Definitions Referring to Relocation Goods

Normal Place of Residence

Your normal place of residence is the domicile where you live for a minimum of 185 days in a calendar year, on account of your personal relations. It must be possible to conclude that you have close contacts to the location, on account of your personal relations (e.g. your family lives there). If your professional relations are at a different domicile, and if you stay alternately at various places inside and outside of European Communities, then the domicile with personal relations is regarded as your normal place of residence, if you return there on a regular basis. If you do not return on a regular basis, the domicile of your professional relations is regarded as your normal place of residence. However, if your stay on account of professional relations is to perform an assignment of limited duration, then your domicile with personal relations is always regarded as your normal place of residence.

Transferring your normal place of residence to an EU Member state means that you give up your previous normal place of residence abroad and establish a new normal place of residence in the EU. Studying at a university or attending a school does not constitute a transfer of your normal place of residence. You can keep your prior domicile abroad as a subsidiary domicile.

Special case: a transfer of your normal place of residence also occurs when you return to Austria from a stay in a non-EU country (without transferring your normal place of residence to that place at the same time) that was due to occupational reasons, if a time limit for that stay was given in advance, and if the stay lasted for a minimum of twelve consecutive months. However, in this case you must have paid the taxes and/or duties that are generally due on personal property in that non-EU country. The goods must also have not been VAT-exempt when being exported.

Possess

To possess does not only refer to ownership but also to cases in which the proprietor can dispose of goods on economic terms as though he/she were the owner. For example, he/she may rent out the good. Goods therefore also belong to persons when they buy them on credit or are lessees (in the case of a financing lease with a purchase option).

Use

In this context, the goods may not be new items. This restriction does not apply whenever the goods are intended for consumption (e.g. foodstuffs).

Same Purpose

An example: You must not use your car, which previously served for your personal use, to run a taxi business at your new domicile.

Twelve Months Abroad

This period is calculated as of the date on which you leave your normal place of residence. The customs authorities may also grant an exemption from taxes and duties if you intended to stay abroad for a continuous period of at least 12 months but had to return earlier because, for example, your employer terminated your contract earlier.

Customs Clearance

You must relocate within twelve months from the date of establishment of your normal place of residence in the Community. It is also possible to import partial shipments during that period.

Ban on Disposal

If, for example, you wish to loan, give as security, hire out, or transfer your personal property before 12 months have elapsed from the date on which entry of the personal property for free circulation was accepted, you should definitely inform the customs authorities in advance. In this case you will have to pay import taxes and duties on the goods in question, at the valuation rates applicable at the time of disposal, before you can transfer the goods to a third party.