Customs began to learn about foreign purchases of Russians

UFA, 30 January 2018. /Bashinform News Agency, Olga Murtazina/. Customs began to promptly receive data on expensive purchases of Russians abroad, Vedomosti reported. If before travelers could easily hide their acquisitions at customs from the duty, claiming that they were not new, now it is more difficult to do.

The publication learned that from the end of last year, customs officers began to receive information from tax free operators (a system in Europe that allows tourists to get a VAT refund), foreign law enforcement (it is not disclosed how), and from Russian banks, on accounts of which clients receive a refund of VAT.

According to the publication, at the moment the customs initiated more than 40 examinations for the amount of goods for more than 200 million rubles.

You can import goods worth not more than 10 thousand euros without a duty to Russia by air. For other types of transport, the value of goods for duty-free import is 1.5 thousand euros. If the price of the goods exceeds the established level, the owner must pay a fee of 30% from the difference between the allowed amount and the value of the goods.

Violators face a fine, confiscation of goods, and in case of non-payment of a customs fee of 2-6 million rubles - imprisonment up to 2-5 years.