Texas Alcohol Excise Tax for Cruisers

A warning to those who want to bring back duty free alcohol from a cruise, the only people, including those in transit out of the state or country, being asked to pay the $3.75 per quart Texas Excise tax were those it was obvious that they had alcohol.

There is no questioning about or x-rays/searches for alcohol in your luggage or carry on/off bags.

Just don't bring it off in the ship's or duty free store boxes or bags.

We just did B2B2B Navigator cruises and had alcohol in our bags for the flight out today and nothing was asked nor searches done for alcohol. Several friends carried off duty free boxes and were sent to the Excise tax table after custom/border services to paid this stupid tax, especially for those in transit out of the state. ;)

The state of Texas is going to hurt their cruise ports and jeopardized their tourism industry to collect a few dollars in liquor tax.

This is really pissing off large numbers of cruisers, especially those from those out of state who won't even be consuming their alcohol in Texas, from what we heard onboard.

The state of Texas spends millions of dollars promoting tourism and then are doing this. The Texas legislature must be made up of mostly idiots or fools, likely both IMHO .:p

Robtulipe I live in Texas and you have no idea how true your last sentence is.

Happy cruising.

This is one reason we won't bother bringing anything back from our Magic cruise. Not worth the hassle and it would erase much of the savings of duty free.

Yeah we've cruised out of Galveston a couple of times since they started this. It definitely isn't worth the hassle and there is literally no savings by purchasing on the ship or at any of the ports of call. Bummer.

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That and the silly laws prohibiting Cheers purchase and alcohol bottle delivery until Day 2. But when I mention those things, Texas people laugh at me and tell me the cruise numbers are massively surpassing expectations and Carnival is looking to bring even more ships there.

This is a joke. We've seen this table and the person that wants to hustle you like someone selling power plans out front of the grocery store. All you have to say is no.

Here's my concern; a friend wanted one of the cool tequila bottles and asked me to get it while in Cozumel. The liquor store wanted to scan my ship card, even when I was paying cash. I refused, and we had no deal without it.

Is it possible/probable that all those purchases at the pier area report your totals to Carnival, and they in turn report it to US Customs? I know, here come the black helicopters.

This Texas law is decades old, and now they want to enforce it. No reasoning other than a money grab.

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Why do they ask for your ship card when buying liquor in port anyway? I

Usually just put mine in a bag and take it back to my room and have never been questioned about it, either onboard or by customs.

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The Texas Legislature has cut revenue from taxes down to the bare bone so now they are trying to make up for the shortfalls they are creating with things like this...it's a bait and switch where they can claim to have lowered taxes while in reality they have just disguised them as "fees" that hit the middle class much harder.

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Why do they ask for your ship card when buying liquor in port anyway? I

Usually just put mine in a bag and take it back to my room and have never been questioned about it, either onboard or by customs.

 

 

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If the onshore store is a true duty free store one must show their ship's card to get that duty free pricing.

I'm from Texas and on our last cruise in February this wasn't enforced...but unfortunately for our next cruise it will be. I really don't know much else other than I'm going to have to go stand in that long customs line just to pay the stupid tax.

My question...let's say I win a free small bottle of rum in Jamaica on our beach excursion...so do I have to claim it on my customs form and pay a tax? What happens if I don't put it on the customs form? What kind of trouble am I looking at?

Just curious.

A warning to those who want to bring back duty free alcohol from a cruise, the only people, including those in transit out of the state or country, being asked to pay the $3.75 per quart Texas Excise tax were those it was obvious that they had alcohol.

There is no questioning about or x-rays/searches for alcohol in your luggage or carry on/off bags.

Just don't bring it off in the ship's or duty free store boxes or bags.

We just did B2B2B Navigator cruises and had alcohol in our bags for the flight out today and nothing was asked nor searches done for alcohol. Several friends carried off duty free boxes and were sent to the Excise tax table after custom/border services to paid this stupid tax, especially for those in transit out of the state. ;)

The state of Texas is going to hurt their cruise ports and jeopardized their tourism industry to collect a few dollars in liquor tax.

This is really pissing off large numbers of cruisers, especially those from those out of state who won't even be consuming their alcohol in Texas, from what we heard onboard.

The state of Texas spends millions of dollars promoting tourism and then are doing this. The Texas legislature must be made up of mostly idiots or fools, likely both IMHO .:p

Also $15 PER CARTON of cigarettes, do not smoke but used to buy for dog sitter. Cig sales on the ships are almost non-existant now.

Robtulipe I live in Texas and you have no idea how true your last sentence is.

 

Happy cruising.

This was designed for the LARGE smugglers, should have exempt cruisers.

I'm from Texas and on our last cruise in February this wasn't enforced...but unfortunately for our next cruise it will be. I really don't know much else other than I'm going to have to go stand in that long customs line just to pay the stupid tax.

 

My question...let's say I win a free small bottle of rum in Jamaica on our beach excursion...so do I have to claim it on my customs form and pay a tax? What happens if I don't put it on the customs form? What kind of trouble am I looking at?

 

Just curious.

Nothing to customs, but they will direct u to a STATE table right behind them. The state collects this in Galveston & Houston.

Nothing to customs, but they will direct u to a STATE table right behind them. The state collects this in Galveston & Houston.

So is there a separate form now for the state?

I guess I'm just wondering how they'd know if I had alcohol or not if I put it in my suitcase and rolled it off the ship with me and didn't mention a bottle of liquor on my customs form.

So what I'm asking is...how will they know?

If I'm supposed to claim it on a form what happens if I don't and they find out?

I mean, I don't want to pay a huge fine over a free bottle of rum, but I also don't want to pay a ridiculous tax for it either.

If I bring it back onto the ship they have to keep it somewhere for me, right? Like I can't take it back to the cabin and drink it on the ship?

Things were different in February 2014, so I'm just trying to figure out what to expect now. I brought back vanilla from Mexico and forgot to claim it last time and nothing happened, but since things have changed...

When we just sailed the Triumph out of Galveston Nov 2014 there was a seperate form to fill out left in your cabin to indicate your liquor/cig purchases. We had bought a carton of cigs for hubby and I filled out the form. Had it and the custom form in my hand when we got our bags and went through customs. The porter said do you have either alcohol or cigarettes to declare and I said yes. He said "as long as it is in your bag and not in the open don't worry about saying anything" he said they won't search. The customs man wanted to see both forms then gave me back the one for the cigarettes and said I will need to stop at the desk around the corner to pay(not within eye sight). When we got out into the hall around the corner there was a podium and someone asking do you have alcohol or cigarettes to declare and I said no and kept walking with the porter.

It is really an honor system and I saw several people who said no who I knew had alcohol and also a few paying the tax at the table.

When we just sailed the Triumph out of Galveston Nov 2014 there was a seperate form to fill out left in your cabin to indicate your liquor/cig purchases. We had bought a carton of cigs for hubby and I filled out the form. Had it and the custom form in my hand when we got our bags and went through customs. The porter said do you have either alcohol or cigarettes to declare and I said yes. He said "as long as it is in your bag and not in the open don't worry about saying anything" he said they won't search. The customs man wanted to see both forms then gave me back the one for the cigarettes and said I will need to stop at the desk around the corner to pay(not within eye sight). When we got out into the hall around the corner there was a podium and someone asking do you have alcohol or cigarettes to declare and I said no and kept walking with the porter.

 

It is really an honor system and I saw several people who said no who I knew had alcohol and also a few paying the tax at the table.

This is good to know, I like to bring my family some small bottles of rum so if they're not going to check my bags then I'm just gonna head straight for my car.

Another question though, when I return to the ship with alcohol will they check my bags to make sure or can I hide it and take it back to my room? I don't plan to drink it, I just like to have all my things together with me.

This is good to know, I like to bring my family some small bottles of rum so if they're not going to check my bags then I'm just gonna head straight for my car.

 

Another question though, when I return to the ship with alcohol will they check my bags to make sure or can I hide it and take it back to my room? I don't plan to drink it, I just like to have all my things together with me.

Yes, thank you for the info! I will just not say anything :D

I wonder about the last time too...can I take it back to my room when I get on the ship, or do they store it somewhere for me until the last day or whatever?

Yes, thank you for the info! I will just not say anything :D

I wonder about the last time too...can I take it back to my room when I get on the ship, or do they store it somewhere for me until the last day or whatever?

IF they find it on your way onto the ship - as in if they scan your bag, etc. - they will tell you to drop it off at a table just past the scanner / security. they would hold it and then deliver it to your room on the last night.

that's not to say that some people don't walk right past that table just like the tax table in texas. if they're not busy enough to pay attention - they might call you to the table if they saw you get 'caught' at security... and in that case - say you're carrying on 4 bottles. there's nothing to keep you from surrendering just one, and keeping the others unless they're really on top of you for whatever reason :)

I've been on 4 cruises out of Galveston since January of last year and brought back liquor each time. Texas started taxing liquor on Jan 4 2014 at most ports of entry which is a pain but I still get away cheaper. The way I look at it, a bottle of crown costs me anywhere between $28 to $33 for 750ml at my local liquor store. I buy it for 4 1lt bottles for $64 at the duty free store then pay the tax which brings my total to $19.75. Not such a bad deal.

As for not paying taxes, the penalty is from $100 up to $1000 or 1 year in jail. It is up to you on whether you want to take the risk (which is probably very low)

For those who of you say that you (or people) will quit sailing out of Galveston due to the tax I don't get it, are you cruising because of the duty free benefits or for the fun and relaxation of cruising?

Realistically, I doubt that an extra $15 dollars (1 gallons worth)in tax will keep many from cruising from Texas. I guess Carnival sees it the same way, that is why they added another ship.

So is there a separate form now for the state?

I guess I'm just wondering how they'd know if I had alcohol or not if I put it in my suitcase and rolled it off the ship with me and didn't mention a bottle of liquor on my customs form.

 

So what I'm asking is...how will they know?

If I'm supposed to claim it on a form what happens if I don't and they find out?

I mean, I don't want to pay a huge fine over a free bottle of rum, but I also don't want to pay a ridiculous tax for it either.

If I bring it back onto the ship they have to keep it somewhere for me, right? Like I can't take it back to the cabin and drink it on the ship?

 

Things were different in February 2014, so I'm just trying to figure out what to expect now. I brought back vanilla from Mexico and forgot to claim it last time and nothing happened, but since things have changed...

If u buy it on the ship they monitor your S&S bill, don't know that they do it every time, but happened to couple in front of us in Oct on Magic.

I've been on 4 cruises out of Galveston since January of last year and brought back liquor each time. Texas started taxing liquor on Jan 4 2014 at most ports of entry which is a pain but I still get away cheaper. The way I look at it, a bottle of crown costs me anywhere between $28 to $33 for 750ml at my local liquor store. I buy it for 4 1lt bottles for $64 at the duty free store then pay the tax which brings my total to $19.75. Not such a bad deal.

 

As for not paying taxes, the penalty is from $100 up to $1000 or 1 year in jail. It is up to you on whether you want to take the risk (which is probably very low)

 

For those who of you say that you (or people) will quit sailing out of Galveston due to the tax I don't get it, are you cruising because of the duty free benefits or for the fun and relaxation of cruising?

 

Realistically, I doubt that an extra $15 dollars (1 gallons worth)in tax will keep many from cruising from Texas. I guess Carnival sees it the same way, that is why they added another ship.

It's the principle of the thing. The Federal Government states that each person is allowed xx number of dollars in duty free liquor cigars etc. Texas has decided that no, we are not going to honor that, we want a piece of it, should not be allowed to do this. Since I don't live in Texas I should not have to pay their import duty especially when the item is leaving the state in a matter of a few hours. Wanted to sail on the Magic in October, but switched to the Breeze instead.

It's the principle of the thing. The Federal Government states that each person is allowed xx number of dollars in duty free liquor cigars etc. Texas has decided that no, we are not going to honor that, we want a piece of it, should not be allowed to do this. Since I don't live in Texas I should not have to pay their import duty especially when the item is leaving the state in a matter of a few hours. Wanted to sail on the Magic in October, but switched to the Breeze instead.

Understand your point. I'd probably just pay and not like it but that's just me. LOL Have a good trip.

I live in Texas and use this port frequently, and I have to agree, this rule is asinine. That being said, I don't pay the state. As others have pointed out, as long as it is put away, they have no way to know that you have it. US Customs might know what you have, so I wouldn't mess with them. I don't even fill in the other form. As you walk by there, the people at the state tax table have no idea who you are or what you bought.

I agree on the principle. It is uncool for Texas to make a grab for money that the United States says it's citizens don't have to pay. Last I checked, we hadn't seceded (yet), so this is crap. I also agree that it is horrible for tourism. God knows the beaches in Galveston are a hard enough sell. Why they want to mess with the cruisers is beyond me.

Anyway, I hope it won't keep too many of y'all away. For now, it does seem to be on an honor system and is not enforced really, at all, unless they can see the purchase. I hope they have enough sense to keep it that way.

I agree. If ever cruise out of Texas, which is highly unlikely, I would not pay it either.

1. I did not buy it in Texas.

2. I am not selling it or giving it to anyone in Texas.

3. I did not consume it in Texas.

No need to Texas to tax me for something I did not buy in Texas.

From the way it looks it seems Texas is "enforcing" this by having a presence there when you get off the ship, but they're still not actually "enforcing" it because they don't check your bags they just assume everyone will be honest and pay the tax. That being said, they can't possibly expect everyone to be honest and willingly pay the tax, especially if they don't live in Texas. Shoot, I live in Texas and wouldn't willingly pay the tax. The way I see it is you either enforce it all the way or not at all.