The Breitling Watch Source Forums

I'm planning to buy a watch from a US seller (private) and have it shipped to a friend of mine in Canada. What is the best/smartest way to have the watch shipped? What kind of taxes and duties can I expect to pay? Can it be shipped as a gift (which it of course is since I'm not the one receiving the package)?

I know that there has been some topics on this subject, but most of them have been about watches moving from CAN -> US so this would be the other way around. Although I noticed that MarkJnk posted this comment in one thread (http://www.breitlingsource.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=9025&hilit=canada+duty+us): "But going the other way, US to Canada, I get hit 95% of the time for whatever value is declared on the customs form, with the exception of the $65 gift exemption." Anybody have first hand experience with this?

Thanks!
Feel free to PM me if you want.

Well usual disclaimer.........

If the person paying for the watch is the person paying for the watch then the law requires taxes and duties to be paid. Reducing the value, claiming its'a gift, etc is illegal.

The costs due are:

1) GST
2) PST if applicable (or 1 and 2 combined in HST)
3) Import duty (5% currently)
4) Handling fees charges by the shipper
5) GST on handling fees

Claiming that it's a gift is simply going to reduce the assessed value for 1, 2 and 3 by $65.

You can ship it as an item for repair which should not then be assessed for duty, though in my experience frequently is and you then have to claim the money back from the government. The government is also well aware that people use this method and look more closely at these - again, if you get caught shipping a new watch as a repair then it's a criminal offense.

You can bring the watch across the border in person, but yet again, failure to declare it is illegal.