Canada Import Duty on Alcohol

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I'm going to Japan for a few weeks, and since I don't go to Japan super often (last time was 2 years ago) I was thinking of bringing back some Japanese alcohol that I can't get in Canada. I know I have an alcohol duty-free limit as a Canadian citizen, but I was thinking of going over that limit (and declaring it, of course). I can't seem to find a good resource to calculate the duty though, to determine if it's worth it or not, and I don't want any surprises when I return.

The specific types of alcohol I am considering bringing back are whiskey and plum wine, if it helps at all.



Best Answer

The duty you owe is a moving target, as it is subject to a national excise duty and to provincial taxes, and possibly GST on top of that. Your personal exemption also varies depending not only on the type of alcoholic beverage, but on the length of your trip. It is apparently enough of a headache that CBSA does not bother to include alcohol in its Duty and Taxes Estimator, which is too bad.

For Ontario, I would expect the Importing Beverage Alcohol guide from the LCBO to be most up-to-date, but note that the provincial taxes are based on where you enter Canada, not where you reside. If you go through customs in Vancouver, you would be subject to British Columbia taxes even if you live in Manitoba.

Toronto-based private immigration consultancy ImmiGroup estimates

In general, expect the cost of your beer and liquor to double and the price of your wine to increase by 60% once you've paid duties and taxes at the border.

There is a company called Border Buddy, aimed at commercial importation, which provides a web-based online calculator for calculating duties (note that they appear to be unaffiliated with the mobile apps going by the same name). I cannot vouch for its accuracy, but it seemed more optimistic, estimating around 18 CAD in duty on 50 CAD of whisky. The wild variance from ImmiGroup's estimate makes me think it is omitting some levy or another, however.




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How much is duty tax on alcohol into Canada?

Duties will apply when you exceed these allowances. Typical charges are $2.00 \u2013 $3.00 per bottle of liquor, $1.30 per case of beer and $3.90 per carton of cigarettes.

Can you import alcohol into Canada?

You must have the goods with you when you enter Canada. You can bring back up to 1.5 litres of wine or 1.14 litres of alcoholic beverages or up to 8.5 litres of beer. Some tobacco products*and alcoholic beverages may be included in your personal exemption.

How much is duty on alcohol?

The Beer Duty you pay is 19.08p x 5.0 = 95.40 pence per litre. This works out at just over 54 pence a pint (about 568ml or 0.568 litres)....Beer Duty.Strength (ABV)Beer Duty rate per litre for each % of alcoholMore than 1.2%, up to 2.8%8.42 penceMore than 2.8%, up to 7.5%19.08 penceMore than 7.5%24.77 pence



A CANADIAN'S GUIDE TO BRINGING ALCOHOL BACK ACROSS THE U.S. BORDER




Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

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