Duty on Watches

[wpgflamesfan]

Hey i'm currently looking to buy a Oris Artelier Skeleton watch from the U.S. as you can get them much cheaper down there. Does anyone know how much duty you have to pay on it?

[jtfrogger]

The last two times I travelled to the US, I picked up a nice Swiss watch. Both times, I declared them and just paid GST on the amount I went over my limit.

I think the duty is something like 10% on Swiss watches, but I have never been asked to pay that.

I suspect that if you had it shipped in the mail, you would have to pay duty & GST.

[Claeren]

Call me crazy but can't you just wear it across the boarder?


How does that work anyways, say there are things you HAD to buy (like say it rains and you needed a rain coat) do you have to declare that if you used it during your trip?




Claeren.

[Jude]

This is what I've been told by other people, not that I am condoning this or anything .

But, what others have done is they just mail the box, receipt and papers and just wear the watch across the border.

[Slava]

I was in the US last month and brought a watch back. A friend of mine brought back an Oris actually (fantastic watch btw!). We both just ended paying the "normal" duty.

I would just pay the duty though. Depending on how much you're spending its worth it. Once you're in the CRA system because of one search and getting caught you stay there for a number of years, and get searched every time you come back...

[jtfrogger]

Originally Posted by Slava

I was in the US last month and brought a watch back. A friend of mine brought back an Oris actually (fantastic watch btw!). We both just ended paying the "normal" duty.

I would just pay the duty though. Depending on how much you're spending its worth it. Once you're in the CRA system because of one search and getting caught you stay there for a number of years, and get searched every time you come back...

What percentage did you pay for the "normal" duty?

I agree that it is best to just declare it and pay the duty/GST. We are not talking about too much money really. If it is just the GST, it would be $50 on a $1000 watch. It is even less if you have some personal exemption room left. If you can afford the watch, you can afford the GST. If you get caught, you get blacklisted and have a significant hassle getting over the border every single time you travel or get mail from the US.

[Locke]

Just pay it. I bought a watch from the states and the additional charges were peanuts. No big deal.

The CRA dont have a very good sense of humour regarding 'evasion.'

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by Claeren

Call me crazy but can't you just wear it across the boarder?


How does that work anyways, say there are things you HAD to buy (like say it rains and you needed a rain coat) do you have to declare that if you used it during your trip?

Technically, pretty well everything you buy other than food and lodging must be declared, even stuff you wear across the border. Even if you drive down and have a car repair done, it also needs to be declared. Everyone does that, right?

[Slava]

^^ I can't recall the amount for duty..but all together it was $92 or something like that. When you're buying a great watch though and saving much more than that, might as well cough up and support our system