# Did you pay duty at the border?



## dijon45 (Oct 4, 2007)

Hey guys, 

I'm just new to this site today and didn't really have much time to look around. Tomorrow i am planning to head over to Walden Galleria in Buffalo to get an iPhone. This may be a dumb post but i was wondering how many of you had to pay duty on it on your way back into Canada. Or did you just some how smuggle it back in. Anyways I'm hoping to get the version 1.0.2. so i can do some unlocking. Wish me luck guys. Thanks!!


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## n0c7 (Mar 8, 2006)

I read in the paper yesterday that we do not have to pay duty on cell phones, amongst quite a few other things that people don't know about. I don't have any references, but the article mentioned looking at the Canada Customs website.


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## DrewNL (May 23, 2005)

Canadians Returning to Canada
After an absence of 24 hours or more, You can claim goods (except tobacco & alcohol) with a total value of $50. If you are over, you must pay duty on the full amount, and cannot claim this exemption. After an absence of 48 hours or more
You can claim goods for a total value of $200. Only the portion over this limit is dutiable. After an absence of 7 days or more, You can claim an exemption for $500. Only the portion over this limit is dutiable. 


I had this information taken down. I cannot recall which corner of the Canadian government sites I got it from, but its the guide I've been using. Aside from that, I doubt it'll come up if you don't mention it....not that I am telling you to evade taxes....


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## Crewser (Jun 12, 2007)

DrewNL said:


> I had this information taken down. I cannot recall which corner of the Canadian government sites I got it from, but its the guide I've been using. Aside from that, I doubt it'll come up if you don't mention it....not that I am telling you to evade taxes....


It is likely the Canada Border Service Agency. It seems just a short while ago it was Canada Customs and Revenue. BSF5056 I Declare

Interesting information in there. For those not declaring an item and they find it, the penalty can be loss of item and you are registered in the system, or a penalty of 25% to 80% of the value of the items. If you get registersted in the system for an infraction record, you may have to undergo a more detailed examination on future trips.

Steve


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## dijon45 (Oct 4, 2007)

Oh yeah. I remember that i read that article. Sorry about that guys.


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## DS (Oct 7, 2004)

I declared and paid taxes. The guy was a total jackass, had my car searched too.

Oh, and I got 1.0.2. If you drive down there, check the serial 4th and 5th digits and make sure they are 38 or less.


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## dijon45 (Oct 4, 2007)

So if I get one and it says Week 39 then I shouldn't bother with it? If that is so maybe i'll just have to go with the iPod Touch.


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## rgray (Feb 15, 2005)

DrewNL said:


> After an absence of 48 hours or more
> You can claim goods for a total value of $200. Only the portion over this limit is dutiable. After an absence of 7 days or more, You can claim an exemption for $500. Only the portion over this limit is dutiable.


This info is out of date. The values are now $400 and $750 respectively. There are certain subtleties to this, so take a look at "I Declare" (pg 17-18 for exemptions). The individual officer has a certain amount of discretion.



Crewser said:


> Interesting information in there. For those not declaring an item and they find it, the penalty can be loss of item and you are registered in the system, or a penalty of 25% to 80% of the value of the items. If you get registersted in the system for an infraction record, you may have to undergo a more detailed examination on future trips.


Not declaring is _prima facea_ smuggling. Penalties *can* include confiscation of the vehicle used and jail. The 25-80% values give above are minimums. Smuggling is just plain stupid.



DS said:


> The guy was a total jackass, had my car searched too.


Actually the guy *was doing his job* - and it is worth noting that customs is beginning to deploy better trained officers. If you declared and he still had you searched, it is because he read some behavioural cue off you that sent up a red flag in his head.


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## T-hill (May 18, 2005)

DrewNL said:


> Canadians Returning to Canada
> After an absence of 24 hours or more, You can claim goods (except tobacco & alcohol) with a total value of $50. If you are over, you must pay duty on the full amount, and cannot claim this exemption. After an absence of 48 hours or more
> You can claim goods for a total value of $200. Only the portion over this limit is dutiable. After an absence of 7 days or more, You can claim an exemption for $500. Only the portion over this limit is dutiable.
> 
> ...


You should copy it down again. Exemptions went up. 24 hours is still $50...

48 hours is now $400 and 7 days is now $750.

And according to that article, anything made in USA, Mexico, Chile and Costa Rica (countries we have free trade agreements with... Why didn't they include Israel in the article? Isn't there a CIFTA?) are duty-free. And cell phones are also listed as duty-free, no matter where they're from.

Yeah yeah... I'm still waiting to hear if they'll sign with Cellcom, Pelephone or Orange!


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## AdamS (Jun 7, 2005)

I guess I got lucky, but my return to Canada went something like this:

Customs girl: "Anything to declare today?"
Friend: "We got iPhones."
Customs girl: "Oh, just one each?"
Friend: "Two each."
Customs girl: "Total declared value?"
Friend: "$867 each"
Customs girl: "Did you get one for me?" *smiling* "Have a good day!"


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## (( p g )) (Aug 17, 2002)

If you ask me, it's never worth the risk of trying to smuggle something back across the border. If your stay is under 48 hours in the U.S., then your iPhone purchase will cost you about $60CDN in taxes at the border if you declare it.

If, on the other hand, you opt to take a chance and not declare that purchase for a trip under 48 hours, your iPhone is gone, you pay a penalty and likely wind up with a flag on your file with Customs, ensuring that you'll be treated similarly the next time you cross the border coming home from a shopping trip. All for the want of sixty bucks.

As an aside, I have always thought that the contrasts between Canadian and US border officials is quite telling of the priorities of our two societies. 

The American Customs officer's number-one concern is "are you a threat to my country?" The Canadian Customs officer's concern, on the other hand, is "what do you have that my government can tax?"


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## powz (Apr 25, 2007)

FYI, here's the Oct. 1 Toronto Star article people seem to be referring to:

http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/262161


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## G-Mo (Sep 26, 2007)

powz said:


> FYI, here's the Oct. 1 Toronto Star article people seem to be referring to:
> 
> TheStar.com | Canada | Cross-border shoppers can save on duty


Note from that, you don't have to pay customs, but you DO have to pay Canadian taxes.

On the flip side, you should be able to apply for the US taxes back that you paid when you bought the phone - if you can be bothered!!?


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## miguelsanchez (Feb 1, 2005)

Go here:

Customs Tariff

Scroll down to "Most Recent 2007 Customs Tariff"

Download the 9Mb file. 

Open it in Preview, and search for the item that you want to import. You will find duty information and harmonised codes for just about every item under the sun, from Live Animals to Works of Art.

You can also go to this page to download individual chapters.

This is a handy resource for ebayers too.

Good luck!

P.S. Note how many things are duty-free. Also anything manufactured in Mexico or the U.S. is duty-free. You still have to pay GST and PST though.


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## DS (Oct 7, 2004)

rgray said:


> Actually the guy *was doing his job* - and it is worth noting that customs is beginning to deploy better trained officers. If you declared and he still had you searched, it is because he read some behavioural cue off you that sent up a red flag in his head.


Well obviously he was totally wrong, I don't know what code he wrote on the form or whatever, but the guys who did the search were entirely surprised they didn't find anything in my car. I've never ever been searched by Canadian customs, driving across nor in the airport. This applies to all situations too, nothing to declare, probably should have declared, and did declare. The guy didn't even ask to see my passport to see who I was, he just filled out a form and sent me straight to the side, and was quite rude while doing it.

I went in, paid, and then was searched. It wasn't just me, it was a car full of mid-20's behind me, and other younger looking people that were in front of me. All of who went through this one guy. I have just never had such attitude from any customs agent, ever.


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## (( p g )) (Aug 17, 2002)

DS said:


> All of who went through this one guy. I have just never had such attitude from any customs agent, ever.


Yep. I've encountered similar attitudes. Most are just folks doing their jobs. But some give the distinct impression that they behave as they do simply because *they can.*


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## EvanPitts (Mar 9, 2007)

A number of items in the Tarriff book are entirely duty free, as we are a part of NAFTA. Perhaps you should declare the iPhone as "Amature Radio Equipment", which has been duty free for the past fifteen years. I brought over quite a number of items as "Ham Radio Equipment", and there is not much they will dispute if the equipment can actually be used for that purpose.

I recall that INCO brought in automated filing machines as "Mining Equipment", which saved them all of the residual tariffs. We also brought in some large vacuum pumps as "Medical Equipment - Oncological", as we did use the Accelerator for isotope production for cancer radiotherapy on occassion.

You will have to pay GST, and can actually file a claim to get a refund on the NY State tax. They may or may not ask for PST, and because Ontario is not a part of the HST plan, quite often they do not collect the PST, but instead, ask you to remit the tax to the Treasurer of Ontario.

But I really think that I'd wait the few months until the legitimate iPhone is here; it will be so much easier to deal with on a natively supported network.


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