Here's a two-part question for the experts and to AC on-board SD staff.

Recently returning to Canada a flight attendant distributing Canada Customs declaration forms insisted that as we were travelling together my wife and I needed only one customs declaration - and we said "no" - that we wanted one each in order to claim our own full individual "PERSONAL EXEMPTION".

This has led to a further discussion regarding the $10,000 cash limit before being required to specifically declare it. (Even together we have never come even close to carry that amount or it's equivalent at any one time.) However, we'd like to know what the law is in Canada for both entry and departure.

Some officials seem to feel and act on the basis that if people are travelling together the $10,000 limit applies to them in total and not individually; i.e. if one is carry $8,000 and the other is carrying $5,000 then they are committing an offence unless it is all declared!

Personally I feel the fact that we are travelling together is nobody's business whatsoever.

Then fill out two forms, and no one will even know?

It's one form per address as far as I know. If you tell AC you are at different addresses you get two forms.

As to the legality of that however... I'm not sure. One assumes CBSA could, if they wish, check to see if multiple people on the same flight number on the same day with the same address each did their own form.

Incidently, if you declare and have a reason for over $10,000 I don't believe it's an issue. Or just transfer it via banks (again not an issue though there may be a question or two due to money laundering laws).

OK unless you get spot-checked in secondary. Then one of the first questions they seem to like asking is "How much money you are travelling with" and therein lies the problem. There seems to be no clear legal hard and fast rule and it seems that rule are contrived to suit the circumstances.

I was under the impression that PERSONAL EXEMPTIONS were individual and that address had no bearing. In fact it seems that somewhere in CBSA literature it even addresses the issue of two people pooling personal exemptions to import items higher than their individual limit.

If you are traveling with $15k and your companion is traveling with $2k, I don't think it matters how you fill out the forms - you need to declare your money.

If you're each traveling with $8k, then I'd fill out two separate forms.

My roommate and I fly around together a lot. We never share forms. We share an address, but we never share customs forms.

Are customs forms still required if using Nexus?

Not anywhere I've flown in the past few months.

+1

While I can appreciate the forms are handed out on AC as the questions relate to Canada Customs it's a more general Canada topic and so the thread has been relocated to the FT Canada forum for further discussion.

tcook052
AC forum Mod.

My understanding too. For example if you bring in a laptop worth $1400 and there are two of you and each have personal exemptions of $800 each you cannot split the $1400.

For the declaration form, everyone gets $800 exemption so a family of four will get $3200.

However one cannot split an individual item into two different people to claim.

All incoming bank transfers over $1000 are reported to CRA or whoever is in charge by the bank as per FINTRAC. Transactions over $5000 require recipient filling out some paperwork.

There is no need to declare when bringing in less than $10,000 cash or EQUIVALENT in negotiable instruments PER PERSON. There are paperwork if you bring in over $10,000.
Failure to declare can result in confiscation and charges.

(From a CBSA senior official)

Great post for clarity!

Incidently I've done bank transfers over $5k and never had to fill out paperwork at the time. Most I had was my bank ask me where it came from when withdrawing half of it on a bank draft. A question they didn't ask when I withdrew the other half...

But I've never walked over the border with more than about $5k cash.

I could swear I've seen issues in those TV programs where two people one form have over $10k ... two people sharing an address is interesting though, maybe it's two related (inc by marriage) at the same address?

That along with your bank record, your history with the bank, well known vs new customer is their filing.

There is also a payee on the bank draft which leaves a trail.

Let's see what happens on a cash withdrawal.

We all know that there are laws and rules but the individual officers have some discretion over the interpretation and implementation of them.