Got charged duties/taxes for whole leaf tobacco - suggestions needed

[korichards]

I'm in British Columbia. Ordered 4.5 lbs from Leaf Only, got dinged with $418 in fees after it languished in customs for over two weeks. $295 of that was in provincial sales tax. Anyone else had something similar happen to them? Did you appeal?

 

[burge]

I'm in British Columbia. Ordered 4.5 lbs from Leaf Only, got dinged with $418 in fees after it languished in customs for over two weeks. $295 of that was in provincial sales tax. Anyone else had something similar happen to them? Did you appeal?

You can appeal that. The fees should only be the HST on top of the product value with duties and the 10 dollar handling fee

 

[stdly]

I'm in British Columbia. Ordered 4.5 lbs from Leaf Only, got dinged with $418 in fees after it languished in customs for over two weeks. $295 of that was in provincial sales tax. Anyone else had something similar happen to them? Did you appeal?

That sucks big time.
Do they not read the include paper work that WLT attaches to the outside of the package for us Canadians..
I,m in Ontario and received my 5 pound order today, the tax and duty charge was $30.64.
I paid the duty online yesterday and requested to my door delivery. Mine was in customs for 13 days.
I have never paid more than $37 it was for a 5.5 pound order.
Were did it go for customs mine went to Mississauga this time but sometimes goes to Montreal or Toronto?

 

[korichards]

You can appeal that. The fees should only be the HST on top of the product value with duties and the 10 dollar handling fee

Thanks for the response. Would you be able to point me to any relevant legislation in B.C. that says whole leaf tobacco is exempt? Based on this webpage it seems like they charge 65 cents per gram of "other tobacco" which would have made my PST something like $1400!

 

[korichards]

That sucks big time.
Do they not read the include paper work that WLT attaches to the outside of the package for us Canadians..
I,m in Ontario and received my 5 pound order today, the tax and duty charge was $30.64.
I paid the duty online yesterday and requested to my door delivery. Mine was in customs for 13 days.
I have never paid more than $37 it was for a 5.5 pound order.
Were did it go for customs mine went to Mississauga this time but sometimes goes to Montreal or Toronto?

It went to Vancouver for customs, and it wasn't through WLT, it was through Leaf Only. I will definitely try WLT next time (wish that they sold tubes though as I'll need some more).

 

[deluxestogie]

Canada whole leaf laws

Thank you Lakota for posting this in another thread. Here is a link to the cbsa pdf on raw leaf tobacco tax http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/trade-com...-t2015-eng.pdf . Page 329 will show all taxes on imported raw leaf. An Ontario law means " nothing to the other provinces in Canada", If in...

fairtradetobacco.com

 

[stdly]

Thanks for the response. Would you be able to point me to any relevant legislation in B.C. that says whole leaf tobacco is exempt? Based on this webpage it seems like they charge 65 cents per gram of "other tobacco" which would have made my PST something like $1400!

View attachment 43934

In the form we buy this leaf it is considered Unmanufactured leaf tobacco 2401.10.99.
Canada Border Services Agency Chapter 24 T2020 2401.10.99 unmanufactured tobacco.
Tobacco not stemmed or stripped 5.5%.
According to paragraph 25(3)(a).
An individual who is not a tobacco licensee may manufacture tobacco from raw leaf tobacco on which
excise duty has been paid, provided that the tobacco is for the individuals personal use.

 

[burge]

I also posted the link as lose tobacco means processed in a bag. Raw tobacco is like 1.79 a kg

 

[burge]

Big Bonner's came straight through WLT order this time is being held even when the US tracking states it cleared customs while Canada Post says being held for further review. I have asked customs to make a note I order every year but was out of both this time around.

 

[Clamp Tramp]

I thought imported unprocessed tobacco to Canada was limited to 2 pounds. Otherwise you get hit with duties.

 

[burge]

I thought imported unprocessed tobacco to Canada was limited to 2 pounds. Otherwise you get hit with duties.

The personal exemption is 15kgs a year. That only applies to raw leaf tobacco. I order 12lbs all the time. I have actually emailed customs with the invoice.

 

[Clamp Tramp]

Wow! I had no idea a person cold gather that much tobacco. thanx for the heads up.

 

[Clamp Tramp]

I have only ever bought 2 pounds at a time from LO. I didn't know of any Canadian sites I could buy raw tobacco leaf in Canada.
My favourite tobacco comes from Dominican. You can keep your Cuban, I do like it, but I have to store any sticks from Cuba for up to a year
for it to not affect me with joint pain similar to gout. I am hooked on Davidoff, Alec Bradley; American Market cigars, and Ghurka; 125th anniversary cigars. absolutely, in my
eyes as the epitomy of exquisite blends. Altough I wouldn't turn up my nose at Siglo 2 sticks, either.

 

[burge]

The personal exemption is 15kgs a year. That only applies to raw leaf tobacco. I order 12lbs all the time. I have actually emailed customs with the invoice.

Duty was 25.68 something like that

 

[pottsS]

My last order was held at customs for three weeks! I should receive it within the next week now that they finally released it. I just hope they didn't assess me a bunch of duty! Anyways, I just thought I'd give other Canadians a heads up because that is the longest it has ever taken to clear customs so allow lots of time. My son went to buy a 200g tin of tobacco...$188.00! $153 for a carton of the cheapest cigarettes!

 

[deluxestogie]

Might the public workers' strike be delaying customs?

Bob

 

[burge]

My last order was held at customs for three weeks! I should receive it within the next week now that they finally released it. I just hope they didn't assess me a bunch of duty! Anyways, I just thought I'd give other Canadians a heads up because that is the longest it has ever taken to clear customs so allow lots of time. My son went to buy a 200g tin of tobacco...$188.00! $153 for a carton of the cheapest cigarettes!

I contact customs with mine and said it was straight forward as I am allowed 15kg a year for a personal exemption. It's for personal use only. This year I had made 2 orders and it isn't for sale. Just be polite recite the tax code.

 

[93rdCanadian]

My last order was held at customs for three weeks! I should receive it within the next week now that they finally released it. I just hope they didn't assess me a bunch of duty! Anyways, I just thought I'd give other Canadians a heads up because that is the longest it has ever taken to clear customs so allow lots of time. My son went to buy a 200g tin of tobacco...$188.00! $153 for a carton of the cheapest cigarettes!

A few weeks seems to be pretty typical for me but I haven't had any issues with excessive duty personally. I think it might be the CBSA officer can't believe how low the tax is so they wait to show their supervisor to confirm

 

[pottsS]

Might the public workers' strike be delaying customs?

Bob

Maybe...I've been listening to the news and I'm not sure exactly what federal employees are on strike...they never mention customs but it seems likely that they are part, it was at customs just a few days before the strike started. Maybe that is good, maybe some disgruntled customs officer won't even be bothered to charge me the federal and provincial sales tax!

I contact customs with mine and said it was straight forward as I am allowed 15kg a year for a personal exemption. It's for personal use only. This year I had made 2 orders and it isn't for sale. Just be polite recite the tax code.

I just hope I don't have to. I feel like it was there long enough they should have got it right!

A few weeks seems to be pretty typical for me but I haven't had any issues with excessive duty personally. I think it might be the CBSA officer can't believe how low the tax is so they wait to show their supervisor to confirm

Most of the worst case scenarios I've heard have been when it arrives at Vancouver customs.

 

[burge]

Sometimes it is very busy I just copy and paste the order and let them know exactly what it is. I order every year the problem is it does to a different spot every year.