Hi every one.Wishing you all a great year!
I am a Canadian citizen (by birth) and had been living in Greece for over 35 odd years until I decided to pack it up and move back here.I sold everything and packed my girl's and my personal stuff in cardboard boxes.These are bed sheets,clothes,documents,books,tools,home decorative items,shoes,blankets,pictures etc.All these have no value and are all part of our household and used.I have no electrical appliances and no furniture.They're all used and bought over the course of 15 odd years.
I called CBSA and talked to an agent and she told me that I should have filled the BSF5113 form at the time of my arrival.Something which I did not know at the time.I came in to contact today (7-1-2015) as I just found a place to rent and I have a steady job also,so I was planning to have my items sent to me.The agent told me that there is a possibility that taxes may be applied on my belongings.These are items that have no value and I cannot estimate what value each and every item has at the moment,as I mentioned they have been purchased throughout the course of 15 years and more.
So after talking to her she said that there is nothing that can be done (!) and that I can import my belongings and if there are taxes applied or the amount is high or I cannot pay it,then I would either send them back to Greece or the CBSA would destroy them.
Why is there a time limit that I had to apply the BSF5113 form,the day I arrived?Why is there not an option for a Canadian citizen to import his/her personal belongings even after a short period of time?What differs,that I would have to pay taxes on used personal items now?There was no intention of not declaring them anyway.
It is very difficult for an individual to start his/her life from the beginning and for me,to import my belongings,paying a large amount just to receive them here and for CBSA to presumably charge me taxes (which I cannot assume the amount) and if I cannot pay those taxes,they would destroy (!) my personal belongings?Is it so easy to destroy someone's personal belongings?
What can I do at the moment?What are my options?Should I bring the boxes and sort what is of value (pictures,documents etc) and just let them destroy everything else?She also mentioned that it's up to the officer that would handle my case to imply taxes or not?Is that true?
Is there a possibility, that If I travel back to Greece and come back and upon my arrival at the airport, I fill in the BSF5113 can I bring my belongings afterwards without me having to pay taxes?
I need some help on this....
Thank you
Chris
I am a Canadian citizen (by birth) and had been living in Greece for over 35 odd years until I decided to pack it up and move back here.I sold everything and packed my girl's and my personal stuff in cardboard boxes.These are bed sheets,clothes,documents,books,tools,home decorative items,shoes,blankets,pictures etc.All these have no value and are all part of our household and used.I have no electrical appliances and no furniture.They're all used and bought over the course of 15 odd years.
I called CBSA and talked to an agent and she told me that I should have filled the BSF5113 form at the time of my arrival.Something which I did not know at the time.I came in to contact today (7-1-2015) as I just found a place to rent and I have a steady job also,so I was planning to have my items sent to me.The agent told me that there is a possibility that taxes may be applied on my belongings.These are items that have no value and I cannot estimate what value each and every item has at the moment,as I mentioned they have been purchased throughout the course of 15 years and more.
So after talking to her she said that there is nothing that can be done (!) and that I can import my belongings and if there are taxes applied or the amount is high or I cannot pay it,then I would either send them back to Greece or the CBSA would destroy them.
Why is there a time limit that I had to apply the BSF5113 form,the day I arrived?Why is there not an option for a Canadian citizen to import his/her personal belongings even after a short period of time?What differs,that I would have to pay taxes on used personal items now?There was no intention of not declaring them anyway.
It is very difficult for an individual to start his/her life from the beginning and for me,to import my belongings,paying a large amount just to receive them here and for CBSA to presumably charge me taxes (which I cannot assume the amount) and if I cannot pay those taxes,they would destroy (!) my personal belongings?Is it so easy to destroy someone's personal belongings?
What can I do at the moment?What are my options?Should I bring the boxes and sort what is of value (pictures,documents etc) and just let them destroy everything else?She also mentioned that it's up to the officer that would handle my case to imply taxes or not?Is that true?
Is there a possibility, that If I travel back to Greece and come back and upon my arrival at the airport, I fill in the BSF5113 can I bring my belongings afterwards without me having to pay taxes?
I need some help on this....
Thank you
Chris
