Would it be a better Idea to do the shopping on the Canada or US side of the border?
I am planning to head down to burning man from Alberta, Canada with a group of 5 to 10 friends,, and we are wondering whether we should do our shopping for food and water up here in Canada, or wait till we're in the US. Our reasons for buying in Canada is our dollar would be at full value (exchange rate), but we're wondering if it will be cheaper in the end to buy them in the US, with having to declare and possibly pay taxes on the food and water. To give you an idea of how much we're gonna have to buy, the Canadian Burning Man division nearest us recommends for the week to bring 120 bottles of water per person (remember, it'll be a group of 5-10 people) plus 2 culligan sized bottles per person, one for wash,one for cooking. Add enough food for everyone for a week, plus clothing and personal accessories, and that's a lot of stuff. So would it be cheaper to buy everything in Canada (except for the banned produce) and risk paying taxes on it at the border, or cross the border empty and buy it all there, with the reduced value due to exchange rates? Also, if we leave all our empty bottles in the US at the donation points set up post-Burning Man, with the proceeds going to a local school, will we have to declare those on our way back into Canada, or do they overlook them? We're all Virgin Burners, and new to the whole border crossing thing, so help and advice would be appreciated. thanks
the Burning Man event is a week long, plus we have a 26 hour drive down there, with many pit stops along the way, so we are planning on spending 10-12 days in the US
we're driving down in a retired school bus with a couple beds. If the exchange rate has been hovering round 97c lately, and stuff is cheaper in the long run in the states, we may as well stock up down there. These were just some questions that came up at a brainstorming session we had when we were bored, and were unable to find definitive answers anywhere. Thanks for all your help. Note to the user "Just Me", you have been reported, and i suggest anyone who reads this reports her too. thanks.
Buy your stuff in the US. The Canadian dollar was up to 97 cents a day or two ago, so the exchange rate isn't very important right now. And you'll probably pay less for food down there, especially if you buy booze. You wouldn't have to pay duty on food going into the US if it's for your own use but don't try to bring citrus, lamb, or goat, even in pet food. Don't bring firewood either. I crossed recently and those were what they didn't want to enter the US. Anything you leave in the US cannot be charged duty when you come back to Canada. It has to cross a border for that, and if you're gone more than a week you get $750 duty free. Between 4 and 7 days, it's $400. You're making a simple thing complicated. Besides, what are you driving, a 5 ton truck? Have you figured out how much all that water will weigh? The shorter distance you have to drive it around,the better.
buy it in the us, possibly at a duty free shop if there is one near the border like there commonly is, foods are much more expensive in canada, but check the current exchange rate as well.
You can bring food over the boarder without taxes. Anything that isn't taxed, is not going to be subject to tax at the border. With that said, it would likely just be cheaper to buy the food in the states regardless of the exchange. Whenever I cross the border, I always go grocery shopping there because it's cheaper. Granted, I'm only spending like $80, but still.
Also, depending on how long you're gone for, you're allowed to bring items back into Canada without being subject to taxes.
When you return to Canada, you do not need to claim anything that is not returning with you. If you leave bottles in the states, then you're not bringing them into Canada and therefore Canada cannot obtain taxes from them.
Oh, and there is no need to purchase things at duty free. The only point in doing that would be if you're buying alcohol in the states and bringing it back to Canada. Even then, duty free often isn't cheaper.
I recommend crossing into the states, finding a cheap grocery store, and buying your food there! If you have some food left over when you return, you can tell them that you have some food left over, but I've never had an issue bringing groceries back into Canada. They pretty much only care about alcohol, cigarettes, and actual items like clothes and electronics and whatnot.