drwoodsy

We are waiting for our passports back from London with our PR visas in them. Currently living in Vancouver on a TWP. We are probably going to visit family in LA for a few days and then land in Vancouver on the way back. The question is I have my eye on some new snowboarding gear, clothers etc. Can I bring these back through with me when I land without having to pay duty? Anyone with any experience of this?
Thanks....

dieseltank

I would love to know the answer to this too.

I'm here on a TWP and should have our PR later this year. We have already had our 'tax free' shipment that came over from the UK but this was based on our TWP. When (touch wood) we get our PR we will need to go to the US to then 'land' back in Canada.... so it would be good to know if we could combine that with some bargain tax free shopping!!

There are stacks of snowboard shops here in Vancouver, top end stuff as well as more bargain brands. We got fully kitted out when we got here (all the gear no idea) and we found that the costs were very close to the US....

MarkG

Well, the form says that the goods must have been owned, possessed and used abroad prior to your date of arrival; so I guess you'd be OK.

In practice, they didn't even want to see my goods accompanying form when I landed; and, amongst other things I had an HDTV camcorder in my carry-on bag that cost as much as a small car (OK, as much as a cheap Hyundai, but still ).

drwoodsy

True (generally favour Pacific Boarder) but some of the Burton stuff I am after is up to 20% cheaper in the US and there is a full on Burton store in LA.

Biiiiink

You'd have to have a good reason for having stuff like that in your car this time of year, wouldn't you? It'd be obvious it was new, that it hadn't been used as per CBSA's definition of "used".

The settlers' effects tariff says this:

...when persons residing in Canada
as temporary residents apply for permanent resident status
from Citizenship and Immigration Canada after their arrival
in Canada and do not return to resume residence in their
former country of domicile, only those goods which were
owned and in the possession and use of the person prior to
the date of application for permanent resident status will
qualify for free importation under the provisions of tariff
item No. 9807.00.00.

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publicati...d2-2-1-eng.pdf

Afterthought - as residents of Canada, you'd be allowed <amount> after leaving Canada for <length of time> - would you be able to use that exemption assuming you're out of Canada for long enough? I don't know if that would work.

MarkG

Ah, I missed the part about being in Canada on a TWP; so in that case it's probably not going to be possible to bring things in tax-free.

drwoodsy

As we will be flying to LA will probably bring back a few items, jackets etc. Some of the stuff is made in the US so I assume via NAFTA these would be exempt anyway?

Biiiiink

Yeh, if you've got NAFTA-made stuff and they call you in to pay, you take it in to the office and show them the label, and you only pay the sales tax(es) - no duty.

But like I said, you're residents (small r) already so surely you get an allowance? http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publicati...-eng.html#P020

drwoodsy

Thanks for the link to the allowances Biiiiink.