Driving Imported car across the Border
 

Will be driving my Imported car across the Border, Do i have to pay duties the same day on the Canadian side.(Seatle-Vancouver). Or can I drive car in and then get the duties paid for when am ready, the Car is Registered in my Name in the US and insured. Any advice will be appreciated..

Thanks

Re: Driving Imported car across the Border
 

http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/roadsafety/s...-index-445.htm

all you need to know there.

Re: Driving Imported car across the Border
 

Hi


Note you have to export the car from the US by sending a copy of the title 72 hours in advance to the US Customs where you will depart the US. Note they are only open M-F 8-4 http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/bas...or_vehicle.xml

Re: Driving Imported car across the Border
 

When we have imported cars we have had to pay taxes then and there.

PMM has a good point there, we have seen people turned away.

Re: Driving Imported car across the Border
 

I have done all of what is required to get the, I have the recall letter and all that is required of me. What i want to know is when I clear the US customs and get to the Canadian Bother, Will I be compelled to pay the duties there and then, considering the fact that the car has US plate and Insurance ?.

Thanks

Re: Driving Imported car across the Border
 

See my previous post, I repeat, when we have imported cars, we have had to pay the tax (duties) then and there. We have never been given the option to pay at a later date. Why not phone the border and ask?

Re: Driving Imported car across the Border
 

Thanks for your information. I will call them but my understanding is that the customs on the Canadian Side will fill out form 1 and after a week or so you will receive form 2 at which point you will then get the car inspected and pay all duties and taxes when you decide to get BC Plate. See below;

Vehicle Import Form
You will receive a Vehicle Import Form – Form 1 at the time your vehicle enters Canada. You and the CBSA must properly complete this form in order to have your vehicle licensed in Canada.

If your vehicle is eligible for importation into Canada according to both CBSA and Transport Canada requirements, you will have to pay import assessments that may include duty, excise tax and the goods and services tax (GST). Provincial or territorial sales tax may apply when you license your vehicle.

Also see below:

Generally, you do not have to pay duty on a vehicle imported for personal use that was manufactured in the United States, or Canada, or vehicles from Mexico that are of a model year 10 years of age or older (if admissible under Transport Canada's Motor Vehicle Safety Act).

Thanks

Re: Driving Imported car across the Border
 

Hi

Read the following in the statement.

Provincial or territorial sales tax may apply when you license your vehicle.

The PST and/or HST is payable to the province when you license the car, taxes and duty, IMHO are payable on the spot.

Re: Driving Imported car across the Border
 

As I understand it you have to pay import duty at the time you bring the vehicle across - we have had to pay import duty and we have done this 5 times.

What happens is you go across the border, the USA side will ask why your going across, you tell them I'm importing a car, they may ask if the paperwork was submitted 72 hours beforehand, this is so they have time to check the state the car is coming from as well as the states surrounding that state to make sure the car is not reported stolen.

You then go and collect the car. Before you cross back into Canada you go back into the US border control and sort the paperwork out there. Once you have done that you cross the border and will be directed into the Canadian side. You will then PAY. You may be asked to go into the shed if they think your receipt value is cheaper than it should be, they may want to check for contraband.

IF IN DOUBT PHONE THE PEOPLE AT THE BORDER!

Re: Driving Imported car across the Border
 

So are you saying the enquirer should contact the border authorities to check ? ;)

Re: Driving Imported car across the Border
 

Thanks Piff Poff for all your advice and response, looking at your Location (Alberta) The Law may be different to what applies in BC, I may be wrong though..

Re: Driving Imported car across the Border
 

IME, of two importing two cars on US plates, the convenient way to do it was just to drive them into Canada and to sort out the registration and whatnot later.

- I see no point in formally exporting the car from the US and, if you don't, there's no need to see US customs and no concern about timing.

- In my examples, there were no taxes or duties due on the vehicles; they had been owned in the US and just needed local plates.

- In order to be strictly kosher one should take the car to Canadian Tyre within 30 days, get the necessary bits converted and then visit Canada Customs with the forms from Canadian Tyre, they provide another set of forms which are taken to the Provincial government office where the plates are issued. The whole palaver cost about $800.

In practise, I left one car on the US plates and used it like that for a couple of years before getting around to converting it. The other continued on US plates until we parked it far from home and ran away.

Re: Driving Imported car across the Border
 

dbd33 thanks for your input, I think all i have found out so far point to what you just confirmed. What does IME stand for.

Thanks

Re: Driving Imported car across the Border
 

In my experience...

Re: Driving Imported car across the Border
 

This whole post is total crap........follow this advice and you are asking for trouble....

And yes, I have imported a vehicle also (two actually)...the right and only way...