declaration of goods

[ange]

I'd like some advice:
I am a Canadian citizen, living abroad for the past 5 years.
In December I am moving back to Canada with my husband. We have applied for a Permanent Residence Visa for him but it is not in yet (and probably won't be in December either) so he will be entering Canada as a tourist.
I have a container of furniture and things following. If I say that the container is mine, do I have to pay taxes on it? Is it smarter to say the container is my husband's?

Do we have to fill out Personal Effects Accounting Documents from the Canadian Border Services Agency? Or will a simple list made in Word suffice?

Thanks!

[canuckinchina]

You or your husband will have to pay the tax and duty on the goods.  You are allowed up to a limit of personal property that are exempt (clothes, personal items,  computer, etc) but for a container full of stuff purchased outside of Canada you will need to pay.  Your shipping company can more than likely help you determine the cost.  Also, using a company like DHL, FedEx (they have container services also) you can usually get a better deal on customs, etc then most freight forwarders and customs brokers will charge.

[lesley]

You or your husband will have to pay the tax and duty on the goods.  You are allowed up to a limit of personal property that are exempt (clothes, personal items,  computer, etc) but for a container full of stuff purchased outside of Canada you will need to pay.  Your shipping company can more than likely help you determine the cost.  Also, using a company like DHL, FedEx (they have container services also) you can usually get a better deal on customs, etc then most freight forwarders and customs brokers will charge.

Can I know what happen if we have stuffs that was used, do we have to pay tax for those items? How many goods do each family allow to bring?

[AllisonVSC]

You or your husband will have to pay the tax and duty on the goods.  You are allowed up to a limit of personal property that are exempt (clothes, personal items,  computer, etc) but for a container full of stuff purchased outside of Canada you will need to pay.  Your shipping company can more than likely help you determine the cost.  Also, using a company like DHL, FedEx (they have container services also) you can usually get a better deal on customs, etc then most freight forwarders and customs brokers will charge.

This is incorrect.

See http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/pub/bsf5087-eng.html
and also http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/pub/bsf5113-eng.html#s4

[AmericaninQuebec]

I'd like some advice:
I am a Canadian citizen, living abroad for the past 5 years.
In December I am moving back to Canada with my husband. We have applied for a Permanent Residence Visa for him but it is not in yet (and probably won't be in December either) so he will be entering Canada as a tourist.
I have a container of furniture and things following. If I say that the container is mine, do I have to pay taxes on it? Is it smarter to say the container is my husband's?

Do we have to fill out Personal Effects Accounting Documents from the Canadian Border Services Agency? Or will a simple list made in Word suffice?

Thanks!

Your husband can bring with him items after he receives PR, but not before, and they will be duty free. If you are returning them right away you should put them in your name since they won't be duty free anyway, and you won't want him having to explain why he is a visitor receiving a shipment of goods of that size in Canada.