What dollar value can i bring back to canada

If you plan to travel to a country impacted with African swine fever , you may unknowingly be spreading this pig disease to Canada. Learn more about African swine fever and how to protect Canadian pigs. When you return to Canada from a foreign country, you may qualify for a personal exemption. This allows you to bring goods of a certain value into the country without paying regular duty and taxes.

There are exceptions for a minimum duty that may apply to some tobacco products. Here are some general guidelines on what you can and cannot bring home when returning to Canada.

Items allowed into Canada must still be declared on your declaration card. You must have the goods with you when you enter Canada, and tobacco products or alcoholic beverages are not included in this amount. You must have the goods with you when you enter Canada. Although you can include some tobacco products and alcohol, a partial exemption may apply to cigarettes, tobacco products and manufactured tobacco.

The rate applies only to goods that accompany you and does not apply to tobacco products or alcoholic beverages. In some provinces, the CBSA also collects the provincial sales tax. You must have the tobacco and alcohol with you when you enter Canada, but the rest of the goods can arrive later by mail, courier or delivery agency.

Although you can include some tobacco products and alcoholic beverages, a partial exemption may apply to cigarettes, tobacco products and manufactured tobacco. Even if you spend part of the year in another country, you are still considered a resident of Canada.

This means that you are entitled to the same exemptions as other Canadians. When you import foreign goods or vehicles for your personal use into Canada even temporarily , you have to meet all import requirements and pay all applicable duty and taxes.

You are allowed to import only one of the following amounts of alcohol and alcoholic beverages free of duty and taxes as part of your personal exemption:. You must be of legal age in the province into which you are importing the alcoholic beverages. While you are permitted to import more than the amounts listed above, you will be responsible for paying duty and taxes on the additional alcoholic beverages you are importing.

The CBSA classifies "cooler" products according to the alcoholic beverage they contain. For example, beer coolers are considered to be beer, and wine coolers are considered to be wine. If you are 18 years of age or over, you are allowed to bring in all of the following amounts of tobacco into Canada duty- and taxes-free within your personal exemption:.

If you include cigarettes, tobacco sticks or manufactured tobacco in your personal exemption, you may receive only a partial exemption. You can speed up your clearance by having your tobacco products available for inspection when you arrive. If you bring in more than your personal exemption, you will have to pay regular assessments on the excess amount. These regular assessments can include duty and taxes, as well as provincial or territorial fees.

One unit of tobacco products consists of one of the following: cigarettes, 50 cigars, grams of manufactured tobacco and tobacco sticks. Except for restricted items, you can bring back any amount of goods as long as you are willing to pay the duty and taxes and any provincial or territorial assessments that apply. This rule applies even if you do not qualify for a personal exemption.

Even young children and infants are entitled to a personal exemption. As a parent or guardian, you can make a declaration on behalf of a child as long as the goods you are declaring are for the child's use. You cannot combine your personal exemptions with those of another person or transfer them to someone else.

In general, the goods you include in your personal exemption must be for your personal or household use. These goods include souvenirs, gifts that you received from friends or relatives living outside Canada or prizes that you won. There may be relief if this work is carried out in Canada's free trade partner countries. If you are considering having any work done to your goods outside of Canada, you should contact the CBSA beforehand.

Example: You take an old diamond ring with you on a trip outside Canada. While on your trip, you decide to have the diamond taken out of the old setting and placed in a new setting. When you return to Canada, the CBSA does not consider the ring to be "returned" jewelry and the ring must be declared accordingly. Depending on where you had the work done, you may be required to pay duty and taxes on the full value of the ring or on only the cost to have the work done.

If you plan to have repairs, alterations or additions made to your vehicle, vessel or aircraft outside of Canada, you must declare the work when you arrive at the border. In such cases, you should check with the CBSA for information before you leave.

If you are outside Canada and you have emergency repairs made to your vehicle, vessel or aircraft, the repairs are duty and tax exempt. To be eligible for this special provision, be sure to declare the value of all repairs and replacement parts when you return to Canada with the vehicle and provide any supporting documentation, such as police or insurance reports.

If there is any doubt that the repairs were required as a result of an emergency, you will be required to pay the duty and taxes that apply for a non-emergency repair or alteration. If you are later able to provide proof supporting the emergency repairs and eligibility for duty and tax relief, you may appeal the initial decision.

Transport Canada has requirements for vehicles that are extensively modified. You must declare all goods you acquired while outside Canada, including purchases, gifts, prizes and awards that you have with you or are being shipped to you.

You must declare goods purchased at a Canadian or foreign duty-free shop, and any repairs or alterations you made to your vehicle, vessel or aircraft while you were out of the country. If you are unsure whether to declare an item, or whether an item may be inadmissible, always declare it to the border services officer.

Officers will assist you in making your declaration and will work out your personal exemption and any duty and taxes you owe in the way that benefits you most. These cards are also used at some locations for travellers arriving by train, boat or bus.

If you have any questions about the card or related Canadian regulations, ask the border services officer when you arrive. If a declaration cannot be completed at primary inspection, you will be directed to secondary inspection for assistance. Border services officers will assist any individual who is unable to complete the card because of a disability. If you arrive in Canada in a private vehicle, such as an automobile, an aircraft, a boat or a bus, you will usually make an oral declaration.

You must retain your copy of this completed form until you have received and accounted for all of the goods. Refer to Unaccompanied goods. Upon arrival in Canada, you may be asked to undergo a more detailed process. This is a normal part of the border process which anyone entering or re-entering Canada may experience. You may be asked to complete other forms, or the border services officer may need to examine the goods you are bringing into Canada and ask questions about them.

Border services officers are legally entitled to examine your luggage. You are responsible for opening, unpacking and repacking your luggage. By making your goods easily accessible for inspection, and having your receipts handy, you will be helping the CBSA complete its inspection more quickly. It is a good idea to keep all your receipts for accommodations and purchases, and for any repairs done to, or parts bought for, your vehicle.

The border services officer may ask to examine them as evidence of the length of your stay and of the value of the goods or repairs. If you have any concerns about your experience at the border, ask to speak with the superintendent on duty. A consultation can often resolve the issue.

If you are still not satisfied, our officers can tell you how to make a formal complaint. Some infractions at the border are criminal offences. Border services officers have the authority to arrest individuals for these offences, including those under the Criminal Code such as impaired driving, outstanding arrest warrants, stolen property and abduction or kidnapping. Individuals who are arrested may be compelled to attend court in Canada.

Anyone placed under arrest is protected by, and will be treated in accordance with, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. For more information, refer to Secondary Services and Inspections. If you do not declare goods, or if you falsely declare them, the CBSA can seize the goods. You may permanently lose the goods or you may have to pay a penalty to get them back. Items such as tobacco products and alcoholic beverages are seized permanently when they are not properly declared.

Border services officers may seize all vehicles used to unlawfully import goods. If this happens, you will be required to pay a penalty before the vehicle is returned to you.

The CBSA keeps a record of infractions. If you have an infraction record, you may undergo a more detailed examination on future trips. If your goods were seized and you disagree with the action taken, you can an appeal the decision by contacting the CBSA within 90 days of the date of the seizure. If you are suffering from a communicable disease upon your return to Canada, or if you have been in close contact with someone with a communicable disease, you must inform a border services officer or a quarantine officer.

They will determine if you require further assessment. If you have been ill while travelling or become ill after your return to Canada, inform a Canadian doctor that you have been abroad, where you were and what, if any, treatment or medical care you have received such as medications, blood transfusions, injections, dental care or surgery. Duty is a tariff payable on a good imported to Canada. Rates of duty are established by the federal Department of Finance and can vary significantly from one good to another as well as from one free trade agreement to another.

The CBSA has areas at most major airports where you can pay any duty or taxes you owe while waiting for your baggage to arrive. Border services officers are there to assist you. If you arrive by land, a border services officer will direct you to where you can pay duty and taxes.

Making a full declaration and paying any duty and taxes you owe is a simple, straightforward process. The CBSA also accepts debit cards at most offices. This rate does not apply to tobacco products or alcoholic beverages. It applies only to goods that accompany you and that do not qualify for duty-free entry under the Customs Tariff.

Duty rates vary according to: the goods you are importing; the country where the goods were made; and the country from which you are importing them. You may also have to pay the PST if you live in a province where the CBSA has an agreement to collect the tax and you return to Canada through that province.

To assist in calculating the amount owing, the CBSA has created a duty and tax estimator for travellers. Canada's other free trade agreements contain a similar provision. Most imported goods are also subject to the federal goods and services tax and provincial sales tax or, in certain provinces and territories, the harmonized sales tax. If you reside in one of these provinces or territories and you return to Canada at a port of entry in your province or territory of residence, the goods that you import in excess of your personal exemption will be subject to a provincial or territorial assessment.

If you live in a participating province and the value of the non-commercial goods you import is more than your personal exemption, you must pay the HST instead of the GST, regardless of where you enter Canada. You must declare the "value for duty" of the goods you are importing. Generally, this is the amount you pay for the goods, including any foreign tax assessment.

However, any foreign tax already refunded, or to be refunded by a foreign government, does not have to be included in your value for duty declaration. Marine pleasure craft are vessels that are used for non-commercial purposes. These include boats, fishing boats, yachts, dinghies, tenders, motorboats, sailboats and personal watercraft. All pleasure vessels imported by residents of Canada, regardless of where the vessels are licensed or registered, are subject to all applicable duty and taxes when they are first imported into Canada.

If importing used marine pleasure craft, the owner must ensure that the vessel is not infested or contaminated with Zebra or Quagga mussels as per the import prohibitions in the Aquatic Invasive Species Regulations made under the Fisheries Act. The vessel should be cleaned, drained, and dried. Refer to Importing marine pleasure craft. Often travellers acquire goods outside Canada and have these sent home. These goods arrive after your return to Canada.

If you make such arrangements with a courier or postal company, you have 40 days from the date of your return to Canada to claim these goods. The good s mailed to Canada must qualify for the 7-day personal exemption. The shipment must not contain alcohol or tobacco products. Be sure to retain your copy of Form BSF until you have received and accounted for all your goods. A Canadian resident entering the U. Generally, the goods you include in your personal exemption must be for your personal or household use.

Goods brought in for commercial use, or for another person, do not qualify as a personal exemption and are subject to full duties. Goods you include in your 24 or 48 hour exemption must be with you on your arrival in Canada. Goods you claim in your 7-day exemption may be shipped to your home except for tobacco and alcohol. The amount of a duty also depends on where the item was made — not just where they were purchased. Gifts such as wedding or birthday presents, and gifts you have brought back for others must be declared and will generally be treated like any other item you purchased.

Gifts intended for business, promotional or other commercial purposes may not be included in your duty-free exemption. In addition, you cannot claim alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, or business-related material as gifts. We have a separate page for importing an auto but here are the basics. If you cross the border to purchase a car you need to go into the border station when you bring it back home. You need to show your receipt for the purchase, fill out various forms, and pay duties or taxes.

If you lie about what you paid for the vehicle it can be seized — Canada seizes over cars a year. If that happens you will likely end up in court and have to pay a penalty of anywhere from 25 to 75 per cent of the undeclared value to have it released. Friend's Email Address.