Cross Border Shopping

[Grizzy_89]

I want to go to the states to do some shopping in a couple weeks...

Do people really declare everything and roughly how much would it cost me to bring aprox. $500 worth of cloths and or electronics back?

Any tips to avoid paying excessive tax?

[Red_Liner740]

$500 x 1.13.

Do i declare everything? yup....i didnt go over to save on tax, i went over to get initial price savings. Word of a warning, buffalo and niagara are not that cheaper than Toronto....Ontario has been going shopping across for a long time and that has raised the prices.

The very best you can do is shop online and have it delivered to CBI or some other Amerifriend place, cross the border pick it up and drive it back

I always state i have packages state side to pick up, and that i will be back in CAN within 6 to 8 hours...on the way back i present all the receipts, tell me what i did and sometimes they make me pay, sometimes they wave me through...

[Wingboy]

Play by the rules.It's a foreign country,and if you mess up (even a little bit) you will pay for it for many years.
Other advice?

[Fiery254]

I refuse to answer on the grounds that......................................

Come on, use your imagination ffs. If you want to smuggle **** and avoid sales tax then do it. Don't ask for permission. "GTAM told me to do it" isn't a valid excuse in court.

[matthew]

I want to go to the states to do some shopping in a couple weeks...

Do people really declare everything and roughly how much would it cost me to bring aprox. $500 worth of cloths and or electronics back?

Any tips to avoid paying excessive tax?

if you stay for 48 hours, you can bring back $400 tax free

[imnothng]

I've over spent on food and clothes on a few occasions. We have all the receipts and know the grand total for when they ask us. We've never had an issue.

[ifiddles]

if you stay for 48 hours, you can bring back $400 tax free

i thought it was $700...friends and i went shopping in grove city last summer for 3 days and they brought back tons of stuff...definitely over $400 each...

[matthew]

Starting on June 1, 2012, duty free limits for cross border shoppers will increase as follows:

• for trips of more than 24 hours and less that 48 hours, the duty free allowance will increase from the current limit of $50 to $200.
• for trips of more than 48 hours but less than 7 days, the duty free allowance will increase from the current limit of $400 to $800.
• for trips of more than 7 days, the duty free limit will increase by $50, from the current limit of $750 to $800.
• duty free limits for tobacco and alcohol will remain unchanged.

While cross border shoppers will certainly welcome these duty free limit increases, there was one notable omission in the budget that is sure to disappoint Canadians living near the U.S. border: a same-day duty free allowance for short-term shopping trips of less than 24 hours.

[crankcall]

Play by the rules.It's a foreign country,and if you mess up (even a little bit) you will pay for it for many years.
Other advice?

Other advice? sure, check the flag on the building that will be checking your purchases, its Canada, not a foreign country.

[Gpz900]

I have a US address. Anytime I cross I just tell them exactly why I'm going and on the way back I'm honest about the amount I declare. I've been waved through with a couple of hundred dollars worth of stuff after being gone for 20min, I've also been pulled over for much less than that. Just depends on the person, their mood, etc. Like mentioned above, the initial cost benefit and greater selection is what I gain. If I have to pay duty then oh we'll, just the price of doing business.

[Grizzy_89]

$500 x 1.13.

Do i declare everything? yup....i didnt go over to save on tax, i went over to get initial price savings. Word of a warning, buffalo and niagara are not that cheaper than Toronto....Ontario has been going shopping across for a long time and that has raised the prices.

The very best you can do is shop online and have it delivered to CBI or some other Amerifriend place, cross the border pick it up and drive it back

I always state i have packages state side to pick up, and that i will be back in CAN within 6 to 8 hours...on the way back i present all the receipts, tell me what i did and sometimes they make me pay, sometimes they wave me through...

13% isn't bad... i was thinking both sides would hit me

Thank you

[Dahulk]

being out of the country for 7 days you are allowed 750 dollars. Depends how long you tend to stay in US

[Splash]

Just came back from a day trip yesterday. picked up about $1000 at CBI and about $100 at Walmart and Home depot. Declared about $1100 and the guy made me pay tax. Inside the building he asked me how much I spent and if I have all the receipts. Told him about $1100. He never looked at my receipts or even asked what I bought. He marked down $855 and I paid 13% on that. $0 duty.

[SXE MX6]

unless you get stuff from oversea's shipped to you, the chance's of you paying duty is slim.

I've been waived through from anywhere inbetween $20 and $250

Be completely honest with them!!!! I can't be anymore clear on that. If you ever get busted, your gonna regret it!!

(unless your bringing drugs and stuff back across with you. I don't think declairing a kilo of crack is gonna help you in any way)


I've always been treated more then fair. I usually bring over a 12 pack with me as well, and don't usually get dinged for that. Sometimes you have to pay, sometimes you don't. There's really nothing else to tell you here. Make sure your polite, answer the questions that are asked, and declare, and have recipts and value's for everything ready and at hand.
And again..... if you have to pay its 0.13% not a big deal. you'd have to pay that tax here anyhow!! So if your buying it just to save the tax, then don't.

[giesen]

13% isn't bad... i was thinking both sides would hit me

Thank you

Just remember you pay NY sales tax as well (at time if purchase, not when you cross the border) and it's *not* refundable

[YZFoxxy]

"GTAM told me to do it" isn't a valid excuse in court.

Crap... that was gonna be my defense... now what am i supposed to do?!?

[Fiery254]

Crap... that was gonna be my defense... now what am i supposed to do?!?

Flash cleavage.

[YZFoxxy]

Flash cleavage.

that's the back up plan... works every time!

[azia]

I want to go to the states to do some shopping in a couple weeks...

Do people really declare everything and roughly how much would it cost me to bring aprox. $500 worth of cloths and or electronics back?

Any tips to avoid paying excessive tax?

Depending on where the item is made or what the item is, you may or may not have to pay duty in addition to 13% tax.

When I go for just less than 48 hours (arrive Fri night, leave Sun morn or arrive Sat morn, leave Sun night) I have spent more than the under 48hr allowance but gone through each time without paying anything.

When I go for a day and declare under $100, I am usually waved through. When I go for a day and declare over $100, half the time I get dinged, half the time I don't.

[regder]

It's a given, but always declare. The ramifications of getting caught are far worse than having to pay some tax.

I've never bought a lot of stuff, but have never had to pay tax on ~$100 in clothes on a less than 24hour visit. Having to pay tax on Cigarettes is 50/50 though