JAYMEZ' Importing from the States thread.

[JAYMEZ]

Yup you can , as long as it meets the requirments... You just have to pay alot of tax all at once lol

[Kobe]

Originally posted by JAYMEZ_STi
Yup you can , as long as it meets the requirments... You just have to pay alot of tax all at once lol

Which taxes would they be paying

Duty
and Tax..

Any dealer taxes?

[xrayvsn]

I imported a new fresh off the lot 2006 Subaru Impreza STi in Seattle Washington.

I did not have to pay State tax to drive out the door. I basically paid the invoice price, and the car was mine. I needed to prove that I was not a resident of Washington state, which I did by bringing a few utility bills from my house.

At the border, I needed to pay the following fees/duties/taxes:

$209 RIV fee
$100 Excise tax for an Air Conditioned car
6.1% Duty since the car is not manufactured in North America
7% GST on the purchase price since I crossed in May. GST is now 6%, so you'll save a few more $$.

On my car, this was around $5000 all at once, so make sure you have room on the credit card.

I gave the details in my thread which you can find here:

http://forums.beyond.ca/showthread.p...hreadid=135570

[zuniokinz]

I phoned the border this morning. I asked for the form. They faxed me the form and an info sheet. I was also told that if the title that is faxed to them is not signed over by the seller yet but the original title will be signed when you cross the border, I should specify that on the worksheet. Maybe someone phone them and confirm again. The info sheet only calls for the Worksheet and the copy of the Title but not the bill of sale.

[zuniokinz]

I faxed the copy of the title (both sides) and the worksheet to the number provided above. I got a phone call 5 minutes later from the US Border telling me that they have recieved the paperwork and just wanted to confirm the VIN. I read the VIN number to them and I was told that everything was OK and I just need to have the original title signed when I cross. He said that the copy you fax over to them didn't even need to be signed but the original has to be. Seems pretty straight forward.

Do I need to have the RIV form with me when I cross the Canadian border, or will they provide it to me?

[xrayvsn]

You get the RIV form 1 at the border at which time you can also pay your $209 RIV fee. RIV will then mail you form 2 within 2 weeks, though for me it took much longer, and several phone calls.

[Marwan]

Hi everybody,
Very good resourse for importing cars from USA.

In general is there a big price difference between US and Canada.

Thanks

[zuniokinz]

Phoned the US border today and found out that the paperwork was processed the same day I faxed it. Great!

[JAYMEZ]

^^ Yah they are pretty fast right now... Glad everyone is using the thread

[zuniokinz]

Off to the airport at 6am. Hope to have car here Sunday night!

[JAYMEZ]

Originally posted by zuniokinz
Off to the airport at 6am. Hope to have car here Sunday night!

Awesome , have a safe trip .

Make sure you have
1. Called the boarder , got paper work
2. Bring your passport
3. Drive safe
4. and most important , BRING CDS !!!!!

[zuniokinz]

Almost forgot the CD's... thanks

[zuniokinz]

I got back. I decided to drive for 14 hours straight. Everything went well except the incident where I was pulled over about 60 miles south Butte, Montana. The state trooper couldn't understand why someone would buy a car in the US and especially with New Mexico temporary plates. He decided to call in a K-9 unit with drug sniffing dog. I was waiting on the side of the road for about an hour. They took my licence and my passport. After asking me several times about guns, illegal drugs and large amounts of cash, he asked me what would happen if he send a drug sniffing dog. I said nothing. He asked me to roll up my windows, and wait on the side of the interstate while the dog snipped. The bloddy dog was a huge german shepard of some sort. He jumped in my car and he scratched the bezel right by the shifter with his claws!! I should have said something but given the situation, I didn't. Ohh yeah, I also got a Warrning about going 4mph over the speed limit! Crazy.

The border crossing was easy. I messed up and went to the Canadian customs line. When I realized that I missed the US customs, I put the car in reverse and drove back! haha There was nobody behind me. I parked at their Border Patrol parking and walked over. It took about 5 minutes to stamp the title and I was on my way. On the Canadian side, I was asked to come in to fill out the forms. The customs officer was super nice (Badge 11935) We chatted about various cars that come through the border. He was surprised on how prepared I was. It definetly made everything go smooth. The emails with the buyer, copy of the draft, and even the exact location of the Vehicle Manufacture Label helped. It took 15 minutes and I was on my way with the RIV form and a reciept for my GST and A/C tax.

Overall, a plesant experience.

Tom

[asd913]

Hi Guys,

I got a question about temporary plates from state to state. I have to drive the interstate from Seattle to Sweetgrass and then to Calgary.

The dealer in Seattle tells me that I can get temporary plates that only work within Washington. What do I do/Where do I go to get the car plates that would work from through Idaho and then to Montana.

Don't ask me why I am not going up to BC and then use Alberta in-transit permits within Canada! I'm very angry about the situation I've been put in.


Thanks

[Kobe]

Originally posted by asd913
Hi Guys,

I got a question about temporary plates from state to state. I have to drive the interstate from Seattle to Sweetgrass and then to Calgary.

The dealer in Seattle tells me that I can get temporary plates that only work within Washington. What do I do/Where do I go to get the car plates that would work from through Idaho and then to Montana.

Don't ask me why I am not going up to BC and then use Alberta in-transit permits within Canada! I'm very angry about the situation I've been put in.


Thanks

Why not just use an alberta plate?

[asd913]

Hi Kobe,

I don't think I can do that. It's related to the problem I'm still reeling over, I can't register the car in Canada for another month. I've made literally 15 calls to the RIV to resolve this but they won't budge.

Just a word of advice: DON'T buy a car unless it is already on the RIV admissibility list.

I've heard of people taking their plates and just putting it on the vehicle and then driving it up. But I've also heard that unless you can register the car in Alberta, you can't do that. I think I need an AB in-transit permit (good within Canada).

Somebody, please tell me I'm mistaken because it would make me feel a lot better.

Thanks for your help.

[zuniokinz]

Just use the Washington temp plates while in Alberta. I had New Mexico plates and drove on them all the way home with cops driving behind me in Lethbridge. I had the seller arrange for the temp plates for me. I'm sure you can just go over to any DMV in Washington and get them. From the time the temp plate expires, you have 14 days on your Alberta plate before you have to register the car. The alberta plate has to come from a car that you no longer own. You can't just take it off one car and put it on a new one.

OR

You can just put the Alberta plate on right away. If you get pulled over (which I don't think you will on Alberta plates), just tell them that you bought the car and you have 14 days to register it.

[asd913]

OK!!!!! Method 2 sounds good to me.

That makes me feel a whole lot better.

I'll provide a writeup when I get back. It should hopefully help those looking to buy brand new cars.

I really appreciate the help!

[xrayvsn]

I don't understand why you can't drive through Washington with your temp Washington plates, cross over to BC and slap on your Alberta "In-Transit" permit? I did this, and drove the car home, parked it in the garage until I got my RIV papers to do the inspection. Due to some delays in RIV, waiting for the form 2 took me nearly a month. It sucks not having your new car to drive, but I had a second vehicle to use during this time, so it wasn't the end of the world.

You will have to get another temp permit to do the inspection if you have to wait a month, or do the second option of putting on your old Alberta plates, which I am not sure is legal.

[asd913]

Hi,

It looks like I'm pushing off the trip for a couple weeks... which is good, I guess. So I'll explain what my situation is:

I'll start by saying this again: Do NOT buy a car unless it is already on the RIV admissability list.

I wanted a brand new 2007 Subaru Outback. And I thought, no problem, it seems like it wouldn't be too big a deal getting the car into Canada before the RIV had OK'd it.

I read of people who, in 2005, were able to bring their 2006 cars up by getting ahold of the right person in RIV before the car is on the admissibility. Well, I assure you that this is no longer the case now. I called somewhere on the order of 15 - 20 times trying, pleading, asking to find an easy way to show them that the car can be admitted early. But I continually got a company line. They all suggested I get ahold of Subaru and get some documents to show the car will be admissible.

Funny thing is, Subaru wasn't willing to deal with me until I owned the car. So when I paid, they weren't willing to give me a letter of compliance stating the car met Canadian standards (Subaru of Canada says SoA has it and SoA says SoC has it). The process is very painful.

So I've given up (something I have a hard time doing). With, apparently, only a couple weeks now until the 2007's will be available in Canada (and so will be on the RIV list), I'm going to wait. At that time, I will probably do exactly what you had done, xrayvsn.

Getting this car across the border is costing me too much time and that is worth way more than the money I'm saving.

When I do pick it up, I will let you know how it goes.