Duties or taxes overpaid on a personal import: request a refund from the CBSA
Check whether non-commercial goods qualify, gather import evidence and send the adjustment request to the correct refund centre.
Do not dispute a carrier charge before identifying who collected each amount. Private brokerage fees are not CBSA customs duties.
Identify the disputed amount
Separate duties, GST/HST, Quebec tax and brokerage fees. The CBSA process concerns duties and taxes on a casual import, not every carrier charge.
Check eligibility
The goods must have been imported for personal, non-commercial use. Record why the assessment may be wrong, such as a return, incorrect value or classification issue.
Build the file
Keep the customs document, invoice, proof of payment, carrier receipt, return or refund evidence and a clear calculation of the requested adjustment.
Submit and follow up
Use the informal adjustment request and the refund centre for your postal code. Keep a complete copy and use the review process if the request is refused.
Casual import refund process — CBSA