Delivering Products from the USA to Denmark
Unlike in other countries, the government body in Denmark in charge of administering and collecting taxes and custom duties is called by a rather unique name, SKAT. Regardless of the name, SKAT is the office that you will have to get in touch with when entering Denmark, particularly if there are imported goods involved and these happen to be of rather high value.
In essence, second-hand items imported to Denmark will be duty-free given certain conditions. On the other hand, brand-new products will be subject to import duties and will be released only after the needed documents are presented. In both cases, the shipment should reach Denmark at least a year after the owner has arrived. Additionally, the same shipment should ideally be released 10 days after its arrival. Otherwise, this will be charged the appropriate storage fees which will result in additional costs to the owner.
For used imported products, customs duties are usually waived if the owner has been using them for at least six months. The same products should also be for personal use only and should not be lent or otherwise sold to another party at least a year after its arrival in Denmark.
On the other hand, brand-new items entering Denmark will automatically carry the corresponding import taxes and will be given SKAT clearance only after these have been paid. Supporting documents such as a purchase invoice and a Certificate of Origin are also expected to be submitted prior to releasing the shipment.
When it comes to motor vehicles, including motorcycles, SKAT is known to levy rather heavy fees. These are applicable to all types of vehicles, with the rate normally ranging from 100 to 200%. However, this need not be applied if the shipped vehicle is declared as being used only for private purposes. Additionally, the owner needs to prove that he/she has owned the same vehicle and has duly registered this under his/her name for the past six months. The owner likewise has to provide proof that he/she has been living outside Denmark for about a year or so.
When making a claim of an automobile brought into Denmark, SKAT will ask for three specific documents, namely, the Car Registration Certificate, the Third Party Insurance, otherwise referred to as the Green Card, and the fully accomplished G55 or Separate Danish Customs Form.
It is interesting to note that when shipping in cars as well as other goods to Denmark, SKAT will initially determine if the importation originated from a country inside or outside the European Union of which Denmark is a member. This is because the country of origin will be the basis upon which SKAT will decide if customs taxes will or will not apply.
Briefly, imported goods from an EU member country will be duty-free provided that the goods is for personal use only. For products coming in from a non-EU member country, the Danish SKAT may not apply the required taxes if the product has a total value of less than or equal to 3,250 Danish krone assuming this arrived by plane or ship. For land arrivals, the product should have a total value less than or equal to 2,250 Danish krone for customs taxes not to be applied.