Quote:
Originally Posted by m3thods
On the topic of TDCs: I'm a real stickler for rules, so I always have a TDC ready just in case I'm asked for one. Have any of you been asked to produce one? I'm 0/2 so far and I'm beginning to think it's a waste of paper.
I also noticed that with longer regular waits, the Nexus guard usually rolls you through just asking simple questions. I'm finding that if I don't say I spent north of $500 per person for a day trip they won't bother asking me to drop in to pay taxes. Has that been the same for everyone else?
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I used to do what you did when I first got my Nexus -- always used to carry a TDC with all the info filled in each time I come back in my car. However, I find that most of the time if I am not bringing back a significant amount of stuff (in terms of $$ value), the CBSA officer seems to actually prefer a simple verbal declaration and just wave me through. As a matter of fact, there were a few occasions when I tried to give the CBSA officer the TDC right off the bat and he refused it -- instead, he asked me verbally and waved me through when he deemed that the $$ amount I was bringing back wasn't worth their time to tax it.
Thus far, I have never been asked to produce a TDC. However, the TDC is infinitely helpful when I am bringing bigger ticket items back into Canada. During the crossing, I do the verbal declaration first, telling the officer what I am bringing back and how much it is. Then I hand him my completely filled out TDC. So far it has worked like a charm for me, and he just waves me through after taking the TDC. Sometimes I get charged tax and duty afterwards, and sometimes nothing comes out of it even though they've taken my TDC. I say it's a win-win for everyone involved. During those times, I am reasonably certain that if I didn't have the TDC for him, I would have been called in and asked to pay taxes. Getting taxed is always something I am prepared to do, but not needing to waste time is a major bonus. And, the occasional times when I don't get taxed because of the TDC just makes it even nicer.