Key Considerations for Moving Furniture to France
Posted on 12th April 2021 at 11:52
Recent global supply chains disruptions and Covid restrictions have caused many to rethink their international shipping and moving strategies. Even when considering a move to France there are a few important considerations to make to ensure your items get there just fine.
While there are a few new post-Brexit uncertainties about the rules regarding moving furniture to France, we’ve collected a few things to keep in mind based on what we already know.
Moving Household Goods to France
Customs duties and taxes have never applied to people moving their belonging to France permanently. If you are relocating for the first time, you should be exempt from most charges. However, there is paperwork you must first handle to let the relevant authorities know what your situation is.
If you are working with a reliable international removals company, they should be able to handle this for you or at least give you all the information you need to know about filling in the right forms. If you choose us, we’ll fill you in on the necessary details as part of our standard process, but if you want to ask us any specific questions about this issue then please feel free.
Second Home Owners
Owners of second homes in France do not benefit from the same tax and import exemption when moving furniture to France. However, if the objects you are moving to France have a total value of £300 or less, there are generally no taxes or customs duties that need to be paid.
This is one of the other benefits of keeping your shipping needs to a minimum and reducing the amount you need to pay. If you can get away with sorting your items at home and going over with the bare minimum, subsequently purchasing what you need in the country,that could be an option.
However, if you need to ship your favourite items to your second home, you will be faced with certain charges on your shipment. This includes new and second-hand furniture as well as household goods and DIY materials.
Declare Your items
If the household items you are moving to France have a total value of between £300 and £700, you must make a declaration at French customs and hand over a detailed inventory of what you are carrying and its value.
We’ll provide you with the right forms to do this during our process, but if you’re moving items yourself or working with another provider, make sure you always check that you are getting this process right.
Generally, you will be charged French VAT of 20% of the total value above £300, plus customs duties of 0-2%, However, a few factors might influence the costs, such as what your items are made from, where they were made, and what kind of objects they are. There are no taxes or duties on certain items like clothes, toiletries and power tools.
Check Your Moving Costs
When shipping furniture overseas, there are several other costs to consider including the disassembly and reassembly of your furniture, the packing and unpacking of it, and the transportation of it to your home.
Get in touch with us at Movers International for quotes for international shipping costs to France as well as tips for how to keep your costs down and avoid any unnecessary taxes or fines.
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