even bother me. The last time I went was in Sept. I check in a printer and it was good to go too.

They just want to check with Iphone and Ipad so they could tax you.. but other they will not.

if you bring too much they will tax. but if you bring one item of each they wont' tax you at all.

Printers are not allow anymore due to the attempted bombing using printer ink cartridges.

[BinhJerome 14]

desktop computer are made up of parts, what you can do is disassemble your computer into parts, like motherboard , ram sticks , graphic card and hard drives,power supply, throw the case away since it a very heavy peace of equipment, then when you get to vietnam just have your wife bring it to a computer repair shop and buy a new case . last time that i went home to see my wife i actually bring along some computer parts and them "b....tards" at the airport did not give me much trowble at all,if anyones say anything about your bunch of computer part tell em that it 4 personal use, which is not again the law; just dont bring any cd in or out of the country at all , they will look at cd and try to stop people from bring bootleg movies and software programs in or out of vietnam , unless you can somehow show them that your cd & dvds are original stuff. burn bootleg dvd and other illigal stuff like porn into iso images on your hard drive , or store it online. personally spearking i will bring high end tools like "snap on" and dewalt drills , instead of worry much about electronics, you just can not buy hi-end hand tools in vietnam. and bring along some heavyduty leather jacket for riding motorcycle, you will need that if you gona live in vietnam.

Not true, I brought over 300 copied DVD's and they never once said a word, or even looked at them for that matter, I also brought two laptops the thing that caught me when I moved here was my dang Iphones, i had 4 of them, and i had to pay $100 but I had tons of things, even some food items like cheese cakes, drink mixes. As others have said, take your computer apart if it is that important to you, and buy a new case, they have very nice cases here, and as for the DVD player, you can buy multi region here that will play both their DVD'S and yours you bring with you for about $50, the key is to make sure none of your bags are over 50 pounds unless the limit has changed, and for dang sure make sure none are over 70 pounds, you are also allowed only 2 carry on bags and 2 checked bags per person, so shipping an entire computer would about fill one of them up. Just check with your airline, because extra bag fees are around $100 per bag, $70 per bag over 50 pounds and then $150 per bag over 70 pounds, at least that is delta rates, and from what I hear they are much cheaper than others. Good luck Jerome and Binh

[Dau Que 6]

If you're NOT yet a USC, then don't attempt to bring things you "know" are illegal, ie. pirated softwares, DVDs, so on. If it's your unlucky day and get caught by the US customs, you might jeopardize your citizenship.

[dtc 1]

in my september 2010 trip to vietnam i tried to bring back like 20 cd full of bootleg engineering software programs and some dvd, them custom police at the air port caught me with it and i end up paying 20 bucks . and on my next trip , november 2010 trip to vietnam i actually watch them went through people bag as they tried to go through custom and pull out cd and look at them. i will not bring anymore cd/dvd through vieatnamese custom anymore, ill burn them into iso files or store them online. do not forget that vieat nam is a communist country and they will try to control all the informations that going in and out of the country , including blocking webpages that they dont like and look hard at cd and stuff to see what it contain, and porn is illegal in vietnam. those are my personal experient dealing with vietnamese custom police, your experiment dealing with them maybe different.

[Matt_Stevens 5]

My problem is that the theft of items in the Saigon and Hanoi airports. Our gf visited from Hanoi, bought a lot of stuff, went home and found half the items from her checked suitcase were mossing when she got home. Ouch.

The question also is, how do I check in a large desktop computer? It would have to be boxed (I have the original tower case) but also double boxed to make sure it is protected. but TSA will likely want to look inside and that means they just make ruin all my protection.

This system is worth over $2500 so how can I get coverage for it?

It would be a ###### to take apart and them reassemble. It has six hard drives inside. If I have six hard drives in my luggage or carryon they will likely try and tax me thinking I am selling stuff. No, I have a RAID array! This doesn't even include my backup server, which has two hard drives in it.

[Dau Que 6]

in my september 2010 trip to vietnam i tried to bring back like 20 cd full of bootleg engineering software programs and some dvd, them custom police at the air port caught me with it and i end up paying 20 bucks . and on my next trip , november 2010 trip to vietnam i actually watch them went through people bag as they tried to go through custom and pull out cd and look at them. i will not bring anymore cd/dvd through vieatnamese custom anymore, ill burn them into iso files or store them online. do not forget that vieat nam is a communist country and they will try to control all the informations that going in and out of the country , including blocking webpages that they dont like and look hard at cd and stuff to see what it contain, and porn is illegal in vietnam. those are my personal experient dealing with vietnamese custom police, your experiment dealing with them maybe different.

Really? No!!!!!! Vietnam is a paradise! Those nasty stuffs you said above are not true at all! Ho Chi Minh and the communist party have done wonder to Vietnam!!!

So wonderful that so many of the modern VNese brides run away and flock to the US. Gee, I wonder why would they do that? Because they love their country so much?

Jim and Phuong, the above statement is intended for you and your wife. Keep praising Bac Ho. One day I'm sure you two will be awarded "Huy Chuong Chi`" by that regime.