Ready for Brexit?

[meridian]

Not sure if this is to be taken seriously and should be in the Business section - it is the official advice from HMG, after all.

It seems like odd advice, though, from the U.K. government. I’ve taken a business laptop to other non-EU countries with no issues at all and nothing to declare.

[darmstadt]

Not sure if this is to be taken seriously and should be in the Business section - it is the official advice from HMG, after all.

It seems like odd advice, though, from the U.K. government. I’ve taken a business laptop to other non-EU countries with no issues at all and nothing to declare.

If it's anything like I had with Switzerland a few years back, then it's correct. I was doing a conference there and had to take a server with me however I couldn't just take it. I had to get all the relevant customs paperwork first event though I was bringing it back to Germany.

[darmstadt]

Nah, HMRC have said you don't need a carnet: https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/ent...ef=uk-homepage

However, it is HMRC who said it...

I do remember many, many years ago I drove back to the UK to pick up some of my household goods (stereo, guitar, LPs, etc) and on the way back, driving from France into Belgium very late at night (before Schengen), a Belgian customs officer jumped out of the fog and stopped me. Upon looking in the boot of the car, demanded that I show receipts for all the stuff that was in their. I argued with him that I wasn't stopping in Belgium, my car has German number plates because that is where I live and was taking my stuff there. This went on for quite a while because he kept on about how new the stuff looked and it needed to be taxed. Eventually I managed to prove it was all old stuff and was not going to be sold in some dodgy market in Hasselt and he let me on my way. I do think that people with UK registered cars driving through Europe after Brexit might have similar problems...

[Old Greg]

Nah, HMRC have said you don't need a carnet: https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/ent...ef=uk-homepage

However, it is HMRC who said it...

I do remember many, many years ago I drove back to the UK to pick up some of my household goods (stereo, guitar, LPs, etc) and on the way back, driving from France into Belgium very late at night (before Schengen), a Belgian customs officer jumped out of the fog and stopped me. Upon looking in the boot of the car, demanded that I show receipts for all the stuff that was in their. I argued with him that I wasn't stopping in Belgium, my car has German number plates because that is where I live and was taking my stuff there. This went on for quite a while because he kept on about how new the stuff looked and it needed to be taxed. Eventually I managed to prove it was all old stuff and was not going to be sold in some dodgy market in Hasselt and he let me on my way. I do think that people with UK registered cars driving through Europe after Brexit might have similar problems...

WGAS. It won't impact on Brexiteers, who will have neither the means not the desire to travel abroad.

[Paddy]

Nah, HMRC have said you don't need a carnet: https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/ent...ef=uk-homepage

However, it is HMRC who said it...

I do remember many, many years ago I drove back to the UK to pick up some of my household goods (stereo, guitar, LPs, etc) and on the way back, driving from France into Belgium very late at night (before Schengen), a Belgian customs officer jumped out of the fog and stopped me. Upon looking in the boot of the car, demanded that I show receipts for all the stuff that was in their. I argued with him that I wasn't stopping in Belgium, my car has German number plates because that is where I live and was taking my stuff there. This went on for quite a while because he kept on about how new the stuff looked and it needed to be taxed. Eventually I managed to prove it was all old stuff and was not going to be sold in some dodgy market in Hasselt and he let me on my way. I do think that people with UK registered cars driving through Europe after Brexit might have similar problems...

Pre single market I would always have trouble at the French border coming back from my weekly drive to and from Germany. To avoid this I opted to go Via Ostende. Getting fed up with the long ferry trip, I decided to go to Calais via the farm roads near Ypres. All was ok until one day a Renault 10 full of French custom officers drove out of the cornfield. I was escorted to the customs depot. It was 4pm and I knew that the customs close at 8pm. My guess was they would get fed-up with investigating my goods by 8pm.

At 8pm, they said that they have to close and they advised me to drive back to Belgium "...but do not stop at the border, just keep going and don't come back to France". It was another long 4 hours on the rusty Stenna tub.

[NotAllThere]

If it's anything like I had with Switzerland a few years back, then it's correct. I was doing a conference there and had to take a server with me however I couldn't just take it. I had to get all the relevant customs paperwork first event though I was bringing it back to Germany.

Nah. You can take your personal use business laptop in and out of Switzerland from the EU and from outside the EU without any restrictions. But any customs officer can decide that actually, you're going to flog it at the back door of some pub.

[BlasterBates]

Not sure if this is to be taken seriously and should be in the Business section - it is the official advice from HMG, after all.

It seems like odd advice, though, from the U.K. government. I’ve taken a business laptop to other non-EU countries with no issues at all and nothing to declare.

The customs officers use discretion, and generally ignore one laptop but strictly speaking you should declare it.

[NotAllThere]

The customs officers use discretion, and generally ignore one laptop but strictly speaking you should declare it.

Technically true, but in 20 years of crossing hard borders, and being stopped by customs for inspection every now and then, I've never had a problem.

[darmstadt]

Technically true, but in 20 years of crossing hard borders, and being stopped by customs for inspection every now and then, I've never had a problem.

Although if you fly into Germany or another country that doesn't use the QWERTY keyboard from the USA and get stopped by customs, you better have a good explanation for having a brand new Macbook in your luggage...

[Zigenare]

Although if you fly into Germany or another country that doesn't use the QWERTY keyboard from the USA and get stopped by customs, you better have a good explanation for having a brand new Macbook in your luggage...

I think we should keep this post for posterity.

Personally, I don't think you will be shot as a fascist if you've got a QWERTY keyboard on your laptop but time will tell.