I'm currently studying in the USA for a year. I bought a laptop there at the beginning.
Over Christmas, I fly home to Germany and want to take the device of course. At the beginning of January we will go back to the USA. Then I want to take the notebook again.
The value exceeds the exemption limit for air traffic.
Do I have to pay anything when entering the country, even if the device only stays here for two weeks?
Do you want an absolutely 100% legal answer, or would you like an answer like 99% of the "normal" population would act? I answer now as a "normal citizen"!
Your laptop is not brand new anymore, how old is it?
Is your price tag still sticking to your laptop? How should the customs officer know where and when you bought the laptop?
Is your hard drive on the laptop empty or is there any demonstrable data on it?
Is your laptop a single piece which can only be bought in the USA?
Are you the only passenger carrying a laptop?
You do not necessarily have to march through customs with the laptop's bill in your pocket!
With all honor for your straightforwardness regarding the exemption limit, you can also "exaggerate" it.
I would just go through the "nothing to declare" door at the airport.
I do not want to instigate you for the sake of heaven, but just enumerate what thoughts are going through my mind (and probably tens of thousands of others too) and how I would act personally.
That's how I would do it. Just wanted to make sure if there's a 100 percent solution that has passed me so far.
