Locked: Looking to buy an iPad in states and drive back to Canada

KevinT277396 wrote: ↑ I see they are currently quite a bit cheaper in the states, if I spend the day in the states and buy one, then drive back to Canada, would I have to pay duty on the item?

Thanks

KevinT277396 wrote: ↑ I see they are currently quite a bit cheaper in the states, if I spend the day in the states and buy one, then drive back to Canada, would I have to pay duty on the item?

hiredmuscle wrote: ↑ Have heard of people opening it up and tossing out the boxes to avoid customs but then if something goes wrong, you can’t bring it back.

hiredmuscle wrote: ↑ Have heard of people opening it up and tossing out the boxes to avoid customs but then if something goes wrong, you can’t bring it back.

PointsHubby wrote: ↑ Lol, not only that …
But if something really goes wrong (like you get busted at Canada Customs)

Not only can you not bring back the SMUGGLED iPad
But you cannot travel back to America … like ever

And you travel anywhere else out of Canada
EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU GO THRU CANADA CUSTOMS … YOU’LL GET SENT TO SECONDARY

Soooo not worth it

hiredmuscle wrote: ↑ Have heard of people opening it up and tossing out the boxes to avoid customs but then if something goes wrong, you can’t bring it back.

virgonomic wrote: ↑ This is not completely true. You will be charged a large fine on the pruchase and your vehicle. You will likely get searched on the next couple trips. Eventually you are no longer flagged. That said, the fines you will be assessed if caught dwarf any savings.

While it's true that the exemption for less than 24 hours is $0, guards usually allow <$200 even if the trip is less than 48h. If you travel down with 2-3 people and bring back an ipad and some groceries (duty free) they will likely wave you through. Worst case scenario they charge 13% HST on the iPad.

virgonomic wrote: ↑ This is not completely true. You will be charged a large fine on the pruchase and your vehicle. You will likely get searched on the next couple trips. Eventually you are no longer flagged. That said, the fines you will be assessed if caught dwarf any savings.

While it's true that the exemption for less than 24 hours is $0, guards usually allow <$200 even if the trip is less than 48h. If you travel down with 2-3 people and bring back an ipad and some groceries (duty free) they will likely wave you through. Worst case scenario they charge 13% HST on the iPad.

ccya965041 wrote: ↑ If there are no boxes and the iPad is fully set up under the user's name, how they can prove that this is a brand-new item? Could it be a relative giving it to the person as a gift?

ccya965041 wrote: ↑ If there are no boxes and the iPad is fully set up under the user's name, how they can prove that this is a brand-new item? Could it be a relative giving it to the person as a gift?

PointsHubby wrote: ↑ Lol, not only that …
But if something really goes wrong (like you get busted at Canada Customs)

Not only can you not bring back the SMUGGLED iPad
But you cannot travel back to America … like ever

And you travel anywhere else out of Canada
EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU GO THRU CANADA CUSTOMS … YOU’LL GET SENT TO SECONDARY

Soooo not worth it

newfbc wrote: ↑ LOL.. you're not going to be banned from entering the USA by not declaring something coming back into Canada.

Ron.

PointsHubby wrote: ↑ When you cross the border … you are LEGALLY OBLIGATED TO DECLARE ANYTHING & EVERYTHING YOU ACQUIRED WHILE OUT OF CANADA

Doesn’t matter if it was a purchase, a gift, or bartered / traded for
New or used

IT MUST BE DECLARED. Period

PointsHubby wrote: ↑ Oh, it’s an option for sure
For CBP … “Have you ever had an issue / problem with Customs before ? “
Once you get your name on the NOT TRUSTWORTHY TRAVELLERS LIST
Rarely used …to shut someone out
But it exists

People ARE STUPID
The stunts they pull to not pay the taxes owed
Dumb as a rock !!!
Customs have seen it all
When in reality … the taxes owed are usually much lower than they actually imagined

KevinT277396 wrote: ↑ God dam, some heated discussion. I'm not going to do it, it doesn't make sense.

Still as the other user said, if you threw out the box and registered it and everything, there's zero percent chance they would assume you bought it during your short stay.

ccya965041 wrote: ↑ Got it, I always wondered with these rules in place, how can a tourist be willing to buy anything in a foreign country? Even if the goods are cheap or not, it's almost not worth any hassle to deal with this. Just buy it within the country seems to be the best option and preserves the warranty.

The biggest problem is, it is not easy for a typical person to understand what the actual tax will be owe at the custom. It's not like a person weight the package, go to the post office website, enters all information to get a fairly accurate quote. CBSA should put the whole declaration process in steps, and be able to tell people what goods will subject to how much tax, and how they calculate the tax.

Let's say a person in this case to buy an iPad from states and declare it at the custom, how much tax that the person should pay?

From my calculation, if the person goes to the state and returns within 24 hours, the person will need to pay:
- 0% for Computers and related equipment: Duty-free
- GST (5%)
- PST/HST

Unless the person will stay 2 days (48 hours) in the states, then he will get CAD$800 personal exemption.