foreigngirl

My bf is going to the UK for a week. Apparently his sister in law wants to give us lots of baby clothes. Will he need to declare this? Will he have to pay duties or are baby items exempt? Thank you.

haggis88

can they charge anything on used clothes?

would be very unfair if they did..."oh sir i see you're wearing Armani Jeans, you'll need to give us $40 in tax for those"

sassie

if they are second hand clothes then no need to declare.

foreigngirl

Even if they are classed as 'gifts' and we don't have a child yet (so they're definitely not 'goods to follow')?
Thank you.

Novocastrian

I suggest that your bf kidnaps a baby just before getting to the airport. Nobody will know and it's great cover for a suitcase full of baby clothes (soiled).

Former Lancastrian

Yes he needs to declare them as gifts.

foreigngirl

Thank you for confirming this.

Aviator

Used or new items have a value and have to be reported. Even free samples have to be reported, according to the CBSA officer I had a debate with the other day, everything has a value. My argument being, everything has a cost, it's only value is what someone is willing to give you for it. I offered to give them to him for free. I was there quite a while!

Jingsamichty

At what point does a "gift" you have received become a "personal possession"?

foreigngirl

That's a good question. I was thinking that as the clothes aren't his and as the baby isn't born yet, they're nobody's personal possessions, are they?

Aviator

Once you have imported it to where you normally reside and paid any applicable taxes and duty I guess.

Aviator

If someone walked up and took them, then there would be no problem?

Former Lancastrian

Once you have taken possession of it.
While gifts you send from outside Canada do not count as part of your personal exemption, gifts you bring back in your personal baggage do.

Jingsamichty

So you go to the UK to visit family, and they give you a nice watch (or bracelet or whatever). Let's say, value $500.

You return to Canada. You have to declare it as a gift? And pay duty on it?

Former Lancastrian

Short answer YES. You would have to pay on $440 dollars as CBSA let you have $60 as a gift allowance. If the watch is the only item you have then provided you were absent for over 48 hours then it would count towards your $800 exemption so nothing to pay however if you were bringing back $800 worth of goods plus the watch then yes you would end up paying as your value is $1300.