Import Duties on Aviation Headsets

mdh · Post by **mdh** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 2:10 pm

Anyone know how much you get dinged for import duties when you buy a headset in the US online???

Thanks in advance!

RVR6000 · Post by **RVR6000** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 3:22 pm

Is it from a store or a private seller. Its 6% customs on the declared value. There are ways of working around this if its from a private seller.

Adam Oke · Post by **Adam Oke** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 3:42 pm

Under $100 you won't get dinged. Private seller's can send them as a "commercial sample" or "gift" to get around it. But all in all you're looking at paying taxes on a non Canadian Item as stated above. 6%.

5400AirportRdSouth · Post by **5400AirportRdSouth** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 5:18 pm

key is where its made.

Made in the USA = Duty Free ( NAFTA )

Made anywhere else....duty rate will vary or be duty free... PM me with specifics if you know ( Value / Country of Origin ) and I'll look it up for you.

If you buy off ebay and its used, the value that goes on the paperwork is somewhat relative and can be ....negotiated...... but you need the cooperation of the seller. Some sellers get very nervous and twitchy when you start asking them to lie to a foreign countries authorities...

The best way is to leave the lying up to the pro....you! Have it shipped US domestic courier ( UPS ) to your nearest US Border town and go across the line and pick it up yourself.

A used headset in your gear bag along with all your other cool pilot stuff that you always keep in the trunk of your car wouldnt look out of place now would it?

If you choose to declare it at the border ( of course you would right? )
or if you have it shipped to you and you clear it yourself in Canada, remember one very important fact....

When buying a high value item off eBay, and Customs guy asks you how you came to buy this item off some guy in TN and how the sale came about / what your relation is to the seller, and you reply " eBay ", the officers next question will be;

" whats your eBay user ID? ", and then they'll look up the auction, right there.

Did you tell the truth about how much the sale was? I hope so....

Everything gets GST at the border, thats the 6% everyone is referring to.

A couple exemptions to that, but most likely not any you could reasonably qualify for, other than asking the seller to put " gift" on the paperwork.... but them, that would be illegal....like marijuana.........

cyyz · Post by **cyyz** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 9:06 am

asking them to devalue a product will get you zero insurance so asssuming the guy off ebay feels like still sending it if it gets lost, your insurance value goes down since you had him say it was free, $10 or $100.

Made in the USA = Duty Free ( NAFTA )

I didn't know that and think you're best bet would be to use that line, oh it has a yankee mod on it, and now is "made" in the US. I've seen products made in china, assembled in US. I'm sure that thing counts as a "made in USA" thing..

So tell him to put an american flag on the headset or something removable, have him declare it as US art, and it's "made in USA" and save 6%.

Thanks 5400AirportRdSouth for the tax tip...

PS. Do not ship with UPS.. Your taxes will pale in comparison to their brokerage fees.

mdh · Post by **mdh** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 2:22 pm

Thanks to all who responded, appreciate the advice, I've done the rough math and it seems that it's still worthwhile to buy from a US dealer (putting aside patriotic sentiment, but flying is already expensive enough

)

Cheers, all