Selling property

A “Permit to Transfer” (AE Form 550-175B) from customs allows U.S. Forces personnel stationed in Germany to sell/give away used personal property to non-ID cardholders / non-SOFA status personnel if the property was owned in Germany for at least six months. Customs clearance is required because U.S. service members, DoD civilians and their dependents can import their belongings into Germany tax and duty-free. It does not matter what happens with the item after you transfer it (e.g. exportation), important for you is to know that whenever you transfer an item to a non-ID cardholder in Germany, a “Permit to Transfer (AE Form 550-175B) is always required. Also, AE Form 550-175B will prevent problems when USAREUR-plated vehicles are sold/given away to junkyards. People who do not follow the rules will face problems when trying to clear USAREUR Vehicle Registration. The “Permit to Transfer (AE Form 550-175B) is required to clear German customs, and is required in order to cancel a vehicle’s registration. Without AE Form 550-175B, German Customs may want you to pay the full tax and duty due on the vehicle or may want you to provide proof of what happened to the vehicle. Usually, this will not be easy, especially if the vehicle was crushed and recycled long ago, and you do not have any documentation thereof on hand. Vehicles encumbered by a lien, need written permission from the lien holder PRIOR to transfer or sale.

AE Form 550-175B will be issued in five original copies. All personal and other required information must be provided for processing this form. All five copies of AE Form 550-175B must have an original signature. Ensure you read and understand the “Data Required by the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 USC 552a)” printed on the top of the form. Also, read and comply with the statements beneath block 17. “Remarks/Vermerke” on page 2 of the form. The stamped form is valid for 90 days from the date of issue.

YOU are responsible for ensuring that Part III of AE Form 550-175B is stamped by German Customs. Do NOT give this customs document to the purchaser/receiver of the item you transfer to finish the transaction or customs clearance for you. Any person acting on your behalf must have a valid “Power of Attorney” and be authorized logistic support IAW AE Reg 600-700, i.e. he or she must be a U.S. ID cardholder with SOFA status in Germany. You and the purchaser/receiver must present four (original) copies of AE Form 550-175B stamped by Military Customs to the German Customs office responsible for the area you or the buyer reside(s) in. Also, bring the item that is going to be transferred with you to the German Customs Office. The purchaser/receiver should be present to pay any duty or taxes due, if not, you are liable for the payment. German Customs will stamp all (original) copies of AE Form 550-175B and will hand one to the buyer/receiver, one to you, and keep two for filing. Failure to comply with the above procedures may result in disciplinary action and a TAX DEMAND from German Customs. For further assistance call your military customs office or the central Military Customs Customer Service office, DSN 370-4978/CIV 06221-57-4978. If, at any time, the seller or buyer/receiver does not want to continue the transaction, all (original) copies of AE Form 550-175B must be returned to the issuing military customs office, or to the Customs Executive Agency.

VEHICLES	In order to deregister a vehicle from the USAREUR vehicle registration system, you need to present the German customs cleared AE Form 550-175B, amongst other documents, and the USAREUR license plates, to your USAREUR vehicle registration office.
FIREARMS	You may not under any circumstances transfer or relinquish a firearm to a potential buyer/receiver before seeing German customs. Firearms may only be transferred at a German customs office with the weapon present. If German authorities grant approval for a transaction to a non-ID cardholder, you must deregister the weapon at once at your USAREUR vehicle registration office (firearms section).