Do I Still Need to Declare at US Customs If I Didn’t Claim VAT Refund?

[susanemelia]

I didn’t submit a VAT refund at CDG due to not knowing the process. Now I’m flying back to the U.S. with ~$3K in purchases (VAT already paid).

Do I still need to declare everything at U.S. customs, even if I paid EU VAT and didn’t get a refund? I want to avoid any legal issues or double taxation.