PAYING DUTY ON PRESENTS

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21355, 24 December 1934, Page 12

PAYING DUTY ON PRESENTS

I + GIFTS FROM OVERSEAS WORK FOR CUSTOMS DEPARTMENT Among the many sections of the community for whom extra work is created at Christmas are the officials of the Customs Department. Christmas means presents, and many presents come from overseas, and as presents are goods like any other imports, they are liable to duty, and so the Customs Department is concerned. The result is that the receiver of the gift has to pay an unexpected charge before receiving his parcel.

As presents from overseas come through the post, the Customs Department has to work in conjunction with the post office. Two or three of its officers work on the post office premises examining those overseas packets which bear no declaration of their contents. These have to be opened and assessed for duty—as their value is not usually high the duty does not come +o m J U J ca ~ and noti ces are sent to thaddressees.

This is the paradox of receiving presents from overseas—having to T^-?v Cn lf i% iS ° nly a of | a shilling or so, for the pleasure of in England or elsewhere oversea, often send packets containing presents to New Zealand without think ing that duty will have to be paid on them Others, more thoughtful make allowanc-s for duty It is often argued that 'bona fia> presents should be allowed to enter he Domir - n free cf duty, and save the receiver the embarrassment of having to pay duty on the gift, and the sender r.-.r regret at having to put ~.-. to that i:iconvenience If such a rc—lation were adopted it would not appreciably lighten the work of the Customs Department The regulations would be so likely to be abused that every packet would have to be examined just as at present.