French customs taxes full value of €600 Moroccan gift
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Bladi
Illustrative image · RDNE Stock project · Pexels · Licence PexelsFrench customs calculates duties and VAT on the full value of a gift brought from Morocco when it exceeds the allowance, rather than only on the excess. An item worth €600 brought by air is therefore taxed on €600, with the allowance set at €430 per person, according to the French Directorate-General of Customs.
A gift worth €600 brought back from Morocco by a traveller arriving in France is subject to customs duties and VAT on its full value. The French Directorate-General of Customs specifies that the allowance excess applies not only to the amount above the threshold.
For arrivals by air or sea, the allowance is €430 per person aged 15 or over. It is €300 by car or train, and €150 for those under 15. These thresholds also apply to gifts received from family members. Thus, a handbag bought or given for €600 is taxed on €600, even though the traveller exceeds the allowance by only €170.
The allowance is individual and cannot be pooled for a single item. A couple bringing back a €500 camera cannot therefore declare it as two €250 items. However, several separate items can be considered individually: four items totalling €400 may qualify for the allowance when arriving by air, while a fifth item worth €50 will be taxed.
Travellers taking their own jewellery, computers or cameras abroad can request a circulation card from customs officials before departure. Customs also provides the DéclareDouane online service to check requirements and estimate costs.
