Paying Duty Tax upon arrival / US airport if full value declared

[DeCrillon]

Hello, planning on returning from Europe to the US with lots of goodies. Has anybody experienced Duty/Tax declaration form going back home to the US.
I am kind of a chicken when it comes to not declare and was planning to actually "declare everything".
My understanding from CBP gov. documents, is that if we are traveling let's say a family of 4 - all together. We are allowed according to our status to an exemption of about $800x4. Then the first $1000 is charged at 3pct, and the remaining part on leather goods is somewhere 8 pct. Which would be about $350 for goods of about $8500 value. Anybody has experience with this? Easy, accommodating officers? How long does it take? Etc
Appreciate some feedback especially from those who recently traveled to Paris at HH. Thanks.

 

[Everlong]

i had declared the full value of my goods and i had to follow the dreaded line. the same line that suspicious travelers have to follow and get all of their luggage dug through and checked. customs didnt check my luggage or ask to see anything. they just went off the amount i declared on my form. this did take about an hour though.