Importing An Albin into Canada

[BuoyOBuoy]

Who knew? Or maybe I should have.
I have purchased an older (1979) Albin 33 2 years ago and have kept it in Florida. Now I want to bring it back to my home port on Lake Ontario.
I just found out there is a 9.5 % import duty on top of the 13 % tax because the boat was built in Taiwan.
Could that be why there are no Albins for sale in Canada? I am going to do it because I love the boat ....but silly me !

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. BOB. IF things haven't changed:


When you import a US purchased boat into Canada within 1 year of purchase, you pay taxes and fees based on your purchase price. After one year you pay fees on book value which may be substantially lower.



Long, long, long shot, but if the boat was documented in the US it may qualify, somehow, under NAFTA rules. As I said, long shot. Another one: Taiwan may be a "most favoured nation" Which also lowers some duties/taxes.


"...because I love the boat ....but silly me !" Not at all. You're suffering, as are all of us, from NMS. (Nautical Mistress Syndrome) Nothing to be ashamed of...

 

[koliver]

Who knew? Or maybe I should have.
I have purchased an older (1979) Albin 33 2 years ago and have kept it in Florida. Now I want to bring it back to my home port on Lake Ontario.
I just found out there is a 9.5 % import duty on top of the 13 % tax because the boat was built in Taiwan.
Could that be why there are no Albins for sale in Canada? I am going to do it because I love the boat ....but silly me !

10 years ago I imported a Caribe dinghy with a Honda outboard. Countries of origin Venezuela and Japan. Dutiable at 6% if imported new from those countries.
At the border I paid 5% GST on the actual purchase price paid earlier that day in Blaine. No duty, as the goods were used and not being imported from their countries of origin.
I had borrowed a trailer with valid BC plates on it. The border guys spent more time cross examining me on the ownership of the trailer than they did on the dinghy and outboard.

In 2017 I decided to import a Mercedes that I had in California. A 2004 convertible that was built in Germany and imported new into the US. I expected to pay 6%, as that is what the Canadian web site showed for vehicles imported from Germany.

When I got to the border, I paid 5% GST on the value of the vehicle as determined by going to the Kelly Blue Book site and putting in the VIN#. KBB said it was worth 40% of what I had paid 15 months before. No duty was payable, after all, I wasn't importing from Germany, but from the US and it wasn't new.

You might reduce your anxiety by phoning the border and talking directly to them.

There are lots of Albins in BC, though I don't know how they got here.

Edit: The Provincial Gov will want the Prov Sales Tax when you license or Register the boat in Ontario.

 

[Jeff F]

Just saw a sistership for sale in Ontario, coincidentally.

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-powerboat-motorboat/sault-ste-marie/trawler-for-sale/1564817860

You may get lucky and just pay HST but be prepared to pay both.

 

[Lou_tribal]

Is there the concept of vintage collectible with boat as there is with car? When importing cars to Canada, vintage collectible are not subject to the same taxes as new cars.

L

 

[BuoyOBuoy]

Importing an Albin into Canada

Thanks for the comforting replies.
I learned of the import tax from a customs broker who is doing the paperwork as the boat is arriving at the border by transport.
It surprised me because the boat had been in the USA since 1980 and really I had "thought" it would have been grandfathered by now. I would just pay the 13% HST.
In short, it was something I never considered.
Lesson learned.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. BOB. The good thing is the Canadian/US exchange rate is much more favorable than it's been in recent history.