CUSTOMS CLEARING

Following are the documents you will need to present to Customs to clear your shipment:

TEUDAT OLEH: the little blue booklet where your loans, rent subsidies, tax-free imports and local purchases are listed.

PASSPORTS Israeli and foreign, of the whole family, new and canceled (if you kept them). If you are married to an Israeli or a former new immigrant, include their passports also, a photocopy of the first page of their Teudat zahoot, and a letter from them stating that they have never had tax-free privileges-or at least not in the past six years of residence in Israel. Ashrat Oleh (visa for Aliya) must be stamped into your passport or on a separate piece of paper.

HOUSING CONTRACT: A rental or sales agreement. If you are importing furniture or carpeting, the contract must indicate the size and number of rooms. If you are importing a refrigerator, it is important that your contract makes no mention that a refrigerator is included with the apartment. If you are importing an air conditioner, the housing contract cannot prohibit installation of air conditioners in the apartment. If your contract notes that you are sharing the apartment with other people, you may be allowed only goods appropriate for your portion of the apartment. Or you may be required to show proof that none of your roommates possesses any of the household goods you are bringing in. Housing contracts are of less importance for small air shipments.

You can hire a CUSTOMS CLEARER to represent you at the port. You will then be able to sign and prepare all the documents in his office and be spared from having to go to Haifa/Ashdod/the Airport/Tsrifin. Additional fees are charged when the truck cannot approach to within 25 meters of your building entrance. These fees are around $25 per additional 25 meters per cubic meter (35 cubic feet) or major appliance. Delivery of a piano, or requiring a hoist, $75-155. The Old Cities of both Tsfat and Jerusalem are always "additional," because the shipments must be transferred to smaller trucks outside the gates-at an additional charge of $65-350.

CUSTOMS INSPECTION

For a spot-check or when documents are not in order, Customs inspects all or part of a shipment. At the airport, such inspections are frequent. At the seaports, the odds are 1 in 15. Usually new immigrants' shipments are inspected superficially-a few items are unpacked, checked against your lists, and repacked. Trust a Customs clearer to represent you. He will charge $.35 per cubic foot for an all-out inspection, and $125- $150 for a superficial one, depending on the size of the shipment. A Customs clearer experienced in new immigrant rights is worth every penny. He can anticipate problems before presenting your file to Customs, and her knowledge and finesse can work wonders.

Air shipments are nearly always inspected.

BUSINESS SHIPMENTS

Self-employed professionals or business-people owning more than ½ of their corporation are entitled to import up to $36,000 of professional equipment from any country tax-free, not counted as a shipment-with a bank guarantee for the taxes. Goods must arrive in the country within 3 years. Before you go to the port to clear your business shipment present a letter to your local Customs office explaining your need for the goods. Also present 1) teudat oleh, 2) VAT report, or letter from VAT stating you have opened an official file with them, or-as has been sufficient in some cases-another letter from you stating your intent within a given period to open a file with VAT, and 3) an exact description of the goods you intend to import including model numbers. You will then be given a letter to present to the Customs officials at the port authorizing you to import the goods on condition that you supply a bank guarantee for the amount of the taxes.

BANK GUARANTEES

A bank guarantee is a time-limited letter from your bank to Customs promising payment if the goods are not installed in your business. This standard form is available at every bank. The bank will require you to have collateral with them to back up their guarantee, but you can continue earning interest on this money. Costs for the guarantee are 2.5-4.5% per year. It is highly recommended to hire a Customs clearer to represent you to clear your business shipment.

A few months after you have the goods, you can call your local Customs office and ask them to inspect the goods and cancel the guarantee. For guarantees on appliances it is sufficient to send the Customs office a copy of the receipt of payment to the installer.

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