Migrating to Bali, personal goods taxable entry?

[veryambiguous]

Hi everyone, I've made the decision to move and live in Bali on a Social Budaya visa once Covid blows over and travel is possible.

I am bringing my personal belongings in my check-in (expensive electronics such as camera, lenses, laptops, ps4, projector etc) and was wondering if I have to declare and would be subjected to duty tax.

I heard from people that it would be taxed if they came in their original packaging and not if they weren't. Of course ideally I don't want to throw my packaging away.

My questions are:

1) Will I get taxed? With and without their packaging
2) How much? How is the tax calculated?
3) I'm considering bringing in big items such as 55' TV and a large painting. Will that be taxable too?

I would like to hear your experiences, workarounds, etc. Thank you!

 

[Ruserious]

If you bring the TV in with you then might as well have a large sign above your head that says "Tax me now". If the other items look new or the boxes look new then you will be taxed if stopped. The odds of getting stopped increase dramatically if you have anything large and obvious with you (such as the tv).

 

[snpark]

Domestic? Why would they tax you?

 

[veryambiguous]

Domestic? Why would they tax you?

Sorry, forgot to mention I’m from Singapore

 

[snpark]

Oh my bad, sorry I thought you were here in Indonesia already

Ehm you want to relocate to Bali and live there on a Sosbud? Why? I presume you know Bali very well and all that stuff about work, visa, finances etc etc etc ?

 

[veryambiguous]

Oh my bad, sorry I thought you were here in Indonesia already

Ehm you want to relocate to Bali and live there on a Sosbud? Why? I presume you know Bali very well and all that stuff about work, visa, finances etc etc etc ?

My parents are retired there (in process of becoming citizens) And I am very familiar with the place. My work is done remotely so I have a lot of electronics that I need to bring with me.

 

[Helpful Herbert]

If the packaging is the dealbreaker I suggest you bring in the electronics without packaging, and then on a future trip bring in the packaging by itself. At the very least it would confuse Bali customs when they try to tax you on packaged goods and find out it's empty

 

[veryambiguous]

Yes this one of the ideas I had in mind too, possibly asking my mom to bring my boxes.

 

[R Cameron]

The limit for goods to bring through customs without a fee is 500 USD, of goods which will stay in Indonesia. Electronics or luxury items (name brand very expensive purses are common) in new condition and/or in original packaging are suspect because they believe you intend to sell them in Indonesia and you will have a very difficult time convincing them otherwise.

I have had zero problem with multiple times traveling through Indonesia customs with perhaps 5000 USD in electronics (one person with two laptops, two phones, expensive camera, etc) but none were in original packaging. If they would have inspected them they would have easily seen they were in personal use, but they have never inspected them.

As for the TV, just leave it, it will raise too many questions, have too high a chance of being broken, and buying a new TV in Bali is really not very expensive.

For a painting, I can only speculate, but if it potentially looks like it could be a very valuable piece they may suspect you of trying to import valuable art for sale, and it may be difficult to prove its value. If it is a piece that can be found on a website with a sale price below 500 USD, keep that printout with it and it would be much safer. Removed from the frame and rolled in a tube would also likely pass far more easily.

 

[veryambiguous]

The limit for goods to bring through customs without a fee is 500 USD, of goods which will stay in Indonesia. Electronics or luxury items (name brand very expensive purses are common) in new condition and/or in original packaging are suspect because they believe you intend to sell them in Indonesia and you will have a very difficult time convincing them otherwise.

I have had zero problem with multiple times traveling through Indonesia customs with perhaps 5000 USD in electronics (one person with two laptops, two phones, expensive camera, etc) but none were in original packaging. If they would have inspected them they would have easily seen they were in personal use, but they have never inspected them.

As for the TV, just leave it, it will raise too many questions, have too high a chance of being broken, and buying a new TV in Bali is really not very expensive.

For a painting, I can only speculate, but if it potentially looks like it could be a very valuable piece they may suspect you of trying to import valuable art for sale, and it may be difficult to prove its value. If it is a piece that can be found on a website with a sale price below 500 USD, keep that printout with it and it would be much safer. Removed from the frame and rolled in a tube would also likely pass far more easily.

Thanks for your reply!. Actually the painting was done by my uncle who is Balinese. He passed away couple years back and I got it shipped to Singapore. Now that my house is sold (Singapore) I would very much bring this memory of him with me. Strangely enough, my mom was the one who brought the painting to Singapore as checked oversized luggage. She paid like $50 extra using KLM Airlines.

Im probably bringing in about 10k worth of electronics but thankfully they’re quite discreet looking. Highly specc’d laptop and some photography equipment. The painting is housed in expensive frame as it is an oil painting.. so rolling it up is out of the question.

TV is not a priority for me but it would be nice if there was a way to bring it along.

 

[harryopal1]

if the painting is an oil painting it can be rolled. Advice from a national gallery curator was that you roll the painting with the paint on the underside. The natural tendency is to roll the item with the paint on the inside but evidently it is better the other way. I guess rolling with the paint inside would tend to squeeze the paint. Unless you have a great sentimental attachment to the frame it would be much less expensive then to have the item reframed here.

With your electronic stuff I am sure that the earlier posts are correct to suggest no packaging. If the gear is obviously your own personal stuff and in use customs here will probably not bother you. If the TV is large, then i imagine it will be "oversize" as far as the airline is concerned and you would likely have to pay an extra rate apart from the hassle of taking it for oversize check in and out for arrival and departure. A new looking TV may also then give rise to questions about your other electronics. With the other electronics better to use old suitcases but not a good idea to pack in boxes.

Supposedly international travel will be allowed here in Bali in September but anything could happen between now and then Good luck.

 

[Vanuatu]

I brought in several expensive paintings from Los Angeles to Jakarta a few years ago, all framed and packaged in boxes, one was well over 120 cm in length and had no issues going through the nothing to declare line. I had a story ready that they were family portraits I was bringing home, but no one even asked about them.

 

[macvert]

maybe you can put a painting on the TV screen & tell them the TV is justsome kind of artistic frame ...... just thinking outside the square ..