Declaring Jewelry

[BermyCat 1]

Here are the rules for the temporary importation of engagement rings if you are planning to move out of Canada:

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/dm.../d2-1-3-eng.pdf

I didn't read the whole thing but it looks like there is a special form to fill out and you don't have to pay import duty.

Honestly though, I doubt the customs guy will even notice the ring on your finger. At least you have a legal process to follow if he/she does.

~ Catherine

[~Laura and Nick~ 5]

Wear it and go on across the border.

I wear a lot of jewelry and never once was asked if any of it was a gift.

It's on you, it's your personal property, You won't have to declare it.

Congratulations!!!

[~Laura and Nick~ 5]

Congrats!!

R officially proposed on Thursday and brought the ring across the border and didn't claim it at all

I can't stop looking at my ring either!!! Hehehe

OH YAY!!!

Congrats honey!!!

Pictures!!!!

[neiks 19]

YES YES YES, you need to declare it! You will not have to pay any duty or tax on it, but if you don't declare it and are asked about it you could possible have it seized and have to pay a penalty 80% of the value to get it back. Is it really worth the chance.

It is your obligation in your declaration as you are asked "did you purchase or recieve any goods or gifts"

[Carlawarla 1]

Congratulations on the "official" engagement!

Listen to neiks, who is a Canadian Border Official.

When Gene and I got officially engaged, Gene proposed in the Edmonton Airport. He had a hat on he had made saying "Will You Marry Me?" He was lined up for Customs, and was role-playing in his head the actual proposal when it came to his turn. He was very nervous, shaking etc. The guy asked what his business was, and Gene said to visit my g/f blahblahblah. The guy made a comment about Gene's hat, and Gene very excitedly told him about his proposal as soon as he made it through Customs. Well, they sent him into Secondary, and after going through every inch of his items, asked him about the proposal again, and then asked him if he had a ring. Gene said yes, right here! Guy asked to see it, Gene pulls it out, still in the box, and the guy takes it and says..."very pretty, HOWEVER, you did not declare it!". I don't see it here at all on your declaration form. Gene said, "I didn't know I had to declare it". The guy said "why did you think that? it's a gift isn't it?" Gene said, "yes, but it's a gift of love". Guy said...doesn't matter. Who's moving where? Gene said, she'll be moving to the US when she gets a visa and he told the guy all about it. The guy said, well, hope you have the bill for that ring, because you're going to be charged the GST on it and I need to know how much it cost. Well, Gene didn't have the bill on him, but told him, and the guy did charge him the GST on the ring, and gave him a receipt. He also got a tongue lashing about bringing goods into the country, and not declaring them.

As an aside...Gene came out a half hour after everyone else was off the plane and by this time I'm freaking. He had to come through this barrier, so I couldn't go right to him at first. As we started to walk towards each other, Gene was bending and bobbing his head so I would see his hat. I was looking at him thinking...what a goof! What's he doing?! He was too far away to read the words on the hat! When he got to me, and I read the hat, he got down on one knee and said, please marry me! I was crying, and said yes...and Gene said, hurry, put the ring on before they take it from me!!!

[Flames9_RN 358]

Congratulations on the "official" engagement!

Listen to neiks, who is a Canadian Border Official.

When Gene and I got officially engaged, Gene proposed in the Edmonton Airport. He had a hat on he had made saying "Will You Marry Me?" He was lined up for Customs, and was role-playing in his head the actual proposal when it came to his turn. He was very nervous, shaking etc. The guy asked what his business was, and Gene said to visit my g/f blahblahblah. The guy made a comment about Gene's hat, and Gene very excitedly told him about his proposal as soon as he made it through Customs. Well, they sent him into Secondary, and after going through every inch of his items, asked him about the proposal again, and then asked him if he had a ring. Gene said yes, right here! Guy asked to see it, Gene pulls it out, still in the box, and the guy takes it and says..."very pretty, HOWEVER, you did not declare it!". I don't see it here at all on your declaration form. Gene said, "I didn't know I had to declare it". The guy said "why did you think that? it's a gift isn't it?" Gene said, "yes, but it's a gift of love". Guy said...doesn't matter. Who's moving where? Gene said, she'll be moving to the US when she gets a visa and he told the guy all about it. The guy said, well, hope you have the bill for that ring, because you're going to be charged the GST on it and I need to know how much it cost. Well, Gene didn't have the bill on him, but told him, and the guy did charge him the GST on the ring, and gave him a receipt. He also got a tongue lashing about bringing goods into the country, and not declaring them.

As an aside...Gene came out a half hour after everyone else was off the plane and by this time I'm freaking. He had to come through this barrier, so I couldn't go right to him at first. As we started to walk towards each other, Gene was bending and bobbing his head so I would see his hat. I was looking at him thinking...what a goof! What's he doing?! He was too far away to read the words on the hat! When he got to me, and I read the hat, he got down on one knee and said, please marry me! I was crying, and said yes...and Gene said, hurry, put the ring on before they take it from me!!!

So it sounds like ur husband met neiks!!! lol

[SapphireDreams 71]

So I don't get it.

Neiks, if you say there would be no tax or duty, why did Carla's man have to pay GST?

[Emancipation 2]

very odd indeed..

so I guess Hubby should have paid GST on the ring he bought for me ...

[DeadPoolX 9]

So I don't get it.

Neiks, if you say there would be no tax or duty, why did Carla's man have to pay GST?

I'd either say the officer didn't know or remember that rule or he did know it and merely demanded GST since he could and as a form of punishment. I've found that quite a few Customs officers (on both sides) are on a power trip whenever visitors enter the country.

Anyway... I'd suggest declaring it. However, if you really don't want to, there are other ways of getting around it. The trick is to put it somewhere they can't search or at least, do easily. I know how, but I won't specify on here. If you really want to know, PM me. Just be aware that unusual cases do occur, so it's always possible that no matter what you do and where you hide it, you could be found out. If you attempt to trick customs and they locate the ring, you'll be in a lot more trouble than if you merely "forgot to declare it" or outright did declare it from the beginning.

[EandL 0]

Congratulations on getting your ring!

I have personal experience with this because I was forced to pay duty on my engagement ring at YVR when I was returning from a visit from the US. I had had the ring for about one year and one day an officer started asking me about my earrings, watch, camera, and then finally my engagement ring. He asked me where I had gotten it and I said my fiance bought it in the US. He asked me if I had declared it and paid duty on it and said no. I honestly didn't believe it, especially since we were making plans for me to get my visa and move to the US! I got sent in to secondary where they asked me what the value of the ring was. I told them I didn't know and they gave me three choices: one, leave the ring with them and we'll appraise it and then assess the duty on it, two, contact my fiance and get him to tell them the value, or three, they would cut me a break and estimate it's value. I went with option number 3. They 'generously' assessed my ring and I had to pay $300 duty. Then they told me I needed to carry the bill with me when I travelled to prove I'd paid the duty on it.

I got by for a year going back and forth from the US without anyone noticing or asking about it, but I got nailed in the end (right before Christmas, too)!

[jedinite 0]

alternatively, if you are going to move to the US and you intend on going there before filing for your immigration papers and doing the adjustment of status route (which is faster since you are in the US to begin with) then you can probably just leave your ring with your fiancee until you move back. I know it's probably not the best idea but it saves you from getting into any sort of trouble with customs.

I am no customs officer but it would seem to me that if you declared it they could potentially get you to pay GST on it. But if you didn't declare it they could potentially confiscate it. Then again, if your fiance brought the ring up to Canada, proposed to you here, then you went down to visit him and then returned to Canada, well then you don't have to declare it because it's your property. Thus, could customs confiscate it because your fiance didn't declare it when he came, but you have it now? Not sure how that all works.

I'm sure they probably won't ask you to pay anything on it, and you'll only have to pay on the portion that your fiance paid for your setting and not the diamond if it was an heirloom. If they ask you and you tell them then yes you will get caught and you will have to pay. If you mention that you just came back from a trip and your fiance just proposed to you they will probably asked you about your ring. If you just said you're down for a visit with your fiance, I'm sure you'll go through without a hitch. Is it legal, that's probably a gray area. Is it moral? Also a gray area. But it seems to me that the people that are honest get punished more for just being honest. Why? Probably because the customs officials can prove it. Otherwise, who's to say your clothes were even purchased in Canada or the US, do you still keep receipts for them. Could they question you about wearing clothes that you wore while crossing the border, of course. Do they? Probably not.

Wish that US/Canada border crossings concentrated more on catching criminals trying to smuggle illegal goods in than punishing people that are honest and aren't trying to scam the system.

[Emancipation 2]

Honestly the more I think about this the more silly this is..

I mean really.. question someone about how long they've had a ring? Make a guy whos going to propose to his gal pay GST on the ring? That's totally infuriating to me... truly....

[trailmix 77]

I agree Em - good reference there BermyCat:

MEMORANDUM D2-1-3

Canada Border Services Agency

TEMPORARY IMPORTATION OF WEDDING PRESENTS, ENGAGEMENT RINGS, AND WEDDING RINGS

This Memorandum describes the procedure for importing wedding presents, engagement rings, and

wedding rings into Canada on a temporary basis without payment of duties when the recipient will subsequently take

up permanent residence outside Canada.

GUIDELINES AND GENERAL INFORMATION

1. In certain cases, Canadian residents marry non-residents and subsequently take up residence outside Canada. Wedding presents, wedding rings, and engagement rings acquired outside Canada may be imported for a temporary period, without payment of duties. Such articles will be documented on Form E29B, Temporary Admission Permit, subject to the posting of a refundable security

deposit.

2. When the donor imports the articles personally, Form E29B will be issued for a maximum of 15 days by the customs office where the goods arrive. If the goods are to remain in Canada beyond the 15-day period, the recipient must present the form, along with the articles, to a customs office at or nearest to his or her place of residence, to obtain a renewal for the required length of time. The form will show the names and addresses of the donor and therecipient, and, if possible, the address where the couple will reside outside Canada after the ceremony.

3. Wedding gifts may be allowed temporary entry for a maximum period of two months. Wedding rings and engagement rings are admissible for up to 12 months. All gifts, wedding rings, and engagement rings which are not exported from Canada on or before the specified time limit will be subject to duties, payable on the value of the item(s) determined at the time of initial importation

Form E29B

[minnew 4]

Thank you everyone for the congratulations! and Congratulations to SapphireDreams! I'm still in shock! It was a very casual proposal which is more our style, it was at home. He told me he was sick of keeping it a secret, for the past month,(well actually July when his mom gave him the diamond) I would be too!

Anyways, I asked my fiance last night if he has the receipt for the ring and he said he lost it! I'm sure its around the house somewhere! We have the appraisal certificates! If I don't have the receipt I will have to pay GST at the border? But no duty? I wonder if a debit/credit card statement with the purchase listed on there would suffice if we can't find the receipt by Sunday? Sometimes they don't even ask about gifts...more like a wave through, but probably not this weekend because lots of Canadians are in town shopping for day after thanksgiving sales!

The document that was posted from CBSA had in there that the ring would be duty free and temporarily imported for up to 12 months..hopefully we will be approved by then! (haven't filed yet) I just don't want to run into trouble, i am all about CYA!

[DeadPoolX 9]

Perhaps you could send the ring using FedEx? I've always found them to be expedient and reliable. I'd recommend insuring it, just to be safe.

If you mail the ring, then customs won't make you declare it at the border or airport and they probably wouldn't question you (thereby giving you a seat in secondary) or possibly confiscate it. The fact is you could merely write down that it's a ring (forgetting the engagement part) since it is a ring. Without being questioned and forced to answer, any customs officer who views it written on the package would probably not bother anymore with it.