Customs Department Discontinue Yellow Forms
The Collector of Customs has announced the discontinuation of its Form 52a goods registration service for travellers, effective 3rd August 2015.
“Islanders planning to travel overseas have become accustomed to applying at the Hamilton Custom House to be issued with a wallet sized yellow Customs Forms 52a goods registration form by Customs Officers,” the announcement said.
“The Form 52a service is a voluntary paper based system under which readily identifiable goods of any value acquire a rebuttable paper certificate of duty payment or production in Bermuda. The Form 52a service provided by the Customs Department was originally intended as a ready means of providing some evidence of entitlement to duty relief [but not conclusive evidence] upon re-importation of the relevant goods into Bermuda.
“Against the backdrop of significantly reduced staffing levels the Collector of Customs conducted a review of the Form 52a service and found that the service—
- a) is inefficient for the Customs Department to administer;
- b) is burdensome for Islanders, who must line up to register goods ;
- c) frustrating to Islanders by virtue of its limited scope [goods without unique identifying marks are difficult to register]; and
- d) gives little real benefit to either Islanders or the Customs Department
“Accordingly, the Form 52a is to be discontinued.
“Travellers who have already been issued with Form 52as for their goods may continue to present them to Customs on arrival in Bermuda.
“For the avoidance of doubt, goods being re-exported for the purposes of repairs, alterations, or for the purposes of duty refund or drawback, should still be examined by Customs Officers and registered with the Customs Department on the long form [white]Form 52.
“The Collector of Customs wishes to assure the travelling public that the discontinuation of the Form 52a service is unlikely to result in any significant variation in the number of baggage examinations or challenges by Customs Officers concerning duty payment.”
The Collector stated, “Our Officers will only challenge a traveller where they have reasonable grounds to suspect that the traveller has made a false or incomplete customs declaration or is carrying or has under his or her control any prohibited or restricted goods or proceeds of crime.”
The Collector of Customs would encourage the travelling public to retain records of their local and overseas purchases for a reasonable period, so that in the event that a Customs Officer asks for evidence of duty payment, such records might be produced in support of the duty paid status of the relevant goods.
Thank you jez-us!
Either you replace it others a first world computerised record system (entered on a system on first entry) or keep it in place. This is going to be a nightmare for those of us travelling with multiple iPods/Pads/Phones. It’s already a nasty experience rentering thanks to Customs. Now we will be at their mercy simply because they don’t want to do their job. And by discretion they will mean friends, cousins, notables will be ok, the rest treated with suspicion.
I agree. Now it appears they expect travelers to have receipts with them “for a reasonable period” for “local and overseas purchases”.
What is a ” reasonable period”? A year? Two years? So instead of yellow bits of paper, we need to have paperwork and receipts for everything we travel with?
The old way was idiotic, but at least we knew the rules.
Thank god we don’t have to go into town and deal with the moody people that come out and sit at that little table giving you attitude
Yeah about time. Welcome to the 21st century Bermuda Customs! Rhat yellow form is about as useful as a glass hammer.
So what do we do now to prove that we either bought locally or have already paid the duty?
So in stead of s few yellow slips we’ll need to carry around a pile of receipts…. Half of which are on the all paper and don’t last a year
It should have been replaced with a modern computerised system. This kept people honest. Whether you want to admit it or not. You also now have no recourse if you take your 1 year old birthday gift ( no receipt) away and get accused of dodging duty….
Having lived in Bermuda for over 20 years now – I must say that I don’t understand the comments against the Customs Officials above…. I have had my disagreements with them over this time but really I have always found them to be courteous and really just doing their job… I mean who else would like to be told you have to work until 3am tonite just cos AA is going to be late..??
Now Raymond…I would have put a little more emphasis on de z in Jezzz-uuuss…like DAT…Ah Laickvthaight suther drawl innit too…
Perhaps we are moving into a climate of “presumed innocence” which I for one favour. We all have an obligation to pay Customs Duty, so don’t cheat with your overseas purchases. I think this is a great move – treating the travelling public like law abiding adults. Now it’s up to us travellers to act up to the faith that has been placed in our personal integrity.
Good move.