Alfaris

New permanent residents of Canada can fill out the form "B4 - Personal Effects Accounting Document" to import their posessions duty-free. However, on the form, they have to claim and sign the following -

"I am entering Canada with the intention of establishing, for the first time, a permanent residence for a period in excess of 12 months and I arrived in Canada on __________________ ."

Successful inland permanent residence applicants are allowed, by law, to bring in their belongings to Canada without paying duty on it. However, to do so, they must endorse this statement, which is false and misleading in their case. They are not entering Canada, but are already there. If they leave Canada and re-enter to sign the statement, they are not entering to establish permanent residence for the first time.

I suppose that the safest time to sign this statement would be right after becoming a PR. However, since they initially entered Canada as a temporary visitor, they may not have had, at that time, the intention of establishing permanent residence in Canada and so did not make a list of all the possessions left in the home country, which must be submitted along with the form. To put the list together, they may need to travel back there first.

Is this another Catch 22, imposed on us by the government bureaucracy? We can import the goods, but only if we pay with our integrity, signing a false statement? Comments, anyone?

Many thanks,

Alfaris

Stupid guy

No Shitt'in me .....!!!

Anrkist

I would highly recommend that you NOT pay duties and taxes with the intent
of later filing for a refund. The refund will takes months to receive and
there is no guarantee that you will get any refund at all. If you have made
use of the goods while in Canada, there is a good chance that you will not
get the refund.

When you land you will be directed to the nearest Customs office to process
your list of goods. Do it that way.


"Alfaris" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Thanks for the reply, Simon. This is very comforting news for me. Do
    > you have any information on how to go about reclaiming duty that was
    > already paid?
    > Many thanks,
    > Alfaris
    > Originally posted by Simon
    > > It should be irrelevant when you bring the goods in (when you 'land',
    > > before or after).
    > >
    > > I'm no expert in customs, but if they are your possessions, then you
    > > don't have to pay duty - simple as that. Unless of course it
    > > is a motor
    > > vehicle or restricted goods where completely different rulesets apply.
    > >
    > > If you have owned and used the items you wish to import, then
    > > you don't
    > > need to pay duty, although proof of purchase and date of
    > > purchase may be
    > > required.
    > >
    > > I wouldn't bother too much about that 'B4' form - simply import your
    > > goods using whatever method you want (Post, UPS, Fedex, U-Haul
    > > etc) - if
    > > they charge for duty, then pay and reclaim it later!
    > >
    > > Heres a good link with some useful information:
    > > http://www.ccra-adrc.gc.ca/customs/individuals/postal-
    > > e.html"]http://www.ccra-adrc.gc.ca/customs/individuals/postal-
    > > e.html[/url]
    > >
    > >
    > > Alfaris wrote:
    > > > New permanent residents of Canada can fill out the form "B4 -
    > > Personal
    > > > Effects Accounting Document" to import their posessions duty-
    > > free.
    > > > However, on the form, they have to claim and sign the following
    > > -
    > > >
    > > >
    > > >
    > > > "I am entering Canada with the intention of establishing, for
    > > the first
    > > > time, a permanent residence for a period in excess of 12 months
    > > and I
    > > > arrived in Canada on __________________ ."
    > > >
    > > >
    > > >
    > > > Successful inland permanent residence applicants are allowed, by
    > > law, to
    > > > bring in their belongings to Canada without paying duty on it.
    > > However,
    > > > to do so, they must endorse this statement, which is false
    > > and
    > > > misleading in their case. They are not entering Canada, but are
    > > already
    > > > there. If they leave Canada and re-enter to sign the statement,
    > > they are
    > > > not entering to establish permanent residence for the first
    > > time.
    > > >
    > > >
    > > >
    > > > I suppose that the safest time to sign this statement would be
    > > right
    > > > after becoming a PR. However, since they initially entered
    > > Canada as a
    > > > temporary visitor, they may not have had, at that time, the
    > > intention of
    > > > establishing permanent residence in Canada and so did not make a
    > > list of
    > > > all the possessions left in the home country, which must be
    > > submitted
    > > > along with the form. To put the list together, they may need to
    > > travel
    > > > back there first.
    > > >
    > > >
    > > >
    > > > Is this another Catch 22, imposed on us by the government
    > > bureaucracy?
    > > > We can import the goods, but only if we pay with our integrity,
    > > signing
    > > > a false statement? Comments, anyone?
    > > >
    > > >
    > > >
    > > > Many thanks,
    > > >
    > > >
    > > >
    > > > Alfaris
    > > >
    > > >
    > > > --
    > > Posted via http://britishexpats.com/"]http://britishexpats.-
    > com[/url]
    > --
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

Http://Www.Iamnotamerican.Com

Alfaris ([email protected]) said:

    >
    > New permanent residents of Canada can fill out the form "B4 - Personal
    > Effects Accounting Document" to import their posessions duty-free.
    > However, on the form, they have to claim and sign the following -
    > "I am entering Canada with the intention of establishing, for the first
    > time, a permanent residence for a period in excess of 12 months and I
    > arrived in Canada on __________________ ."
    >
    > Successful inland permanent residence applicants are allowed, by law, to
    > bring in their belongings to Canada without paying duty on it. However,
    > to do so, they must endorse this statement, which is false and
    > misleading in their case. They are not entering Canada, but are already
    > there. If they leave Canada and re-enter to sign the statement, they are
    > not entering to establish permanent residence for the first time.

Actually, they would be establishing permanent residence for the first
time, since they have not had permanent residence status before. They were
technically on a visitor visa.

    > I suppose that the safest time to sign this statement would be right
    > after becoming a PR. However, since they initially entered Canada as a
    > temporary visitor, they may not have had, at that time, the intention of
    > establishing permanent residence in Canada and so did not make a list of
    > all the possessions left in the home country, which must be submitted
    > along with the form. To put the list together, they may need to travel
    > back there first.

One would think that if they've been in Canada for however long it takes
to have their application processed, they would have already had - or
arranged to have - most of their goods shipped.

--
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American" T-shirts - as seen on CNN - designed and printed in Canada.
From just $15 plus postage. http://www.iamnotamerican.com .

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http://www.iamnotamerican.com

Remove second 'dot' before '.com' to reply via Email.

Simon

It should be irrelevant when you bring the goods in (when you 'land',
before or after).

I'm no expert in customs, but if they are your possessions, then you
don't have to pay duty - simple as that. Unless of course it is a motor
vehicle or restricted goods where completely different rulesets apply.

If you have owned and used the items you wish to import, then you don't
need to pay duty, although proof of purchase and date of purchase may be
required.

I wouldn't bother too much about that 'B4' form - simply import your
goods using whatever method you want (Post, UPS, Fedex, U-Haul etc) - if
they charge for duty, then pay and reclaim it later!

Heres a good link with some useful information:
http://www.ccra-adrc.gc.ca/customs/i.../postal-e.html


Alfaris wrote:
    > New permanent residents of Canada can fill out the form "B4 - Personal
    > Effects Accounting Document" to import their posessions duty-free.
    > However, on the form, they have to claim and sign the following -
    >
    >
    >
    > "I am entering Canada with the intention of establishing, for the first
    > time, a permanent residence for a period in excess of 12 months and I
    > arrived in Canada on __________________ ."
    >
    >
    >
    > Successful inland permanent residence applicants are allowed, by law, to
    > bring in their belongings to Canada without paying duty on it. However,
    > to do so, they must endorse this statement, which is false and
    > misleading in their case. They are not entering Canada, but are already
    > there. If they leave Canada and re-enter to sign the statement, they are
    > not entering to establish permanent residence for the first time.
    >
    >
    >
    > I suppose that the safest time to sign this statement would be right
    > after becoming a PR. However, since they initially entered Canada as a
    > temporary visitor, they may not have had, at that time, the intention of
    > establishing permanent residence in Canada and so did not make a list of
    > all the possessions left in the home country, which must be submitted
    > along with the form. To put the list together, they may need to travel
    > back there first.
    >
    >
    >
    > Is this another Catch 22, imposed on us by the government bureaucracy?
    > We can import the goods, but only if we pay with our integrity, signing
    > a false statement? Comments, anyone?
    >
    >
    >
    > Many thanks,
    >
    >
    >
    > Alfaris
    >
    >
    > --
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

Alfaris

Thanks for the reply, Simon. This is very comforting news for me. Do you have any information on how to go about reclaiming duty that was already paid?

Many thanks,

Alfaris

Alfaris

Anrkist, thanks for your reply. Do you know by any chance how much time I am allowed between landing and proceeding to the Customs office? Will I be able to travel back to the home country, pick up the items and then bring them to Canada and do the customs paperwork at the port of entry?

Many thanks,

Alfaris

Alfaris

Yes, they would be establishing permanent residence for the first time -- however, they are NOT entering Canada to establish permanent residence. They are already in Canada. That is why the statement is untrue, and it is not right that we have to sign it in order to import the items.

Instead of saying "one would think", I believe you should write "I think". Shipping goods is a very expensive option and the customs brokerage charges are extravagant. The brokerage charges can set you back a couple of hundreds of dollars for only a few items. It is much more economical to bring in the items yourself (if you have many) using your car or a U-HAUL.

Regards,

Alfaris