Accidentally charged duty? Get a refund.

I don't want to scare you, but mistakes happen. From the e-mails we've been getting, we estimate 2 of every 100 orders are accidentally charged duty. (Personally, we've never had this problem.) Take a deep breath and don't worry; we can fix this. It could be a result of several different things:

• If using UPS or FedEx: The store may have misclassified the product on their customs form using the wrong customs code.
  
• If using USPS/Canada Post: The Canadian customs agent may have misclassified the product, likely because the description given by the store was not sufficient.
  
• That's not duty! You've been charged a combination of tax or brokerage fees.
  
• Some items actually do have duty!
  

Over the course of this article, I'm going to show you how to figure out what went wrong, and how to (hopefully) get your money back.

What are these charges?

Take a deep breath. Look it over. Study your importing documentation carefully. Were you charged any tax or brokerage fees? If yes, you should have expected tax, and you could have avoided brokerage fees. Read our article for more information.

Okay, it's really duty. How do I figure out why? Again, the answer to this is on your shipping documentation.

• If you're using UPS/FedEx, your shipping waybill should have a few sheets of paper describing what you bought. For each item, there'll be a customs code (for example, 9006.51.00 for SLR Cameras). These customs codes are what the courier company (your "customs broker") uses to determine how much duty to charge you. Most large retailers are pretty good about using the right codes. Occasionally they make mistakes. Our table of duty on camera equipment lists some of the common customs codes. You can also look them up from the CBSA Website.

• If you're using USPS / Canada Post, no customs codes are given. But you can easily see how much duty you were charged: the percentage is given in the "duty" box. Check to see if this is correct. You can always call the CBSA and ask them which categories your imported goods were classified under. Their phone number is 1-800-461-9999.

It's duty, and it's wrong. How do I get it back?

If you're sure the customs codes used were wrong, you can file an amendment or adjustment request. How you do it and how much it costs depends on which courier company or shipment method you used.

• I'm using UPS. You can ask UPS to file a "Low Value Shipping Amendment", provided that you do this on or before the 10th of the month following the shipping date. Your shipment must also be valued less than $1,600. A fee of $15.00 applies for the amendment, so don't bother filing if your duty unless your duty fees are significantly more than $15.00! If your shipment was valued $1,600 or above, you're out of luck; a standard amendment costs a whopping $50.00.

• I'm using FedEx. Unfortunately, this is much more expensive. Asking FedEx to file a "Low Value Shipment Entry Correction" is possible, provided that you do this on or before the 20th of the month following the shipping date and your shipment is valued less than $1,600. A whopping fee of $25.00 applies for the amendment! If your shipment was valued $1,600 or above, you're out of luck; a standard amendment costs $75.00 (or 8% of the refund, whichever is greater)!

• I'm using USPS / Canada Post. You'll have to deal directly with the CBSA for this one. Fill out the B2G, Customs Informal Adjustment Request Form and mail it into one of their Casual Refund Centres. You can find all the information on this webpage. Be sure to clearly state the reason for your duty adjustment; it helps greatly if you write down the correct customs classification code on the form. You can also use the form on the backside of your import documentation. This is much cheaper than dealing with courier companies: your total cost is one stamp.

Tell your retailer. Even if you don't decide to file an adjustment, be sure to tell your retailer if you feel that they've misclassified something. They might be willing to offer you a discount or other perk; at the very least, they should hopefully fix the problem so the next Canadian doesn't get dinged by the very same thing!

That's all, folks.

If you have any other questions or problems, please contact us. Still can't figure it out? You can send us a copy of your importing documentation and we can take a look. Just let us know. Good luck, and happy photographing!

P.S. When buying from the States we recommend Adorama or B&H Photo Video, two of the biggest and most respected camera stores down south.

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