Customs

Everybody always has horror stories about duties (or purports to) but I have never had an issue. I have usually bought 50-80 dollars worth and have never had an issue once (either by air or on land).

When they ask what you're bringing back say, "I've got X, Y, Z, and some beer." Done. Also, assuming you get popped; even though it sucks to pay duties when you figure the variety and the cost of the beer down there I would say it is worth paying the duties. It's not like if you buy a twenty-four pack and a couple bombers they're gonna slap you with 50 dollars in duties or something heinous like that.

Just like dealing with any authority in life, don't go into it thinking you are wrong (in this case, don't think that you will have to pay), don't volunteer any extra information ("I've got some beer"), act like you are supposed to be there and like you do it all the time and you won't have any issues. Have fun!

EDIT: unless you're getting pretty cheap stuff, 40-50 should be within the limit for not paying duties.

 

You can bring 8.5L over duty-free, which is, what? like 18 16oz cans. Last time the customs agent asked me what the value was - I said, essentially, that I didn't know and she said 'OK' and sent me on my way.

 

Assuming you'll be crossing back in to Canada through Quebec, your max is 8.5L, regardless of your willingness to pay duty. Keep that in mind, although you don't appear to be wanting to buy a ton of beer.

It might be a little different in Quebec, but duty in Ontario is roughly 25% of the cost of the beer.

 

That's actually not true for us Canadians, sadly. We have to be in the US for 48 hours before we have an 8.5L exemption. For an American, like yourself, you can bring in 8.5L each time you visit Canada.

 

I can't speak for Quebec but in Ontario I have had great luck coming back after only being over for 2 hours. I buy about $20 of groceries and maybe $80 worth of beer. I declare I have groceries and some beer with a value of $135 CAD. Works every time except when they ask how much was the beer. But even then about half the time they just wave me through.

And if you do get dinged with taxes its not that bad considering you are bringing back some brews not available in Canada. Today I did have to pay tax, I brought back 10 22oz Bombers with a value of $126.00 USD which I paid $30 CAD duty on. That's not bad at all.

 

It really depends...I know someone who crosses at a large border (and does it almost weekly), he never pays anything...I paid ~28$ for around 150$ crossing at a small border. When it comes to things like this, I'm completely honest, I'd rather pay some taxes than get screwed in future visits to the US

 

Has been mentioned many times, here is the official government form, Apendix B:

http://cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/dm-md/d2/d2-3-6-eng.pdf

You can bring back 9L maximum. There is no duty free anywhere in Canada for alcohol if you are gone under 48hrs.

You 'might' get lucky, but the above is the rule. Take your chances, it's worth it in the long run even if you pay duty once and awhile. 40cents per litre is laughable compared to what we pay here in BC...(close to 80% of the cost regardless of size)

edit: that does say in excess of the duty free allowance actually (which is normally 8.5) so it might be that you can actually bring back a max of 17.5 L in Quebec, doesn't say if you're not gone long enough though.

 

Here is the breakdown I had on my last cross border experience at the Cornwall ON border (@Jerk_Store I know this may be out of your way, but ON lets you bring back 40 liters of beer as opposed to 8.5):

I declared that I had made a beer purchase of 31 liters (about 3.5 cases) and that the value of the beer purchased was $320 USD. As expected the guy sent me in to pay duty, and this is what I paid: $9.60 duty, $62.41 HST, and $20.96 Prov. liquor mark up fee. So about $90 on what was declared as $477 CDN or about 20% of value.

Hope this helps.

 

I thought that it was the same exemption to begin with but that it doubled after 48 hours....

Also, I get the impression from these threads that they might be a little tougher on it going into Ontario than QC, but that could just be because ON is more represented here.

 

I think we need a sticky in the forums dealing with customs FAQs. Here is a a Coles Notes version:

Exemption:

- Your duty free exemption is federally mandated (ie: doesn't matter which province you cross back in). It is one case of beer (defined as 8.52L, which is 24 x 355 ml cans) and you qualify for it after being out of the country for 48 hours (note that is is technically 48 hours, not two nights)

Allowable limits when duty is paid:

- This is provincially mandated in terms of both the amount of duty-paid beer you can bring back and in terms of the duty rate(s) charged on said beer.
- In Ontario, this limit is 45L, in Quebec is it a measly 8.5L. It varies from province to province.
- If you have your 48 hour exemption for 8.52L, you get that in addition to the amounts above (which you will pay duty on).
- In Ontario, duty is typically 20-25% of the cost of the beer, although with the dollar plummeting lately, that percentage has gone up quite a bit when you compare the Canadian duty paid as a percentage of the USD amount of beer purchased.


As for your comment above, I think it's the opposite: Quebec is tougher than Ontario. At least in terms of the limits.

 

I had a border guard tell me that they'll look the other way for a sixpack most of the time. Recently, I brought back a case of Heady Topper (note that there were two of us in the car, otherwise I would have been over the 9L limit) and it was something like $35 in duties for a case that cost about $90USD. Worth it? Fuck yeah!

I agree with the MD: tell them you have some beer, don't volunteer any more info unless they ask. That said, coming into Quebec, they ALWAYS ask how much you have. Just pay the duty and be happy that you have some great beer that can't be bought in Quebec at any price.

 

That's good to know for future reference. Pretty steep I suppose, but what can you do?

 

I make sure to always stay under the 8.5L after 48 hours coming back into BC. Im usually bringing back 12 bombers or various sizes, so when they ask what I have i keep it simple and say 12 bottles of beer. With the duties in BC its not worth it to go over the limit.

 

Have at least 2 adults in your family, that's 17 L coming back into Toronto. If after 48 hours thats a bunch of beer. I frequently go for 48 hours or more and get back 60 bottles, which fills the car and is rarely checked.
The most difficult question is "how much is that worth" thinking you will admit to spirits and wine, which gets higher duties, and political clout, and increases the risk of an inspection.

 

Me and my wife cross the border quite often. Typically I'm waived through when I tell them how much beer I have (even before 48 hours). Last year we crossed in Quebec and I hadn't really done my homework on how much beer I had. When I was asked by the border guard how much I had I was honest with her and told her I wasn't quite sure. She scolded me a little bit and asked me to keep track next time and waived me through. Earlier this year we crossed back into Ontario from NY State (can't remember the crossing). The border guard there asked me how much beer I had, I told him, I got the token "that's expensive beer" comment and my yellow slip to go inside to pay duty. I got inside and the border guard in there asked me how much I had, I told him I had approximately 3 cases, 1 above the limit and he looked at me and said "You have three cases and you're allowed two, get out of here".

Ultimately, honesty is the best policy. You may have to pay duty but you may not.

 

Exactly. All the citing of rules and policies is fine but its not really applicable to the real life application if bringing home something reasonable. Its a crap shoot. Under a case they tend not to ding you unless the guard is savvy and asks about dollar value. Always be honest.

I've been pulled in each time at the VT/QC border to pay duty no matter how much.

I get pulled in rarely at the Detroit/Windsor border regardless of how much I have.
Once I got pulled in for having 3 cases. Made sense.
Once I got pulled in for having 9 BEERS. Total. WTF.
Brought back 2x6 plus another 12 in a wine shipper last week.... went right on through.

Bottom line... be prepared to pay. Be honest. You aren't bringing it over to anything more than consume. So the worst that can happen is pay 30% more in duty and upcharges.

 

basically, this. this is the most accurate thing that was said.

do NOT buy spirits if you are worried about paying duty. they are 100% duty. a $50 bottle of bourboun is $50 duty on it.
it's a dice roll when it comes to duty. depends on the border guard, time of day, the border you cross, etc. Buffalo's a crap shoot. i've been pulled over three times in the past 4 years. once i was driving solo, once my wife was driving, once we were both together. once i was wearing a hockey jersey and was clearly down for a hockey game. pulled over at midnight. you kind of wonder if it's because they're bored or have a quota.

the rule to getting through without issues: tell them you have multiples of 6 packs. "I have a 12 pack of craft beer" or "a 24 of beer". they will still ask you for the approximate value of the beer or receipts, so i suggest doing the following:

when you buy your beer, split your transactions up into 2 receipts. why? because the border guards don't have the time, patience or understanding to read the receipt. they're looking for total $$. Just go to Premier Gourmet and read the receipt on your own. they don't make much sense, depending on the beer you buy. you buy a 4 pack of KBS and it says something like "KBS 4 pk" on it. think the border guard knows what a KBS is? a 4 PK means what? 4 bottles? 4 litres? they really don't know. so...that's why i suggest you get 2 receipts, especially if we're talking $200+ in purchases. at least your duty will be lowered AND you'll trigger less suspicion at the border. or a lower likelihood of being pulled over.

another tip, but it may bite you in the ass? get NEXUS. they ask 10 seconds of questions at NEXUS. have yet to be pulled over there.

remember: don't lie. don't say you have nothing. disclose what you have because it takes a simple trunk opening and bottle account to show you're lying. once you do that, you're screwed. not worth it.

in the end, it's a game. russian roulette. i've had a border guard marvel that i've spent over $100 on beer and say "nice! have a great day. enjoy your beer." *shrugs*

 

Great tips....
Yeah, NEXUS. But the last couple times I went through there at the tunnel they asked me if I knew the limits and rules for duty exemption on beer and how much time I needed to be across for. I answered that I was aware. One time the guy let me go with just under a case worth, the other time was my 9 bottle haul and got pulled in to pay on $24 of value.

Total crapshoot.