Customs/import tax.

[kiaora!!]

Sorry , I havent read every single reply on this thread, but just to clarify for everyone:
all you need to get your stuff in without paying taxes is a work visa/permit for 12months or more! you dont have to have residency or anything like that

In my case, my working holiday visa was enough and I never paid a penny

[kiaora!!]

Originally Posted by MotherBear

Btech and welcome.

If you don't have either PR, a long term Work Permit or any other long term visa, you do have to pay GST of 12.5% on importing your personal possessions. If you have a job offer that you intend to take up, it might have been better to apply for a WP instead of the WHV and you can progress on to a WTR later if you wish or now if you decide you want to go straight for that type of visa.

The WHV is an easy visa to get but it won't be that helpful if you want to work full time or if you want to bring in your personal possessions. A WP isn't difficult to get either so I don't know if you can switch from a WHV to a WP. It may be that you would have to enter NZ and then apply for a WP before you take up your job offer but it might be worth asking if you can now apply for a WP and bin your WHV. More expense but certainly not as much as it'd cost you to bring in your stuff.

Yes MB you can change from a WHV onto a WP, I just did that...
But I think the key to the taxes is, when you enter NZ the stamp you get in your passport for the WHV is just the same as the work permit one, it will say work permit valid until rarara and if it s for at least 12months then you dont have to pay. BUT make sure you send your passport copies off after you have arrived in NZ and got the stamp in your passport :)

[noodle's mom]

hi kiaora
thanks so much for that clarification - we have decided to bring a container and it does not take as long as i had thought so we all good - thanks
R

[MotherBear]

It appears there's been a change in the wording on the custom's site . It now states that you need to have evidence of residency when the container/goods arrive in NZ rather than when you first enter the country. Compare the wording with Beth's (Ebianca) post above. It's a very recent change, but one for the better.

When No Customs Charges Apply

Eligibility

Your household or other related effects (excluding motor vehicles, boats and aircraft) will qualify for concessionary entry, i.e. free of duty and exempt GST, for a reasonable time after you arrive in New Zealand, provided you can meet all of the following conditions.

Conditions

* You have arrived and on the date the effects are imported, hold a document authorising residence in New Zealand; and
* You have resided or lived outside New Zealand for the whole of the 21 months before the date of your arrival in New Zealand; and
* You have owned and used the goods before the date of your departure for New Zealand; and
* The goods are for your own personal use and not intended for any other person or persons or for gift, sale or exchange.

[ebianca]

Originally Posted by MotherBear

Conditions

* You have arrived and on the date the effects are imported, hold a document authorising residence in New Zealand; and
* You have resided or lived outside New Zealand for the whole of the 21 months before the date of your arrival in New Zealand; and * You have owned and used the goods before the date of your departure for New Zealand; and
* The goods are for your own personal use and not intended for any other person or persons or for gift, sale or exchange.[/color]

This one sill worries me a little as we will have been residing in New Zealand for several months prior to goods arriving here.
Now it also states authorising RESIDENCE does this mean you can still bring stuff in on a 12month+ work permit?
They don't make this stuff easy do they.

[Taffy]

Fear not dear Beth, in this instance all they mean is lived in rather than a permanent resident. On a work permit you have still been authorised to reside in NZ, just on a temporary basis.

Although you will have been here several months, it says 'you were living outside NZ for 21 months before your arrival in NZ', meaning as long as you didnt live in NZ, go back to the UK for a bit and then come back to NZ again.

I wonder why they picked 21 months? Odd. Vair odd.