Returning purchase to the US? Get a refund of your paid tax.

It happens -- you buy something from the US and now want to return it. No problem. Most US retailers have comprehensive return policies and will take care of you (and in the case of defective goods, sometimes even pay your return shipping). But how do you get back that tax and duty amount that you paid?

If your retailer included tax and duty at the time of sale, as does B&H Photo Video with their ground purolator shipping, you'd automatically get the full amount refunded to your credit card. If you had to pay tax and duty seperately (either to Canada Post or UPS) you'll have to fill out some forms to get your money back.

Warning: if you're using a Canadian dollar credit card, you're going to lose money as you'll pay foreign exchange fees both ways. Get a US dollar credit card if you're purchasing often from the US!

CBSA Informal Adjustment Request

If you weren't charged tax and duty directly by your retailer, you'll have to deal directly with the CBSA. 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. The B2G form can be found here. Be sure to state that the reason is "Goods return to sender/exported", and provide all the documentation you can: the original import documentation, the credit note from the vendor, and the export documentation. Then just mail it in and wait!

If you have any other questions or problems, please contact us. 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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