Door To Door Balikbayan Boxes – Years ago, I sent a box of balikbayan to the Philippines for my family. This is very familiar to all Filipinos working and living abroad. Different gifts and special items in the big box, it looks like a Filipino culture.
I have received quite a few inquiries about Balikbayan Boxing from other Filipinos here in the UK and other parts of the world. Sending Balikbayan boxes to our families in the Philippines has become part of a modern Filipino tradition. Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) and Filipinos living overseas are working hard and saving up to fill these beautiful balikbayan coffers.
Door To Door Balikbayan Boxes
I have written in this post about the Balikbayan box regulations, how to send a balikbayan box that complies with the new customs regulations and how to benefit from tax exemption.
How To Make Your Balikbayan Boxes Safe And Secure
A balikbayan box is a type of box that holds luggage or other items that Filipinos send to their families in the Philippines filled with toys, clothes, furniture, food, etc. Balikbayan boxes are available in different sizes (Small, Medium, Large and Jumbo) depending on your preferences and budget.
Filipinos who work and live abroad usually fill Balikbayan boxes throughout the year and send them to their families a few months before Christmas or New Years and other special occasions of the year.
Read More: Balikbayan Traveling to the Philippines During the Pandemic How to Send a Balikbayan Box to the Philippines:
Here is a step by step guide on how to send a Balikbayan box to the Philippines. I personally do this every time I send a box to my family in the Philippines.
Pinoy Balikbayan Box
In general, the weight of the Balikbayan box should be around 30 kilos, but sometimes this is irrelevant when you can put the contents of the box in without filling it. Otherwise, the shipping company may require you to remove certain items or obtain a stronger box later.
I wrote an article on Balikbayan Box Help with packing, organizing and shipping items to the Philippines. I encourage you to read it, you can learn useful tips for sending balikbayan boxes.
In August 2017, the new policy implemented by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) caused much concern among OFWs and overseas Filipinos. The new Philippines Balikbayan Box Shipping Rules Policy classifies shipper types and whether the shipper is eligible for tax.
The new policy mainly aims to deal with illegal imports (smuggling). The tax will also be a new source of revenue for the government.
Saginaw Bay City Michigan Balikbayan Box Shipping To Philippines
You can go ahead and send balikbayan boxes as usual. However, there are some things you need to do to find out if you are FULL TIME FILIPINO (QFWA) or NON-TIME FILIPINO (NQFWA).
Under the new policy, new items of value (e.g. accessories, jewellery, accessories, watches, etc.) sent in Balikbayan boxes must be declared and supported by a receipt if they are new.
Used items, groceries and new non-value items (e.g. daily clothes, toiletries, chocolates, etc.) should not have a receipt when sent in the balikbayan box but should be entered in the paper list.
When sending a Balikbayan box, the sender is required to fill in a form provided by the Customs Office. This will be presented along with proof of purchase from the shipping companies that will transport the Balikbayan box to the Philippines IF POSSIBLE.
Customs Expects Full Delivery Of Abandoned Balikbayan Boxes By Christmas
The declaration list and receipt will form the basis of the duty and sales tax payable on arrival of the goods in the Philippines.
Download here: Balikbayan Box Customs Information Sheet (Information Sheet) What are the exemptions and limitations?
Anyone is still allowed to send a balikbayan box to the Philippines. However, balikbayan boxes that do not qualify for the exemption and limitation will be subject to import and export taxes.
Overseas Qualified Filipinos (QFWA) are OFWs, non-resident Filipinos who have established permanent residence abroad but maintain their Philippine citizenship (dual citizenship), and Filipino nationals who have obtained temporary visas to stay overseas (e.g. Students, business visas and more)
How To Pack And Send Balikbayan Box To Philippines
The Balikbayan Box is an honor given to Overseas Qualifying (QFWA) Filipinos and Filipino dual nationals who send up to 150,000,000 pesos of BALIKBAYAN TAX FREE. QFWA may receive 3 opportunities or 3 mailings per calendar year for personal effects and household items only.
PERSONAL EFFECTS refers to new or used goods for PERSONAL USE or USE and non-commercial use such as clothing, personal jewellery, furniture, toiletries, etc.
QFWA is limited to eligibility of Balikbayan Box three times per calendar year or three (3) shipments of balikbayan boxes with a value of PHP 150,000,000 per calendar year to qualify for tax and duty exemption. Items must not be commercial and are considered legitimate and/or recommended items.
A calendar year refers to the period from January 1 to December 31 of that year.
Sending Out A Balikbayan Box To The Philippines
There is no limit to the number of Balikbayan boxes you can send PER SHIPMENT, but the size of the boxes must not exceed 20 cubic meters or closer to the size of the XL Balikbayan, and the value of the shipment must not exceed PHP 150,000 per calendar year.
If the balikbayan box has a value of less than PHP 10,000,000 it will not be included in the tax exemption program but will be classified as De Minimis Importation, thus automatically exempt from taxes and duties.
If you exceed the legal limit, the balikbayan box will be subject to import and export taxes. Only the close relatives and next of kin of the QFWA should be recipients or beneficiaries of the balikbayan box in the Philippines.
Family and relatives are relatives up to the fourth (4th) degree of consanguinity or consanguinity (first cousins).
Bulilit Balikbayan Box
Suppose QFWA will send balikbayan boxes to your friends or non-relatives. At the same time, this will also apply to the import tax (if higher than Php 10,000 De Minimis Import Tax).
Non Qualified Filipinos Overseas (NQFWA) are categorized as Sole Proprietor (DTI Registered), Partnerships, Corporations, and Philippine Citizens (PH Citizens who have acquired a new citizenship in other countries and choose not to maintain PH Citizenship), must also pay taxes and foreign imports (if above De Minimis imported from abroad of 10 000 000 PHP).
If you want to know in advance the tax that may be levied by importing a balikbayan box, you can send a message to the Bureau of Customs FB page emailboc.cares@customs.gov.ph.
Don’t forget to include a list of the products you will be shipping so they can give you an accurate quote.
Balikbayan Box Guide: How To Send Cargo Box To Philippines
If you have decided to apply for revocation of your Philippine citizenship after acquiring a new citizenship in another country, I have made a blog post, read it at the link below.
Read Next: Benefits of Dual Citizenship (British – Filipino) The Filipino community trusts and requires Balikbayan Box Cargo Company.
As I have sent many balikbayan boxes over the years, I have gathered here the names of the companies I have used and recommendations from my fellow Filipinos through word of mouth, the online Filipino community and Barrio parties etc. which I have listed. under different conditions.
You will usually pay a minimum order fee for the box. Upon delivery of the empty box, the company will give you a version of the company data sheet for you to fill in ready for collection.
How To Pack And Send A Balikbayan Box To The Philippines
Check out their branch details here. They have several offices in prominent places in the world such as USA, Canada, Middle East, Asia, Europe, Scandinavia, UK and many more.
Read more: Detailed instructions on Balikbayan Box Consolidation Tax Scheme for Personal Use and Commercial Assets
Sometimes we make many things that we can put in our Balikbayan box for family and relatives. Here are the instructions from the BOC
Here is a list of items that are tax free and approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). If you exceed the stated amount, the item will be taken over by the BOC.
What’s Inside A Balikbayan Box?
List of Chargeable Items that can be delivered by Passenger Baggage, Balikbayan Box or International Post Parcel or Delivery Service.
Here are some Bureau of Customs guidelines on imports. These items are subject to restrictions when shipped or delivered to the Philippines via Balikbayan boxes, passenger baggage or via parcel services.
The prescribed products are regulated products and can be imported
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