Appendix - Adventure Guide to Cayman Islands - page 235

Pets
If you are bringing pets with you to the Cayman Islands, you'll need an im-
port permit or a valid animal passport issued by the Department of Agri-
culture. To obtain a form for the import permit, contact the Department of
Agriculture, Plant Quarantine/Veterinary Service Units, Box 459GT, Grand
Cayman or call 345-945-2267 or 949-4932, fax [phone]. You'll need

to submit the forms with a fee of US $61. You'll also need an official health
certificate issued by an accredited veterinary inspector in your country.
Start the paperwork well before your travel dates.

Customs
When you move to the Cayman Islands, you are allowed to bring personal
and household goods duty free. Don't rush out and buy all new appliances
to ship to the islands, however; the goods must have been in use for six
months. Special rules apply to the importation of a car.
To simplify the customs process, many new residents hire a customs bro-
ker to get through the paperwork. A few brokers are listed below.

CUSTOMS BROKERS
Brac Business Brokers and Agents ........

345-948-1438

Cayman Islands Customs Agency .......... 345-949-2350

Economy Custom Brokers ................ 345-945-3443

Emery Worldwide ....................... 345-949-5989

IMP Agency ............................. 345-949-0066

Miracle Brokers ......................... 345-949-5989

Sta-Mar Enterprises ..................... 345-949-2399

Taxation
Ahh, now we come down to one of the real beauties of the Cayman Islands:
taxation, or, rather, lack thereof. There are no direct taxes in the Cayman
Islands, period. That means no income tax, no gift tax, no corporate tax, no
inheritance tax, no capital gains tax.
That makes these islands extremely attractive. While there are no taxes,
however, you will find a few miscellaneous charges including a stamp duty
on real estate. You'll pay a stamp duty of 7.5% (higher in some areas) on the
value of the real estate at the time of the sale and a fee of 1% on mortgages
under CI $300,000 and 1.5% on mortgages greater than CI $300,000.