Punching them in face or calling their mommas fat notwithstanding, not being able to present evidences for legal purchases of items when coming home from a vacation overseas can get you into trouble with customs inspectors. Let’s face it, in today’s situation, everyone’s assuming that you’re bringing in a piece of Armageddon with you. Here are some ideas that would help you in dealing with them.

Be cooperative. Resisting and acting suspiciously would make matters worse for you. So don’t make them  call airport police to restrain you. If you’re a veteran traveler you know how nosy they really are anyway.
You are what you receipt. If you think that just because you’re out of the country you wouldn’t be keeping receipts, think again. No matter how small your purchase overseas is, be sure to get an invoice or an official receipt. Make sure that the local sales taxes are also indicated in the invoices that you get. Such taxes are usually not subject to duty.

List items for exemption. When traveling in a group, identify the items that would have the highest duty so that you can file for a per-person exemption on those items. List clothing for legal exemption. While it is tempting to just wear jewelry and try to pass through customs with them undeclared (all for the reasons of trying to pay less duties), you should still declare them if purchased abroad.

Register items before leaving. If you are bringing with you items that have been bought locally but are foreign-made, be sure to declare the, with the customs officer before leaving. Some customs officers might assume that these items are purchased abroad. You don’t want mucky arguments when you get back so get proper documentation.

Check your local customs office regarding updated rules and legislation regarding these.