I am a resident of Japan and my mom has been visiting for 2 weeks.
Yesterday we were shopping at an outlet mall and she bought a Kate Spade bag and took advantage of the tax-free cheaper price. She also bought me a Kate Spade wallet because we wanted to pay the cheaper price, not realizing that customs may check for them at the airport when she leaves.
She has some other little tax-free goods from Don Quijote, and she plans to put everything (Kate Spade included) into her checked baggage.
My question is: They’ll scan her passport right, and see that she has these items? Will they actually check them? (The bag is technically a luxury item..?) What will they say if they’re all in her checked luggage? And will she get in trouble if my wallet isn’t there?
Seems like the process was more laidback and of non-importance back before they switched to digital.. how serious is it now?
9 comments
Technically they want you to have the items on you. Does she have to check it in her luggage? If they check and you do not have something, they likely ask you to pay back the tax on that item.
US citizen here (don’t know if it matters), and I bought a bag from Celine while in Osaka and a bunch of other tax free goods from Don Quijote and Pokemon Center that all went in my checked luggage (except the Celine bag which went into my carry-on suitcase).
I was never really asked about any of my tax free stuff at the airport nor did they ask to see them.
Left Japan 2 days ago and returned to the US. They didn’t really check luggage or items when leaving. In fact, there was just a man holding a little sign at the check-in airport that said to scan my passport if I bought any tax-free items that I almost walked past by
Never had my stuff checked, iirc the last time the desk to have your passport checked for tax free items wasn’t even staffed.
I left from Narita Airport about 3 weeks ago and had most of my tax-free purchases in my carry on except for one bulky item that would only fit in my check in bag. All I did was scan my passport at this unmanned desk with a tablet and passport reader thing (also there wasn’t any staff around that desk like at all when I was there). None of my tax-free items in my carry on or my checked bag were checked by anyone. Also no one asked about them either
Before I left though I was worried about the item in the check in bag so I did a flurry of research the night before I left Japan and lots of websites said that read said I should just let the airline staff know that I had tax-free stuff in my check in bag so that a customs officer can supposedly come to take a look at the item before it gets checked in. Anyway I did that but the airline staff helping me check in literally saod that it’s fine and that I don’t have to worry about it so my checked tax-free item wasn’t checked at all lol. I was running a little late and the security line was looking really long so I just left it at that 🤷🏻♀️
No one checked anything at the airport. I had bought tax free items. I scanned my passport and it said “thank you”. That was it!
What you are doing is actually tax fraud btw.
I doubt very seriously if they check for DF goods. Rest easy. If they do find something that needs an answer, claim ignorance. Believe me, unless you’re smuggling containers of branded goods in or out you don’t have much to worry about.
When we left on March 30, there people pulled aside for a secondary inspection – I don’t know if that was from duties or something else though. I suspect it was.
There is probably a threshold for inspection and a randomized factor.
Also, remember that the home nation may ask for taxes and or tariffs to be paid on goods being brought into the country.
For example, if you are returning to the US after visiting Japan the exemption is $800 USD. Anything over that amount will incur duties. Please note that there are other restrictions and guidances so double check the rules before returning to the US.