Canadian Duty Taxes of Mail Orders

andrew · Jul 12, 2014

Here is a province wide breakdown of taxes on tobacco, so you can know what to expect is a fair assessment when you are paying duty and taxes on your shipment of tobacco. Just go down to the chart in the link. Duty is federal, some provinces you also pay HST as well as a per gram fee of loose tobacco.

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/cn-ad/cn13-008-eng.html
Here is Duty which applies to all of Canada

Economic Action Plan 2013 eliminates the preferential excise duty rate that currently applies to manufactured tobacco (e.g., fine-cut tobacco used in roll-your-own cigarettes, chewing tobacco) to make it equivalent to that applying to other tobacco products. This measure will increase the rate of excise duty on manufactured tobacco from $2.8925 to $5.3125 per 50 grams or fraction thereof, effective after Budget Day.

http://actionplan.gc.ca/en/initiative/excise-duty-tobacco-products
Therefore the duty will be 5.3125 per 50 grams of tobacco, and then the provincial fees will be on top of that.
Hopefully this will clear up peoples questions about what duty and taxes are on Canadian tobacco. There is NO ALLOWABLE LIMIT of tobacco that can cross the border duty free unless you have physically been outside of Canadian borders for 48 hours.

peckinpahhombre · Jul 12, 2014

Sadly, this is already out of date (current only to March 27, 2013). The 2014 federal budget increased tobacco taxes yet again. Current federal rate is $6.57188 per 50g or portion thereof as a result of the 2014 federal budget. I would not be surprised if some of the provincial numbers have shifted for the worse as well.
It also ignores sales taxes, which of course is on the purchase price (translated to Cdn$) AND is also applied to the tobacco taxes as well.

andrew · Jul 12, 2014

http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/02/11/federal-budget-unveils-major-tax-hike-for-smokers-that-will-see-jump-in-cost-of-cigarettes-tobacco-and-cigars/

My goodness the government websites can't even keep up with the tax hikes, and it's going to increase every 5 years. If you go to your provincial website it will give you current tax rates, mine jumped 5 cents/GM from the chart

kanada · Jul 12, 2014

$10-15(for a tin) + $15(alberta tax) + $6.5(federal)=$32-37/tin...that hurts.

alex87 · Jul 13, 2014

I'm already paying $30~ a tin anyway. Just have to make a roadtrip or two each year from now on I guess. Funny how they use the reasoning behind this is to generate millions in taxes, yet they want people to quit using tobacco products. How will they generate their millions of dollars if everyone quit?

micdabutcher · Jul 13, 2014

Try living in Australia. $50+ aud for 50gm

andrew · Jul 13, 2014

It's still way cheaper for me to order online, for 10 tins of escudo and 8 oz of bright cr flake it cost me about 380$ in duty, but where I live it would cost me about 45$ a tin and then gst/pst on top of that, so over 500$ for 10 tins alone, so I still got it cheaper plus 8 ounces of tobacco on top of it. I'm an unrepentant capitalist, if my local B&M goes out of business it's the governments fault for putting such ridiculous tax grabs on tobacco. As it's been stated before, if you keep your orders small, like 2 tins, customs doesn't find it worth the time to bother inspecting it or doing the paperwork. I know people who get small orders that state tobacco on the package but don't get charged duty. Of course don't count on this as a guarantee that it will happen to you so be prepared to pay the duty and taxes, and if you're lucky enough to not get assessed, don't be advertising it on the internet.

kanada · Jul 28, 2014

put in a 200g order, we'll see how it goes in the next few weeks

kanada · Aug 13, 2014

got the order yesterday, was assessed $120 in duty and other taxes...worked out to $45/tin. About what you pay here anyways

skapunk1 · Aug 14, 2014

Ouch man....holy hell...

marpipe · Aug 14, 2014

What was the wording on the package's custom declaration? Who did you order from?
Did you pay it or tell them to dump it?

purplemotoman · Aug 14, 2014

I am hoping you paid it. If we refuse packages then we will no longer have any suppliers from the U.S. wanting to do business across the border.

dochudson · Aug 14, 2014

It's still way cheaper for me to order online, for 10 tins of escudo and 8 oz of bright cr flake it cost me about 380$ in duty, but where I live it would cost me about 45$ a tin and then gst/pst on top of that, so over 500$ for 10 tins alone, so I still got it cheaper plus 8 ounces of tobacco on top of it. I'm an unrepentant capitalist, if my local B&M goes out of business it's the governments fault for putting such ridiculous tax grabs on tobacco. As it's been stated before, if you keep your orders small, like 2 tins, customs doesn't find it worth the time to bother inspecting it or doing the paperwork. I know people who get small orders that state tobacco on the package but don't get charged duty. Of course don't count on this as a guarantee that it will happen to you so be prepared to pay the duty and taxes, and if you're lucky enough to not get assessed, don't be advertising it on the internet.
or all the smokers willing to take the chance of breaking the law and not getting caught?
if I was a dealer in the US willing to ship to Canada it would be made perfectly clear you own the tobacco and no refund if you don't want to pay the duties if you get busted.

cosmicfolklore · Aug 14, 2014

In an attempt to help out a fellow forum member (Canadian)try a flake before buying it, I volunteered to send him a few flakes of the blend that I just happened to have open. I put them in a small zip lock bag and mailed it in an envelope. This was probably $2 worth of tobacco.

The carrier that picks up my deliveries every morning took them and processed them UPS. He called me from the (wherever it is they process the packages) and asked me what the contents were, as it obviously wasn't jewelry or stones. I told him it was samples of tobacco. It cost me $20+. Then I got a call from the Canadian UPS, and they wanted $20 more dollars. I figured that this was taxes or something. So, I paid it. Then the forum member was hit up for an additional $100+. He wrote me to ask me if it was worth it. I said "NO."
Then yesterday, UPS asked me if I wanted the package back, if so it was going to be $30 more. I creatively suggested to them where they could put that package.
This was two flakes in an envelope. I paid almost $50 and if we had of paid all of the money that they wanted, it would have made two flakes of Klondike Gold cost almost $180.
I figured the whole thing to just be an expensive learning experience. But, why do people want to live up there in the ice and cold anyways? : puffy

:

purplemotoman · Aug 14, 2014

cosmic..UPS is absolutely nuts up here. Packages don't get delivered, packages are super late and extra charges are mainstream with them.It sucks that you didn't get your stuff back.

cosmicfolklore · Aug 14, 2014

Well, I figured I paid that much to get the privilege of telling UPS where to stick two flake. Fold and stuff, right? Ha ha!!

purplemotoman · Aug 14, 2014

I have not been hit yet at the border but when I do, if you add up all my purchases, it will still be way way cheaper than buying from my local.

purplemotoman · Aug 14, 2014

Exactly. Fold and stuff.

peckinpahhombre · Aug 14, 2014

That stinks Cosmic. Never, ever send tobacco across the border via UPS. Put the two flakes in a mailing envelope, put a standard stamp on it, and be done with it. I don't know who the forum member in question is, but if they still want to try some KG let me know and I will send them some.

or all the smokers willing to take the chance of breaking the law and not getting caught?

You aren't breaking any law by ordering tobacco online. I agree though, if you get assessed for duty you should pay the bill.

if I was a dealer in the US willing to ship to Canada it would be made perfectly clear you own the tobacco and no refund if you don't want to pay the duties if you get busted.

All the ones I know of who ship to Canada make it clear that duties are your responsibility alone.

mrcloud · Aug 14, 2014

Thinking about buying seeds and lifting a single finger for the government. I too am Canadian and am used to bending over for them to stick it to me.

Canadian Duty Taxes of Mail Orders

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