[Eff-1]

Found this article today.

This month, BSOs in the Pacific Highway District conducted 93 seizures. Some examples are outlined below:

Douglas - Traffic Operations: On November 3, three Canadian residents returning from a day trip to the United States declared $100 worth of purchases, and they were referred for a secondary exam to verify their declaration. During the exam, officers found an undeclared designer purse valued at $12,328 with the receipt and packaging intact on the back seat of the vehicle. The purse was seized and an administrative penalty of $3,082 was assessed. Had the traveller properly declared the purse, she would have paid $1,479 in duties and taxes.

Pacific Highway - Traffic Operations: On November 15, a returning resident declared a purchase of a car to the primary officer for USD$27,000 and he was referred for a secondary exam to verify his declaration. The traveller eventually admitted that he had actually paid US$53,000 for the luxury vehicle. The car was seized for undervaluation, and once the traveller paid the duty and taxes owing on the amount that he declared ($3,186.20), plus an administrative penalty of $10,445.49 for the undervalued amount, the vehicle was returned to him. Had he properly declared the vehicle, he would have paid $6,149.65 in duty and taxes.

Abbotsford-Huntingdon Traffic: On November 16, a returning resident declared that he had purchased a motorhome for USD$168,000 while in the United States, and he was referred for a secondary exam to verify his declaration. The man provided a notarized Bill of Sale and Retail Buyer's Order from the seller for the declared value of $168,000, with a 0.00 value indicated for Less Trade In. However, the traveller eventually admitted to the border services officer that he had sold his old motorhome on consignment for $80,000 and that the seller gave him a "credit" of the $80,000 towards the new motorhome, but he did not include the trade-in value on the bill of sale. The man was arrested for undervaluation of the motorhome and the vehicle was seized. Once the traveller paid the administrative penalty of $53,698, the vehicle was returned to him. Had he properly declared the vehicle, he would have paid $12,521 in duties and taxes.

Douglas - Traffic Operations: On November 27, a returning resident declared to the primary officer that he had purchased a vehicle in the United States, and provided a receipt for $2,700. He was referred for a secondary examination to verify his declaration. During the examination, officers found an invoice in the vehicle for the amount of $27,000. When confronted with this information, the traveller admitted that he had created a false invoice so that he could avoid paying more in taxes. The traveller was arrested and his vehicle was seized. After the traveller paid $134.31, the duty and taxes owing on the amount that he declared, plus an administrative penalty of $13,296.84 for the undervalued amount, the vehicle was returned to him. Had he properly declared the vehicle, he would have paid $1,350 in duties and taxes.

Did you really think the border guard wouldn't be suspicious when you declare a $27,000 car as only $2700?? :fulloffuck:

[jing]

Link to article? I love reading stuff like this.

[anti_rice]

People try everything to save a few bucks. But I like how these people spend $10k + and then try and save a couple hundred in taxes.

[Eff-1]

Link to article? I love reading stuff like this.

same here

Border Briefs (http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/media/release-communique/2012/2012-12-17-eng.html)

[Gh0stRider]

:badpokerface:

[Tim Budong]

I always declare full value and travel with a clean empty trunk

[SolidPenguin]

Border Security, Canada/Vancouver edition is on marathon right now on National Geographic.

And something you can learn easily from watching that show is...Declare your stuff, really simple...

[saiko]

I always declare the correct amount. I still get searched. To their surprise, I was being honest, I am just a cheapo traveller.

[jello24]

Border Security, Canada/Vancouver edition is on marathon right now on National Geographic.

And something you can learn easily from watching that show is...Declare your stuff, really simple...

Lol had that entire series recorded on PVR today...

Really great stuff, especially the YVR scenes of Chinese students trying to bring in chicken feet and other raw meat. One kid tried to throw away his meat items from his baggage but CBSA sees him, tells him to pick it up from the garbage bin, then charges him an $800 fine.

Epic shit. Although you do see the border agents let quite a bit of people through in a nicer manner, like the Filipino who didn't have to pay his $800 food fine, albeit for the confiscation of his cigarette cartons.

[LP700-4]

Reminds me of one time when we were going down to portland for 4 days as a family and we got asked how much money we were bringing with us. We told them appoximately $4000 total and we got sent inside, we waiting in the lineup for 30-45 minutes when it was our turn and the guard searched all handbags and wallets and he counted 4200 and he bitched us out cause we didnt count to the exact amount - WTF :fulloffuck:

Not 100% related but i'd though i'd share and see some opinions on this. Is it reasonable that guards can be able to take away almost an hour of your day only to count your money? Nothing illegal or anything i guess it was random but i was pretty pissed cause we were gonna be an hour late to portland in our limited time trip.

[CRS]

Reminds me of one time when we were going down to portland for 4 days as a family and we got asked how much money we were bringing with us. We told them appoximately $4000 total and we got sent inside, we waiting in the lineup for 30-45 minutes when it was our turn and the guard searched all handbags and wallets and he counted 4200 and he bitched us out cause we didnt count to the exact amount - WTF :fulloffuck:

Not 100% related but i'd though i'd share and see some opinions on this. Is it reasonable that guards can be able to take away almost an hour of your day only to count your money? Nothing illegal or anything i guess it was random but i was pretty pissed cause we were gonna be an hour late to portland in our limited time trip.

Their country, their rules.

You could have saved a whole lot of time by not travelling at all either but since you wanted and chose to go, you have to play by their rules. An hour out of your day isn't bad considering border lineups can be worse during peak hours.

[Ronin]

Haven't you people heard of credit cards? $4k in cash? Why?

Also, follow these steps.

1. Answer in as few words as possible.
2. Look them in the face.

Where am I from? Richmond. How long was I down there? Two days. What was I doing? Vacation.

[nah]

Reminds me of one time when we were going down to portland for 4 days as a family and we got asked how much money we were bringing with us. We told them appoximately $4000 total and we got sent inside, we waiting in the lineup for 30-45 minutes when it was our turn and the guard searched all handbags and wallets and he counted 4200 and he bitched us out cause we didnt count to the exact amount - WTF :fulloffuck:

Not 100% related but i'd though i'd share and see some opinions on this. Is it reasonable that guards can be able to take away almost an hour of your day only to count your money? Nothing illegal or anything i guess it was random but i was pretty pissed cause we were gonna be an hour late to portland in our limited time trip.

You're suppose to know exact amounts you're declaring or bringing with you.

Uncertain amounts bring you inside.

[SolidPenguin]

Lol had that entire series recorded on PVR today...

Really great stuff, especially the YVR scenes of Chinese students trying to bring in chicken feet and other raw meat. One kid tried to throw away his meat items from his baggage but CBSA sees him, tells him to pick it up from the garbage bin, then charges him an $800 fine.

Epic shit. Although you do see the border agents let quite a bit of people through in a nicer manner, like the Filipino who didn't have to pay his $800 food fine, albeit for the confiscation of his cigarette cartons.

Yup, just be straight forward.

At least if you declare your stuff, at most is they take away whats prohibited, then you only lose some money from your items cause you didnt follow the law. If you get caught and didnt declare, you get your stuff taken away and a pretty hefty fine on top of that and maybe even get prosecuted.

Same idea as just jumping on the sky train without a ticket, but on an international level.

[Hehe]

Some of these people are just plain stupid.

I can understand trying to pass something worth $100 for something like $85, but declaring hundreds on something worth tens of thousands?!?! :fuckthatshit:

I always declare full amount, down to the pennies, and most often the border officer just wave me through. I have had occasions that I was about $1200 over my limit, and still just went through.

[Tim Budong]

It really is common sense, the examples from the article are pretty stupid examples

My rule of thumb is to always give the officer the amount to the penny
and when I hand over the passports, I make sure that the invoices are folded into the passport and when I give it to him, I remove the invoices and hand the passport over to him

regardless, the secondary searches can happen randomly as well
which is why I stated above to have a CLEAN TRUNK just in case.

[Gumby]

Don't forget - if you get caught once, your future border crossings won't be fun either!

[Gh0stRider]

It really is common sense, the examples from the article are pretty stupid examples

My rule of thumb is to always give the officer the amount to the penny
and when I hand over the passports, I make sure that the invoices are folded into the passport and when I give it to him, I remove the invoices and hand the passport over to him

regardless, the secondary searches can happen randomly as well
which is why I stated above to have a CLEAN TRUNK just in case.

ya, i do the same. clean everything thing out of the car that i don't need on my trip down.


those idiots should at least remove the price tag from the merchandise. thats what the highway rest areas are for :badpokerface:

[gdoh]

Found this article today.



Did you really think the border guard wouldn't be suspicious when you declare a $27,000 car as only $2700?? :fulloffuck:

:derp:

[fliptuner]

ya, i do the same. clean everything thing out of the car that i don't need on my trip down.


those idiots should at least remove the price tag from the merchandise. thats what the highway rest areas are for :badpokerface:

Yeah. If I'm in Rmd or Surrey and have my passport with me and I'm driving my work truck, I won't even bother going across for fuel cause I don't want to get hassled for the tools in the back, even though they're obviously used.

Honestly at the border goes a long way. It's amazing how people think it's their right to fly/drive through international borders, without being questioned/scrutinized.

I never gave much thought to people coming here to work illegally, til I saw how many people they send back on Border Security. Like, they applied for a work visa, got declined and came anyways....uhhh don't they think that information's on file?

[jackmeister]

They should just have only female border agents from now on :fullofwin:

[Tim Budong]

RS is hitting jackpot the past two days
This thread and the Translink Compass card thread


...idiots

[BMW M5]

U declare everything and they still treat u like criminals. Innocent until proven gruilty rules dont apply to the cbsa agents when treating ppl. Bunch of assholes.

[Ronin]

U declare everything and they still treat u like criminals. Innocent until proven gruilty rules dont apply to the cbsa agents when treating ppl. Bunch of assholes.

That's my way of thinking about it and why I don't feel bad about lying. Border cops are such dicks so I don't feel like helping them out. Fuck 'em.

Don't forget - if you get caught once, your future border crossings won't be fun either!

Not true.

All you gotta ask yourself is...do you feel lucky? Punk?

[zx7rrrr]

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/media/release-communique/photo/2012-12-17c-lg.jpg

dammm...

[Tim Budong]

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/media/release-communique/photo/2012-12-17c-lg.jpg

dammm...

http://karmajello.com/postcont/2012/09/Kumar-Weed-Dream-on-the-Pond.gif

[vafanculo]

That tall asian officer had to go through my bags after customs waived me into a secondary inspection at YVR.

Picked everything apart, piece by piece, making small talk, etc. I declared everything so I was good to go lol
Posted via RS Mobile

[snails]

went bmx-ing like 5 years ago with a few friends in Renton, we rented out the skate park there "skatebarn" just for ourselves, going over, no problem, coming back, they wanted to take my bike because it looked new, my friends all beat the shit out of their bikes, i was the only one to clean and take car of mine and not fall all the time so they were convinced that my bike was new or at least frame, i had to look through my phone for old pics to show them it was previously owned, it was a huge mess and i was like 16

[unit]

Some of these people are just plain stupid.

I can understand trying to pass something worth $100 for something like $85

i cant understand that at all. why lie about something small? if you're going to lie about it i suppose it would have to be "worth it".
in any case, im always honest, i dont count to the dollar but a close estimate. never been pulled over since i was a teenager.

[Ronin]

I'm always curious how they prove it? No receipts, price tags, boxes, whatever...how can they just say "something looks new"? That's like the police saying "that guys looks guilty".

[snails]

I'm always curious how they prove it? No receipts, price tags, boxes, whatever...how can they just say "something looks new"? That's like the police saying "that guys looks guilty".


then everyone will ditch receipts and tear tags off haha
but yeah i get ur point, boarder security can get away with alot, friends seats got cut open cuz they smelled pot, didnt find anything, and they send him on his way with cut up seats to his car..

[twitchyzero]

I'm always curious how they prove it? No receipts, price tags, boxes, whatever...how can they just say "something looks new"? That's like the police saying "that guys looks guilty".

If your merchandise looks spanking new and there's no labels with french on it...chances are they'll suspect you are bringing goods back.

[Hondaracer]

I'm always curious how they prove it? No receipts, price tags, boxes, whatever...how can they just say "something looks new"? That's like the police saying "that guys looks guilty".

i knew of a group full of people that went down to the states for like 9 hours then came back across the border, was your typical group of asian chicks rocking all designer purses, nice shoes etc driving parents Lexus

they got pulled over for secondary and the inspectors found other pairs of shoes, clothes, etc. in the back. They had all gone out of the way to dispose of receipts, tags, etc and put it all in bags but the inspectors knew it was obviously bullshit, so the guy comes in and asks a few times about the stuff, says he knows they are lieing etc

they all say no, it's all from before yadyayaya

he comes back saying "ok now that we've analyzed the bar codes on the items we know these were all purchased in the states"

they fucking buckled and paid like 6k in fines! hahahahha

[Hondaracer]

Also to save yourself time if your travelling in multiple cars make sure no one is bullshiting about your doing for no reason

When me and some friends went to Arizona to go golfing we took seperate vehicles and were about 30 minutes apart in crossing, the other friends had gone before us and it was only 2 of them in their vehicle and 3 of us in ours

When we pulled up we said we were going golfing with some guys who had gone ahead of us already, he goes on to say "Oh yea, those three guys right?"

us: "ahh no, only 2 of them?"

Agent: "you sure? pretty sure it was 3 of them heading to Seatac..."

us: "yea.. only 2...."

Agent: "ok have a good day"

the second you cross info you just cost yourself a delay

[stewie]

i cant understand that at all. why lie about something small? if you're going to lie about it i suppose it would have to be "worth it".
in any case, im always honest, i dont count to the dollar but a close estimate. never been pulled over since i was a teenager.

was returning home last year from some christmas shopping with my mom and aunt and cousin. the total value was 730 some odd dollars, and at the border i said under 750...the bitch made me pull over and lectured me about declaring the exact ammount and if i was 1$ over what i declared it would mean my truck would be seized and bla bla bla...bitch..

[nns]

Since you guys are talking about the show,
Border Security: Canada's Front Line - YouTube

So many butthurt people making comments on that video.

[Ronin]

i knew of a group full of people that went down to the states for like 9 hours then came back across the border, was your typical group of asian chicks rocking all designer purses, nice shoes etc driving parents Lexus

they got pulled over for secondary and the inspectors found other pairs of shoes, clothes, etc. in the back. They had all gone out of the way to dispose of receipts, tags, etc and put it all in bags but the inspectors knew it was obviously bullshit, so the guy comes in and asks a few times about the stuff, says he knows they are lieing etc

they all say no, it's all from before yadyayaya

he comes back saying "ok now that we've analyzed the bar codes on the items we know these were all purchased in the states"

they fucking buckled and paid like 6k in fines! hahahahha

First thing I'd do is turn on my phone's sound recorder.

"Oh, you analyzed the bar codes? You mean the UPC codes that are identical for every identical product in existence? Or did you mean the serial number because there isn't a chance in hell any manufacturer would 1.) have that information readily available to some border cop immediately after purchase or 2.) want to raise privacy concerns about their company over some border cop...OR did you mean the manufacturer date codes which would logically have to be before TODAY."

C'mon.

[Great68]

The notion that the border guards can tear your car apart at will, and just send you on your way with no repercussions if they find nothing doesn't sit well with me.

I just avoid travelling to the states as much as possible. I have no real personal desire to go there.

[GabAlmighty]

I usually don't declare unless I have 5 truck tires in the back of a small/bobbed toyota pick up... Kinda hard to hide those.

[InvisibleSoul]

I'm always curious how they prove it? No receipts, price tags, boxes, whatever...how can they just say "something looks new"? That's like the police saying "that guys looks guilty".

Honestly, in this case, it really basically is that you're guilty until proven innocent.

If you have items of value, especially electronics, you can register them prior to entering the States so that there is a record of it... but obviously this doesn't make sense for other items like clothing.

[Phil@rise]

They can seize your belongings that they deem suspiciously new looking and let you go to claim them at a later date with proof of prior ownership. Providing you cant prove while in their custody.

[1exotic]

I made a derp mistake before of just printing one receipt out of 2 on a set of rims I bought, didn't think it'd be a big deal. It was basically half the value. Long story short they found the actual amount on my phone and online. It was a level one offence, which means everytime you cross by land past Canada Customs you get questioned/searched for 7 years.

The 2nd time you get caught you can face possible criminal charges.

Learned my lesson. Don't undervalue your stuff, such a huge hassle...

[Happy]

First thing I'd do is turn on my phone's sound recorder.


Wait.. I thought we weren't allowed to record our encounters with border patrol agents?

[bensta]

the 1 thing that pisses me off is the inconsistency of them charging you for duty/tax

i understand every purchase, legally should be taxed.. thats all good and i understand that.

one time my roomate brought 2 tires worth 250$ back, declared real amount.. didnt get charged a cent in duty, meanwhile i brought back a camera lens and a intake worth 190$ and i got hit with duty.

[Ronin]

Wait.. I thought we weren't allowed to record our encounters with border patrol agents?

You're also not allowed to lie at the border.

Is that true? Seems silly to say they can tear my car apart but I can't record them doing it.

[SoulCrusher]

^ its obviously to the discretion of the officer. If they tax everyone according to the rules, CBSA would be shifting its focus from drugs and weapons to collecting tax. And no one wants that. If your so bothered by the 'inconsistency' tell the officer you would like to pay tax voluntarily. They won't and can't refuse you.
Posted via RS Mobile

[syee]

the 1 thing that pisses me off is the inconsistency of them charging you for duty/tax

i understand every purchase, legally should be taxed.. thats all good and i understand that.

one time my roomate brought 2 tires worth 250$ back, declared real amount.. didnt get charged a cent in duty, meanwhile i brought back a camera lens and a intake worth 190$ and i got hit with duty.

It's also entirely possible that the tires were made in Canada, USA or Mexico and thus aren't subject to duty (because of NAFTA) while your lens was made in Japan or somewhere outside those 3 countries and subject to duties. There might be a reason to what you may think is inconsistent.

[inv4zn]

the 1 thing that pisses me off is the inconsistency of them charging you for duty/tax

i understand every purchase, legally should be taxed.. thats all good and i understand that.

one time my roomate brought 2 tires worth 250$ back, declared real amount.. didnt get charged a cent in duty, meanwhile i brought back a camera lens and a intake worth 190$ and i got hit with duty.

^ its obviously to the discretion of the officer. If they tax everyone according to the rules, CBSA would be shifting its focus from drugs and weapons to collecting tax. And no one wants that. If your so bothered by the 'inconsistency' tell the officer you would like to pay tax voluntarily. They won't and can't refuse you.
Posted via RS Mobile

It's not inconsistency and border agent's can't just choose how much to tax you.

There is a huge list of how much duty is charged to what sort of good and what classification it falls under. Where it was made is also huge, as mentioned, due to free trade agreements.

Here's a chart:
Canada Customs Duty Rates, Tariffs and Taxes | Cross Border Shopping - Deals, Sales and Coupons for Canadians (http://www.crossbordershopping.ca/duty-tax-import-guide/canada-customs-duty-rates-tariffs-and-taxes)

[Ronin]

Camera equipment is all duty free, BTW. Not tax free but duty free.

[k3mps]

I went to the states last week with 5 people in my car.
Crossing the border back in, she asked me how much we spent.
I said "around $300-350". (truth)
She said "between all of you??"
I said yes.
Then she chuckled and said "wow that shopping trip sucked"

:okay:

[ruthless]

Wait.. I thought we weren't allowed to record our encounters with border patrol agents?

You're also not allowed to lie at the border.

Is that true? Seems silly to say they can tear my car apart but I can't record them doing it.

You're not, one of the first things they do when you get referred in is take your phone, or tell you to keep it in your pocket.

[twitchyzero]

The notion that the border guards can tear your car apart at will, and just send you on your way with no repercussions if they find nothing doesn't sit well with me.

I just avoid travelling to the states as much as possible. I have no real personal desire to go there.
most of the complaints are towards duties/taxes coming back...which is under Canadian authority

[SoulCrusher]

The 2nd time you get caught you can face possible criminal charges.
Learned my lesson. Don't undervalue your stuff, such a huge hassle...

Bullshit. A second/subsequent customs infraction will lead to a high percentage if penalty associated to the terms or release of your goods. So it'llbe at least 50%. Also the 7 year term also starts over. These ssecondary examinations are for land and airports.

Criminal charges will result if you grossly undervalue your goods or if drugs and or weapons are involved.
Posted via RS Mobile

[b0unce. [?]]

Haven't you people heard of credit cards? $4k in cash? Why?

Also, follow these steps.

1. Answer in as few words as possible.
2. Look them in the face.

Where am I from? Richmond. How long was I down there? Two days. What was I doing? Vacation.

Agreed. Just answer politely and straight forward. I haven't been searched before.

[SoulCrusher]

but yeah i get ur point, boarder security can get away with alot, friends seats got cut open cuz they smelled pot, didnt find anything, and they send him on his way with cut up seats to his car..

There is a process for a damage complaint. Its fairly simple and straight forward. I'm sure your friend inquired about it. What was the response? Are you sure we're getting the full story here?

No offense but generally speaking when I hear "it happened to a friend" I always question the credibility and genuineness of the story.
Posted via RS Mobile

[Tim Budong]

i;ve only heard of horror stories of shit getting ripped apart
in the events that my vehicle was searched, nothing was shredded...
I believe its an extreme case...

[noclue]

Anyone know where you can watch the border security canada show online?

youtube is all Australian or USA

[MG1]

Wait.. I thought we weren't allowed to record our encounters with border patrol agents?

I have a dashcam and it records everything. Never thought of it as a big deal.


EDIT: nvm....... recording them taking your car apart is a no no. I get it.

[Vege]

I've never had issues with Canada or US Customs at the border and I cross everyweek to either get gas, groceries or to pick up parcels. Just be polite, have all your documentation ready and answer any questions truthfully. If you have nothing to hide, there is nothing to be scared of.

I've only been pulled in once as Canada Customs didn't believe I stayed 2 days in Portland for Black Friday. Once I showed them my hotel bookings, they let me go on my way.

It's exactly the same as when you travel to another country. Don't act like an ass to their custom officers and usually there isn't a problem.

[SoulCrusher]

The show will be airing on GlobalTV in the next week or two. That might make it more accessible online - likely thru the global website.

Anyone know where you can watch the border security canada show online?

youtube is all Australian or USA
Posted via RS Mobile

[Hehe]

i cant understand that at all. why lie about something small? if you're going to lie about it i suppose it would have to be "worth it".
in any case, im always honest, i dont count to the dollar but a close estimate. never been pulled over since i was a teenager.

I'm saying that if they are going to under-declare, at least make something believable.

Declaring something at 1/10 or even 1/100th of its value isn't going to fly.

[InvisibleSoul]

the 1 thing that pisses me off is the inconsistency of them charging you for duty/tax

i understand every purchase, legally should be taxed.. thats all good and i understand that.

one time my roomate brought 2 tires worth 250$ back, declared real amount.. didnt get charged a cent in duty, meanwhile i brought back a camera lens and a intake worth 190$ and i got hit with duty.

You're looking at it the wrong way.

If you understand that every purchase is subject to customs, then you should look at the times where you DON'T get pulled in to pay customs as a bonus.

[gdoh]

so far I have not been hit with duty and yesterday I brought back a motorcycle worth $690 declared it for full amount and was on my way back home. I usually only bring back $200 worth of goods that I pick up from my mailbox and i'm there and back within 20 mins. I think as long as you give them straight answers you will be good.

on the way there yesterday I did get a dick officer who was harassing everyone. when it was my turn i was told to turn off my car and asked stupid questions like "why do you have a mailbox in the states :derp:" then he asked my friend and I what we do for a living as soon as my buddy said he worked for customs we were on our way lol

[Gumby]

Despite having nothing to hide and a clean record, I always get stressed out when crossing the border into the States.

The last time I went, after asking me where I was going, the officer asked "Why?" to all of my responses - at least 5-6 times! It was starting to get uncomfortable to say the least.

Then my 4 yr old, sitting in the back (with the window down of course) spoke out, "Why so many whys?"

The officer laughed and said, "Because that's my job!" Then he sent us on our way.

In hindsight, it was a pretty ballsy thing for my son to do, but it did ease the tension I was experiencing.

Edit: Oops, realized this thread is talking about coming back into Canada, and not going into US...

[nns]

Your son is funny.
Posted via RS Mobile

[Hondaracer]

I remember one time I went across the border with a buddy who always talks out of his ass speaking to cops etc and surprisingly enough has talked his way out of tickets and things in the past, we had no reason to lie at all but of course he has to go ahead and make some story up about going shopping etc to the border agent ending in the line

"Oh you know, we're just gonna go blow the day away"

Yeaaaaaa... U can pull over to the side
Posted via RS Mobile

[Vansterdam]

what happens if I purchase something over 1000$ and ship it to my friend in the states and get them to drive it over here to Canada for me ? Would they have to declare still?
Posted via RS Mobile

[ruthless]

what happens if I purchase something over 1000$ and ship it to my friend in the states and get them to drive it over here to Canada for me ? Would they have to declare still?
Posted via RS Mobile

Yes, and they would still have to pay 12% HST on it even though they live in the states.

[some_punk]

so far I have not been hit with duty and yesterday I brought back a motorcycle worth $690 declared it for full amount and was on my way back home. I usually only bring back $200 worth of goods that I pick up from my mailbox and i'm there and back within 20 mins. I think as long as you give them straight answers you will be good.

on the way there yesterday I did get a dick officer who was harassing everyone. when it was my turn i was told to turn off my car and asked stupid questions like "why do you have a mailbox in the states :derp:" then he asked my friend and I what we do for a living as soon as my buddy said he worked for customs we were on our way lol

Motorcycles are duty free even if it is made with a vin that doesnt begin with a 1,2,3,4, or 5

[TheKingdom2000]

Some of you make it sound like duty and taxes are the same thing, they are not.

When you bring an item back into Canada you are subject to duty and taxes. Now, if that item is made in the USA, under NAFTA that item is duty free, but still taxable.

ie. You go to premium outlets and buy $150 of clothes. Presuming all of the clothes are made in China you are subject to pay duty and taxes on the $150, which would be a shit load. But, generally you only pay taxes and they rarely charge you duty.

Just a FYI.

[bensta]

whos down to try this?

Checkpoint Soulwinning Demonstration Video - YouTube

[kkttsang]

Some of you make it sound like duty and taxes are the same thing, they are not.

When you bring an item back into Canada you are subject to duty and taxes. Now, if that item is made in the USA, under NAFTA that item is duty free, but still taxable.

ie. You go to premium outlets and buy $150 of clothes. Presuming all of the clothes are made in China you are subject to pay duty and taxes on the $150, which would be a shit load. But, generally you only pay taxes and they rarely charge you duty.

Just a FYI.

so essentially you will have to pay tax in the states, then our HST tax and duty? or do they refund you the US tax and just charge you canadian tax?

[TheKingdom2000]

so essentially you will have to pay tax in the states, then our HST tax and duty? or do they refund you the US tax and just charge you canadian tax?

Correct. You can potentially be dinged three times: US tax, CAD tax, then CAD duty. But, I have only seen/heard of one person getting charged duty and tax. It was a girl in front of me at point roberts who bought really expensive heels ($300). She was charged tax and duty by a rookie CBSA as he was following the book.

CBSA will not refund you any tax you pay in the USA.
You can only get a refund for CAD tax/duty if you own a business.

[SoulCrusher]

... or duties and taxes are collected in lieu of a seizure. Was there a story with this girl who was charged D+Ts?
Posted via RS Mobile

[TheKingdom2000]

... or duties and taxes are collected in lieu of a seizure. Was there a story with this girl who was charged D+Ts?
Posted via RS Mobile

Story as in a news story?
If so, no.

It was just a personal account.

I was picking up stuff at Point Roberts and got sent in to pay taxes. The girl was next to me so I could hear the entire conversation, she got a rookie CBSA agent and he asked her what she bought (and as far as I could tell she was just sent in to pay taxes as well, just like me). She said heels for a friends wedding. The CBSA agent looked at the heels and they were made in China I think or somewhere other than USA/Cad, I can't recall. The border guard then told her about NAFTA and that these heels were subject to duty and he wrote her up to pay duties and taxes. She was choked. He then instructed her she would either pay the duty and taxes or declare she was going to abandon the item. She ended up just paying both.

I got this chubby asian guy and after some time he went over to see what was going on because the girl was making a scene. I heard him tell the rookie guy that they don't normally charge people duty and the rookie told him, but i'm just following procedure and then the asian CBSA agent was like err, okay.

I was then worried I would be charged duty as well... Luckily I wasn't.

[Hehe]

Correct. You can potentially be dinged three times: US tax, CAD tax, then CAD duty.

It's not just these, the declared value for CAD tax supposed to be the total COST; meaning the exact amount you paid to get the good in your hand.

My friend got dinged once for some heavy used equipment he had it shipped to near border. It was a only about 2k worth, but the shipping was a few hundred bucks due to size/weight. And as the shipping charge showed on the receipt, he was charged CDN tax on the total: value+US tax+shipping.

[JunFan]

It's not just these, the declared value for CAD tax supposed to be the total COST; meaning the exact amount you paid to get the good in your hand.

My friend got dinged once for some heavy used equipment he had it shipped to near border. It was a only about 2k worth, but the shipping was a few hundred bucks due to size/weight. And as the shipping charge showed on the receipt, he was charged CDN tax on the total: value+US tax+shipping.

Your friend got screwed. They are not supposed to include the shipping charge on the receipt. The lady at the cash register told me it is only the value of the goods, and do not include the shipping price.

[TheKingdom2000]

the reason your friend was probably charged tax on the shipping was because he probably declared the total amount, shipping included.
cbsa agents are lazy, they probably just invoiced him based on the slip he was given and didn't check to receipts.

they are not going to intentionally charge you on the shipping. Some agents might be dicks, but they aren't going to intentionally screw you over.
Posted via RS Mobile

[finbar]

the reason your friend was probably charged tax on the shipping was because he probably declared the total amount, shipping included.
cbsa agents are lazy, they probably just invoiced him based on the slip he was given and didn't check to receipts.

they are not going to intentionally charge you on the shipping. Some agents might be dicks, but they aren't going to intentionally screw you over.
Posted via RS Mobile

CBSA has training issues.
I imported a used car a few years ago, Pacific truck crossing.
The officer was incompetent, several 'phone calls were required to figure out the deal. After all that it was still wrong.
I got it straightened out at the bonding warehouse in Burnaby with a different officer. This saved me $$$.
It all depends on the individual you get.

[gdoh]

Motorcycles are duty free even if it is made with a vin that doesnt begin with a 1,2,3,4, or 5 sorry i meant motorcycle helmet

[MR_BIGGS]

Some people will go to great lengths to save a couple bucks. I know someone who bought four tires and had them shipped to Blaine Enterprise. He went over four different times to get groceries and fuel up. He brought back one tire at a time in his spare tire compartment. Only once did the border guard pull him to the side. When they asked why he had a new tire as a spare, his response was, "I don't like the dinky little spare tire" and he was on his way. He did end up saving hundreds as oppose to a couple bucks for the tires by doing this.

[GLOW]

asked stupid questions like "why do you have a mailbox in the states :derp:"

i've been asked that question before. i just tell them i get much better deals on amazon.com vs .ca and it's free shipping within the US.

[Ronin]

Some people will go to great lengths to save a couple bucks. I know someone who bought four tires and had them shipped to Blaine Enterprise. He went over four different times to get groceries and fuel up. He brought back one tire at a time in his spare tire compartment. Only once did the border guard pull him to the side. When they asked why he had a new tire as a spare, his response was, "I don't like the dinky little spare tire" and he was on his way. He did end up saving hundreds as oppose to a couple bucks for the tires by doing this.

LOL well, 20 minute drive x both ways x 4...that's not too bad if you had time to plan it out and didn't need the tires immediately.

[calcalvinlee]

Some people will go to great lengths to save a couple bucks. I know someone who bought four tires and had them shipped to Blaine Enterprise. He went over four different times to get groceries and fuel up. He brought back one tire at a time in his spare tire compartment. Only once did the border guard pull him to the side. When they asked why he had a new tire as a spare, his response was, "I don't like the dinky little spare tire" and he was on his way. He did end up saving hundreds as oppose to a couple bucks for the tires by doing this.


That is actually a great idea. Given the low cost fees for holding it at TLC or whatever at PR. Thanks for the idea :considered:

[Gumby]

That is actually a great idea. Given the low cost fees for holding it at TLC or whatever at PR. Thanks for the idea :considered:
Just hope no CBSA officers are reading this thread! :troll:

[InvisibleSoul]

It's not just these, the declared value for CAD tax supposed to be the total COST; meaning the exact amount you paid to get the good in your hand.

My friend got dinged once for some heavy used equipment he had it shipped to near border. It was a only about 2k worth, but the shipping was a few hundred bucks due to size/weight. And as the shipping charge showed on the receipt, he was charged CDN tax on the total: value+US tax+shipping.

Your friend got screwed. They are not supposed to include the shipping charge on the receipt. The lady at the cash register told me it is only the value of the goods, and do not include the shipping price.

An older border agent told me the same thing as Hehe. Technically it's the cost to acquire the goods, which includes shipping. However, almost none of the border agents actually do this though.

[Hehe]

An older border agent told me the same thing as Hehe. Technically it's the cost to acquire the goods, which includes shipping. However, almost none of the border agents actually do this though.

Exactly. It's more about the technicality of the definition. My friend needed proof of custom clearance. So, he just went in with the sales bill, which showed both the shipping and value, and got charged for the total amount.

The same friend who got dinged told me, he now just have them billed him separately. One for goods and another for shipping charges, and never had any problem.

[Eff-1]

Some people will go to great lengths to save a couple bucks. I know someone who bought four tires and had them shipped to Blaine Enterprise. He went over four different times to get groceries and fuel up. He brought back one tire at a time in his spare tire compartment. Only once did the border guard pull him to the side. When they asked why he had a new tire as a spare, his response was, "I don't like the dinky little spare tire" and he was on his way. He did end up saving hundreds as oppose to a couple bucks for the tires by doing this.

That excuse should only work if the tire was mounted on a rim. Otherwise you can't really call it a spare.

[Vansterdam]

how much are you allowed to declare if your staying over in the states for over 48 hours


also how do you declare something that is used with no receipt?

if you get a really good deal on something and they don't believe the value you declare is there anything you can do

[InvisibleSoul]

how much are you allowed to declare if your staying over in the states for over 48 hours


also how do you declare something that is used with no receipt?

if you get a really good deal on something and they don't believe the value you declare is there anything you can do

Residents Returning to Canada (http://www.cbsa.gc.ca/travel-voyage/ifcrc-rpcrc-eng.html)

48 hours or more: up to CAN$800

May include alcohol and tobacco products, within the prescribed limits set by provincial or territorial authorities. Goods must be in your possession at time of entry to Canada. Travellers absent for periods of 48 hours or more will have the applicable exemption level credited against the total value of goods.

If you have no receipt, they are supposed to go by fair market value.

[Eff-1]

also how do you declare something that is used with no receipt?

if you get a really good deal on something and they don't believe the value you declare is there anything you can do

Print out the ad (craigslist or whatever). Up to you to figure out something. If they don't believe you they may actually phone the seller to confirm the selling price.

[ruthless]

how much are you allowed to declare if your staying over in the states for over 48 hours


also how do you declare something that is used with no receipt?

if you get a really good deal on something and they don't believe the value you declare is there anything you can do

Like stated above after an absence of 48 hours you are entitled to an $800.00 exemption. As well as a limited alcohol and tobacco exemption.
You are allowed to import only one of the following amounts of alcohol free of duty and taxes:

1.5 litres (53 imperial ounces) of wine;
a total of 1.14 litres (40 ounces) of alcoholic beverages; or
up to a maximum of 8.5 litres of beer or ale.

You should be able to create a bill of sale with the sellers info/contact info on it and a description of the item, with both parties signatures.