Personal Effects

[s-m-w]

Hi,

How does it work with shipping and bringing personal effects to Canada? I found form b4a-05b, Accounting of Personal Effects Document, and filled it out for my wife so she will have it ready when she lands. Do they just stamp it at customs when she arrives? She's shipping boxes of clothes and kitchenware to our apartment in Toronto. It will arrive after she does, so I guess having that stamped document exempts us from paying any duty? We're giving my mother's work address as a secondary address in case we are not home. Will that be ok? Hoping they don't charge my mother some duty before handing over the boxes.

Thanks!

 

[BeShoo]

It all sounds good. Once she has the form stamped, the stuff can be shipped at any time. It shouldn't matter that you have indicated an alternative address.

 

[s-m-w]

Can she ship the boxes before she leaves for Canada? What if they arrive before she gets here and gets her forms stamped? Hopefully the boxes will arrive a week or so after she does, but there is a chance they could get here before she arrives. If so, will I have to pay duty on her boxes? Thanks!

 

[BeShoo]

I'm not sure exactly what the procedure is when they arrive. I'm hoping someone with experience will answer that. I expect that they will call you an ask you to pay duty and fill out paperwork or a customs broker will do that for you. You will have to tell them that they are "settler's good" and they will ask for the paperwork, I expect. I'm sure you can hold them off a bit if you don't yet have it.