1.   Every Member State shall, subject to the conditions and in the cases hereinafter set out, exempt personal property introduced permanently from another Member State by private individuals from consumption taxes which normally apply to such property.

2.   The following shall not be covered by this Directive:

1.   For the purposes of this Directive, ‘personal property’ means property for the personal use of the persons concerned or the needs of their household. Such property must not, by reason of its nature or quantity, reflect any commercial interest, nor be intended for an economic activity within the meaning of Article 9(1) and Articles 10 to 13 of Council Directive 2006/112/EC (5). However, the tools or instruments necessary to the person concerned for the exercise of his trade or profession shall also be treated as personal property.

2.   The exemption for which Article 1 makes provision shall be granted for personal property:

For the goods referred to in the second sentence of point (a), Member States may require:

3.   The competent authorities shall demand proof that the conditions in paragraph 2 have been satisfied in the case of motor-driven road vehicles (including their trailers), caravans, mobile homes, pleasure boats and private aircraft. In the case of other property, they shall demand such proof only where there are grave suspicions of fraud.

1.   For the purposes of this Directive, ‘normal residence’ means the place where a person usually lives, that is for at least 185 days in each calendar year, because of personal and occupational ties or, in the case of a person with no occupational ties, because of personal ties which show close links between that person and the place where he is living.

However, the normal residence of a person whose occupational ties are in a different place from his personal ties and who consequently lives in turn in different places situated in two or more Member States shall be regarded as being the place of his personal ties, provided that such person returns there regularly. This last condition need not be met where the person is living in a Member State in order to carry out a task of a definite duration. Attendance at a university or school shall not imply transfer of normal residence.

2.   Individuals shall give proof of their place of normal residence by any appropriate means, such as their identity card or any other valid document.

3.   Where the competent authorities of the Member State of destination have doubts as to the validity of a statement as to normal residence made in accordance with paragraph 2, or for the purpose of certain specific controls, they may ask for any information they require or for additional proof.

1.   The exemption for which Article 1 makes provision shall be granted, subject to the conditions laid down in Articles 2 to 5, in respect of personal property introduced by a private individual when transferring his normal residence.

The grant of the exemption shall, without prejudice to any Community transit procedure which may apply, be subject to the drawing-up of an inventory of the property on plain paper accompanied, if the State so requires, by a declaration, the model for and content of which shall be defined in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 248a(2) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92 (6). No reference to value may be demanded on the inventory of the property.

2.   The last of the property must be introduced not later than 12 months after the transfer of normal residence. Where, in accordance with Article 3, the property is introduced in stages within that period, only on the occasion of the first introduction may Member States require the submission of a full inventory to which reference may also be made in the event of subsequent removals by other customs offices. Such inventory may be supplemented subject to the agreement of the competent authorities of the Member State of destination.

1.   The exemption for which Article 1 makes provision shall be granted, subject to the conditions laid down in Articles 2 to 5, for personal property introduced by a private individual to furnish a secondary residence.

This exemption shall be granted only where:

2.   The exemption shall also be granted, subject to the conditions mentioned in paragraph 1, where, following the relinquishment of a secondary residence, property is introduced to the normal residence or to another secondary residence, provided that the property in question has actually been in the possession of the person concerned, and that he has had the use of it, before establishment of a second residence.

The last of the property must be introduced not later than 12 months after the secondary residence has been relinquished.

1.   Without prejudice to Articles 2 to 5, any person shall on marrying be entitled to exemption from the taxes referred to in Article 1(1) when introducing into the Member State to which he intends to transfer his normal residence personal property which he has acquired or of which he has had the use, provided that:

2.   Exemption shall also be granted in respect of presents customarily given on the occasion of a marriage which are received by a person fulfilling the conditions laid down in paragraph 1 from persons having their normal place of residence in a Member State other than the Member State of destination. The exemption shall apply to presents of a unit value of not more than EUR 350. Member States may, however, grant an exemption of more than EUR 350, provided that the value of each exempt present does not exceed EUR 1 400.

3.   Member States may make the granting of the exemption dependent on the provision of an adequate guarantee, where property is introduced before the date of the marriage.

4.   Where the individual fails to provide proof of his marriage within four months of the date given for such marriage, the taxes shall be due on the date of introduction.

1.   Member States shall endeavour to reduce as far as possible the introduction formalities for private individuals within the limits and subject to the conditions laid down in this Directive and shall endeavour to avoid introduction formalities entailing controls which result in substantial unloading and reloading at the entry into the Member State of destination.

2.   Member States may retain and/or introduce more liberal conditions for granting tax exemptions than those laid down in this Directive, with the exception of those laid down in Article 2(2)(a).

3.   Without prejudice to Article 2(2), Member States may not, by virtue of this Directive, apply within the Community tax exemptions less favourable than those which they accord to imports by private individuals of personal property from third countries.

1.   Member States shall communicate to the Commission the text of the main provisions of national law which they adopt in the field covered by this Directive, and in particular any resulting from the application of the provisions of Article 11(2) and (3). The Commission shall inform the other Member States thereof.

2.   Every two years the Commission shall, after consulting the Member States, send the European Parliament and the Council a report on the implementation of this Directive in the Member States.