moving house items

[thisdj1]

Does anyone know when you get to Canada do you have to pay taxes on your house hold items?

or is there a limit you can bring thanks

 

[OhCanadiana]

Does anyone know when you get to Canada do you have to pay taxes on your house hold items?

or is there a limit you can bring thanks

Not for items you have owned, used, and possessed prior to arriving if you are a new resident settling in Canada (or a returning resident who has lived outside Canada for over a year and owned, used, and possessed items for over 6 months) and turn in form B4 when you first have the intention of residing in Canada - usually when you land. You can find the form at http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/forms-formulaires/b4-eng.pdf . Form B4 continues onto form B4A if you need more lines.

 

[marco polo]

Is this B4 form required for everyone?

If a person lands with only one suitcase.. just her clothes and some books.
No jewelry, no car. Only the digital camera 4 years old.

 

[steaky]

B4 are for those people who has goods to follow.

 

[marco polo]

I was not sure which things are considered as “goods to follow”... valuable items? new stuff?

 

[OhCanadiana]

Is this B4 form required for everyone?

If a person lands with only one suitcase.. just her clothes and some books.
No jewelry, no car. Only the digital camera 4 years old.

All new immigrants need to fill out 2 copies of this form so that you don't have to pay taxes on items they are importing. You don't have to be too detailed - for everything other than jewelry and electronics you can group items together and estimate value for them (clothes $xxx, books $xxx). For the digital camera she should list it on its own line with the serial number. Double check on jewelry (engagement/wedding ring are easy to forget).

You need to fill out 2 copies of the B4 to separate goods you are bringing with you on that trip (when you turn it in) and those that you are bringing in the future (on future trips). The items you are bringing in the future are goods to follow. For these goods to follow you check the box stating that on the B4.

So it should be pretty easy for her to fill out the forms (and if necessary she can even ask for it at the border since it sounds like she's not bringing much). If she can bring it already filled out then if she brings two copies it will make things slightly faster at the border since they won't need to make a copy (they give you a stamped copy back for your records to show you imported everything legally and can reimport it later without duties)

If you want to see all the details check out http://cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/dm-md/d2/d2-2-1-eng.pdf.

 

[marco polo]

Thank you so much!

And of course, I forgot wedding ring :-[

 

[OhCanadiana]

Thank you so much!

And of course, I forgot wedding ring :-[

You're welcome! And, don't worry, you're not the first to forget wedding rings (cell phones are the other biggie). In the past 3 days alone you're the third person to have the 'd-oh!' moment. As long as it's on the list before you get to the border no harm done!

 

[thisdj1]

thanks for your comments but i AM returning for good after 20 years do i still have to fill our a b4 form? and will i still get taxed thanks

 

[Mrslwsn]

wait. I dont understand. when my husband lands he has to declare the ring on his finger, and a camera in his carry on????????? I am confused?

 

[OhCanadiana]

thanks for your comments but i AM returning for good after 20 years do i still have to fill our a b4 form? and will i still get taxed thanks

Yes, if you want to declare them as goods you are bringing back with you as a returning resident (either on that trip or afterward) so that you qualify for zero-rated taxes on the items (technically you pay taxes but at 0% so you get a receipt proving you legally imported them and paid the duties due)

 

[OhCanadiana]

wait. I dont understand. when my husband lands he has to declare the ring on his finger, and a camera in his carry on????????? I am confused?

That answer was specifically for someone who said she was bringing a camera and had a ring on her finger. When your husband lands, he should declare everything he is either bringing immediately or on future trips on a B4 form (that he already owns, has used, and possesses) so that he qualifies for zero duties on those goods. He can group similar items together, except for jewelry which needs to be detailed and needs to be documented in photos and for electronics for which you need to list model and serial number.

 

[Mrslwsn]

Ok, I think I understood that, but what I am confused about is if he doesnt declare let's say hypothetically his wedding ring on his finger or his watches in a carry on, they will charge him tax on those items at Pearson airport??

 

[OhCanadiana]

Ok, I think I understood that, but what I am confused about is if he doesnt declare let's say hypothetically his wedding ring on his finger or his watches in a carry on, they will charge him tax on those items at Pearson airport??

They may ask him when he lands if he's bringing in any goods and offer a B4 but, honestly, they don't always do (and even if they do, does he really want to try to remember everything on the sot sitting in the corner?) so it's usually best to be prepared and have it filled out already.

If he doesn't declare his wedding ring or his watches or something else he has with him on his B4 you won't have a record that he imported it legally and then if he takes it out on a trip and comes back he may have to pay duties on it then as if it's a newly imported item. If he's bringing something on a future trip and he didn't declare it upfront when he landed, he'll have to pay duties on it.

There's really no reason not to fill it out...

 

[Mrslwsn]

But when I travel, I don't declare my wedding ring. That seems wierd that if he travels and come back they would look at his wedding ring as a "new" imported item.