Import 4runner to canada

[Lurker]

It is illegal for a Canadian to drive a US tiled vehicle into Canada, unless you are importing and do the paperwork at the border via declaration.

***EDIT***

I'm calling BS on this. You mean to tell me a Canadian living in the States can't drive home over Christmas to see his family in Toronto?

Surely it's illegal for the Torontonian to cross the border for the sole purpose of buying a vehicle to avoid Canadian tax. BUT, a Canadian CAN drive a US titled vehicle in Canada. (I have nothing official to back this claim up except logic.)

 

[dekeman]

CDN dollar was actually worth more than USD today so anyone wanting to import should consider it. The paperwork is not that complicated, and the savings can be large. IE, a 2011 4R LE for sale right now in upstate NY with 645 miles on it is listed for $39,990. Assuming you bought it for $38,500, the cost with duty and fees is $41,000. Add Ontario tax and you're at $46,330 TOTAL.
In Ontario, the exact same LE costs $51,755 with fees (but no negotiation). With tax, that's $58,483.
The $ savings from buying in US, then, is $12,153. Sure that doesn't include your time, but I look at car shopping and saving money as something fun to do.
With the dollar at or close to to par, the question is not "is it worth it." The question is, how could you not bother to export one? As long as you do your diligence, know what you're buying, do the paperwork correctly (a fun challenge actually), it would be foolish not to take advantage of NAFTA's rules that allow vehicle exports and imports.

 

[terminator]

***EDIT***

I'm calling BS on this. You mean to tell me a Canadian living in the States can't drive home over Christmas to see his family in Toronto?

Surely it's illegal for the Torontonian to cross the border for the sole purpose of buying a vehicle to avoid Canadian tax. BUT, a Canadian CAN drive a US titled vehicle in Canada. (I have nothing official to back this claim up except logic.)

Should have clarified Canadian "resident" rather than "citizen"... legal definition..
it is true, unless you can prove legal residency outside of Canada... Residency is the key, if you are living in the US then you must have a visa or dual citizenship and a non Canadian DL. A Canadian resident can't drive a US car into Canada without declaring it for importation.

The OP is returning to become a "resident" Canadian

Residency can be open to interpretation by customs...

 

[Isk@k2]

Thanks Terminator. Yes having lived in Ontario, we know all about the taxes etc. My specific concern is having to pay duty/taxes on the "Canadian Book Value" versus what I paid for the car. When I call the border they say "purchase price". We have a 2011 and 2009 vehicle. While we know we will save it is a matter of how much really. But I have spoken to someone else who did it a year ago who was a resident of the USA moving back to live in Ontario and the border used book value versus purchase price. I guess I just got to find out what the book value is on both vehicles and do the math. If anyone else has any experience doing this as a former resident who moves back to Ontario, I would appreciate any insight.

 

[terminator]

You can look up the Canadian Black value here..

Canadian Black Book Car Values, New & Used Cars, Prices, Reviews & Research


highlight what is my car worth
click I want to sell it myself

enter details

Average asking price for my 2010 Limited is 33.275 and that is way, way off retail, maybe 75%-80% of retail, perhaps this is a wholesale average.


Hopefully customs uses this number, call and ask if they look up black value because it is way low from retail. I heard they do but that was a while ago...

 

[pattycakes]

I was trying to go through a broker out of Calgary and that was the best I would save $1000.00 . I was too busy working shut downs to try on my own to get the best deal or figure out the seemingly huge amount of red tape ,it really might not be that bad if I had time to solely concentrate on it . No time for nothing doing 30 days in a row working. I made enough in that rip to buy the rig cash so I walked into the dealership up here with no lube and took it raw .:boink: