Bringing alcohol back across the border

[Graeme S]

So some buddies of mine and I are gonna head down to the States on Thanksgiving Monday, and I want to get some cheap Costco booze. Unfortunately 'cause I'm going down for less than 24 hours I'm not gonna get the tax and duty exemptions that I'd normally get for a longer trip.

I've talked to a couple buddies, and some of them say that you're just flat out not allowed to bring booze back if you've been down for less than 24 hours. I haven't found anything like that on the CBSA site, it just says "you only get exemptions for >48 hours". I worked it out with taxes and duties, and I'd end up saving about $10 a case--not worth it for a trip in and of itself, but a decent deal if I'm already down there.


Thoughts? Ideas? Anyone in CBSA want to chime in?

[Ludepower]

whats so hard to understand...with any purchase you make
be honest and declare it and hope he lets u pass
or lie about it and risk getting caught

[Graeme S]

This is not about lying or telling the truth, this is about being allowed to bring it back. A buddy of mine has asked CBSA officers before if he's allowed to bring stuff back from Point Roberts or Blaine on mail runs, and has been flatly told "No." But when I look on CBSA's site, there is nothing prohibiting me bringing things back under 48 hours, just that I must pay taxes and duties on them.


I am not trying to ask if I can or should lie, I'm trying to figure out what I am legally permitted to do.

[bluejays]

i just go down to blaine to get gas and a six pack. always declare and never gotten asked to pay duty on the booze

[syee]

It doesn't say you can't bring it back - it just means it's subject to whatever taxes, duties, etc the want to charge you.

bsf5056: I Declare

The quantities of alcohol you can bring in must be within the limit set by the province or territory where you will enter Canada. If the value of the goods is more than your personal exemption, you will have to pay both duty and taxes, as well as provincial/territorial assessments

If the trip is <48 hours, the exemption would technically be 0 so any liquor you have will be more than your personal exemption. It doesn't appear that they list any specific values for taxes or duties and it tells you to reference your local customs office. Maybe call the office at the border you plan to cross and ask them what the tax/duty rates for Category 8 (beer), 9 (wine) or 10 (Liqueurs and Liquor) is and see if they'll tell you.

They will explicitly ask you when you come back over the border whether you have any alcohol or cigarettes so I probably wouldn't try to risk it by taking the off chance they won't ask you. Even when I take the Nexus lane across the border and do a verbal declaration, they ask me this.

[CRS]

What can I bring back with me?

When you return to Canada, duties and taxes are applicable on all purchases unless you qualify for a personal exemption. Personal exemptions allow you to bring goods of a certain value into the country without paying the regular duties. If you have been outside Canada for:

24 hours or more, you can bring in CAN$50 worth of goods free of duty and tax;
If the goods you bring in are worth more than CAN$50 in total, you cannot claim this exemption. Instead you have to pay full applicable duties and taxes on all goods you bring in.
48 hours or more, you can bring in CAN$400 worth of goods free of duty and tax;
7 days or more, you can bring in CAN$750 worth of goods free of duty and tax.
Alcohol and Tobacco - Restrictions apply to the amount of alcohol and tobacco you can bring into Canada under your exemption. If you have been outside Canada for at least 48 hours and are of legal age, you can bring in these amounts of alcohol and tobacco products free of duty and tax as part of your personal exemption:

Alcoholic beverages:

1.14 L (40 oz.) of liquor; or
1.5 L of wine; or
24 X 355 ml (12 oz.) containers of beer.

Travelling Outside Canada?

[LSF22]

Not sure if this helps, but my buddy goes down to Point Roberts almost every week for gas, and he usually picks up a 6 pack with him. Always honest with CBSA and no restrictions/tax so far. Heard you're allowed hard liquor too but depends on how big the bottle is?

[Culverin]

^
One of the tellers at the supermarket told me a 6-pack is acceptable as part of your daily limit. Except that I didn't trust the guy and asked the border guard as I was paying for my other stuff. He told me nope, you can't do it.


This is the part that always gets me:

Alcohol and Tobacco - Restrictions apply to the amount of alcohol and tobacco you can bring into Canada under your exemption. If you have been outside Canada for at least 48 hours and are of legal age, you can bring in these amounts of alcohol and tobacco products free of duty and tax as part of your personal exemption:

....

If you bring in more than the free allowance of alcohol or tobacco, you will be required to pay the applicable duties and taxes.

It makes it sound like you are restricted to only what is "free", but not anymore. And the second part is "free allowance" which the guards have always told me, 48 hours or more, yet it doesn't list any sort of restriction on that page you linked.


Maybe things of changed and the guards have been telling me misinformation?

I would gladly load up on scotch at the border if all I have to do is pay the tax.
I easily save $20 per bottle tax included. Even more if I buy the higher end scotches.

[Brianrietta]

There is no restriction on purchasing items in the United States and bringing them back to Canada provided they are of course legal in both jurisdictions.

[Lomac]

Short answer: Yes, you can bring booze back if your trip is under 24 hours.

Been there, done that. Many times.

[Energy]

I'll just second what others have said - its ok to bring back alcohol (ex a 6-pack). You're obligated to pay taxes but I've never been charged for small amounts.

[TurtMcDirt]

I've been starting to gas up in Blaine and I was trying to figure out the same damn thing lol.

My findings:
- I've asked a CBSA guard as I was crossing back to Canada whether I'm allowed to bring any liquor back. She said, "Technically, you're supposed to be taxed on anything you buy within 24 hrs, but most guards will give you some slack if you keep it under $100"
- I've been taking back a 12-pack of beer every 2 weeks-ish. Haven't been taxed yet.

[pizzaMR2]

Originally Posted by Graeme S

S I worked it out with taxes and duties, and I'd end up saving about $10 a case--not worth it for a trip in and of itself, but a decent deal if I'm already down there.

Mind if I ask how you calculated this?

because duty rate for alcohol is approximately 120% of the value of the bottle. And after that, you have to factor in taxes.

So unless your bottle is $2-$3 each, it's not really worth it anyway you look at it.

*all this assuming your wanting to buy hard liquor

[Manic!]

Boarder guards don't car if you bring back a 6 pack. I know someone who does it all the time. It's to much of a hassle for them two care. Just be honest and tell them.

[GLOW]

I usually bring a 12 pack back no problem. The last few trips brought back an 18 pack instead. My last trip down he let me go but warned me he'll tax me next time
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[Nechako87]

Originally Posted by pizzaMR2

Mind if I ask how you calculated this?

because duty rate for alcohol is approximately 120% of the value of the bottle. And after that, you have to factor in taxes.

So unless your bottle is $2-$3 each, it's not really worth it anyway you look at it.

*all this assuming your wanting to buy hard liquor

+1

can anyone tell me how to calculate the taxes and duty?

I've always wondered about this.

[syee]

Here's a good breakdown I found (it's for wine but I'd imagine beer and other liquor would be the same or fairly close). Since liquor is controlled by the province, it will vary per province so this should be for BC only.

Bringing Wine Back to Canada After a Trip - WineLaw.ca

Customs Duty:
$0.00 on U.S. wine, $0.03 on most other wine
Excise Duty:
$0.47
HST: 12% of (purchase price + customs duty + excise duty)
BC Liquor Board Fee: 85% of (purchase price + customs duty + excise duty) with a minimum fee of $1.83 and a maximum of $12.75
PST: now replaced by HST

[taylor192]

Originally Posted by Lomac

Short answer: Yes, you can bring booze back if your trip is under 24 hours.

Been there, done that. Many times.

x2

I used to always buy a case of beer when I made a border run to pickup packages, and rarely did the agent care to make me pay duty.

[Nechako87]

http://cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/...d2-3-6-eng.pdf

this document outlines the liquor tax for each type of liquor.

Didn't want to replicate the information in my post, but this gives you the whole breakdown of importing liquor back into canada for non-commercial.

[unit]

Originally Posted by nadst3r

I've been starting to gas up in Blaine and I was trying to figure out the same damn thing lol.

My findings:
- I've asked a CBSA guard as I was crossing back to Canada whether I'm allowed to bring any liquor back. She said, "Technically, you're supposed to be taxed on anything you buy within 24 hrs, but most guards will give you some slack if you keep it under $100"
- I've been taking back a 12-pack of beer every 2 weeks-ish. Haven't been taxed yet.

i always bring back at least 100, usually not more than 200, and havent been taxed ever.

[cruz-in]

dang... i borught back a 12 back with me one time and i guess the guard was having a bad day and told me to pull over. They ripped apart my mr2 for 2 hours and at the end, i was left with all my shit on the ground and no beer.

i get effed.

[Presto]

Gas up across border.
Buy 6 pack with savings.

[ra604]

if you drive up to the guard and before he says anything mention to him, can I make a verbal declaration, most of the time this always works.

LOL they know your being honest if your the first one to mention this works like a charm everytime for me

[icemiko]

I think it depends on the CBSA, I asked them once and she said she wouldn't care and will let it though even if I stayed less then 24 hours but that's just her and a different CBSA might care.

[Graeme S]

Most excellent. Thanks for all the help. For reference I'll be bringing back beer, not hard liquor. Five of us are heading down, and I'll be bringing back two 24s.