@Singed do they charge as high duty on pipes as they do tobacco?
@Swede No. Smoking accesories are only taxed the provincial and federal sales taxes on the original purchased value (icluding shipping) and a 4% tax on any total value greater than $40 CDN for internation processing. On the other hand, tobacco is similarly taxed with an additional 0.46 cent per gram tariff, which you can imagine adds up very quickly. A 1lb order of tobacco (454g) costs me $209 CDN in tariff. Exchange varies but the tobacco tariff is based on weight so it is predictable and the taxes are more or less the same as anything I would buy in the store. The original price of the actual tobacco, at $11.00 - 21.00/50g US ($16.90-32.00 CDN ), really isn't a big deal to me. A 50g tin of tobacco costs $55-65 CDN for the most affordable pouch brands, +/- $500 CDN / lb locally. I also have infinitely more selection from America than I have ever had here, even with the demise of Sutliff/MacBaren.
My latest order should have had a $92.00 tariff on the tobacco alone (200g of Kopp tobaccos) The sales taxes and processing would have come to only $28.67 on the original Canadian purchase price of $150.92 ($104.89 US). I expected a total of +/- $250.00 CDN for the shipment: 2 pipes, 200g tobacco, and sundry supplies, the tobacco alone would cost me+/- $240.00 locally.
It is worth the hassle but when I get shipments processed at Montreal, QC customs, the stupid bastards always tack on their provincial tariffs and then I have to submit a reassessment for refund. If the end destination is not Quebec, their tariff is inapplicable but the greedy bastards try it every time. I have not had errors in calculation via CBSA in Mississauga, ON.
Of course, there was no tax or tariff on this latest shipment, they seem to have overlooked it. Still, I would not be surprised to received a notice, in 6 - 12 weeks, demanding the applicable taxes. I would be obliged to pay it but would file a reassessment because it arrived through Montreal. We will see....
