My GF (Stainz) and I are going to Vegas in April (Vegas baby, Vegas!) and I have a couple of questions.
I like having a well stocked bar at home, and I love the fact that we can buy cheap liquor south of the border. Now I have a couple of questions:
If I buy a 1 litre bottle of scotch in a duty free shop in Canada on my way to the states, than when I’m in the states if I buy another bottle of scotch can I bring both back without a problem? Because technically the first bottle was bought in Canada.
I believe I am allowed to bring back 1 litre of booze back into Canada. But if I buy a bunch in the duty free shop, does that mean I can bring back more than the 1 litre (because it is “duty free” right?).
I tried looking at the Canada Customs website, but frankly it sucks. And because it’s tax season, it seems all the info they have relates to taxes.
Nice try, but no. While it was bought in Canada, you didn’t pay Canadian taxes on it. You will have to pay a duty on it when you re-enter Canada (and, frankly, don’t buy it at the duty free shop; as an American who has been to Vegas, I assure you that you will be amazed at how cheap booze is in Vegas, and it will almost certainly be cheaper than the duty free shop).
You are allowed to bring in 1.5 liters (two fifths) per adult of drinking age upon reentering the country after an absence of more than 24 hours (and up to 200 cigarettes - can you pick some up for me?). They don’t care where you bought the booze or cigarettes, just that you aren’t bringing into the country more than you are allowed to.
No, from a duty point of view a bottle of scotch bought in a duty free shop was NOT bought in Canada, and it counts against your duty-free exemption. That’s why you can’t simply buy it in the duty free store and immediately walk out of the airport with it.
See I Declare and scroll down to “What to expect when you return to Canada”.
PS I actually had to Google “Je declare”, because Google thinks “I” is too common a word.
which includes information about Duty Free shops. Also, there was a question about Duty Free shops in GQ with in the last year; I believe Una Perrson gave the best answer (she travels a lot, and is familiar with Duty Free shops). A search of GQ might be helpful.
You’re trying to have it both ways here. The first bottle was sold to you without Canadian duty on the understanding that you would take it outside the country. If you bring it back into Canada, you pay duty on it.
If you mean that you’re buying it in the Canadian duty free shop, see answer to 1 above. But if you mean that you’re buying it in the U.S. duty free shop, it’s free of U.S. duty because you’re going to take it out of the U.S. That doesn’t free you from the obligation to pay Canadian duty.