Shipping Coins From The US to Canada for Photography? No Tariffs Apply.

Shipping your collectible coins to Canada for photography is more straightforward than you might expect. Unlike many other industries facing complex and uncertain tariffs, coins shipped from the U.S. to Canada benefit from clear duty-free treatment, making cross-border shipping simpler and more cost-effective than you may think.

If you’re a U.S. coin collector or dealer shipping collectible, antique, or bullion coins to Canada for professional photography, understanding the customs, tariffs, and taxes involved is essential. This guide explains everything you need to know about shipping coins to Canada, including how to avoid duties and manage Canadian GST/HST taxes, so your valuable coins cross the border safely and affordably.

Are There Customs Duties or Tariffs on U.S. Coins Shipped to Canada?
U.S.-made coins currently enter Canada duty-free, whether modern, antique, or precious metal bullion coins. This means no reciprocal tariffs or import duties apply when shipping coins from the U.S. to Canada for photography services.



Understanding Canadian GST/HST on Imported Coins
While Canada does not charge customs duties on U.S. coins, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) or Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) may apply on the declared value of imported coins. The tax rate varies by province (e.g., 13% in Ontario).



How to Avoid Paying GST/HST on Temporary Imports
Since coins are sent to Canada only temporarily for photography and returned to their U.S. owners, you can avoid paying GST/HST upfront by using the Temporary Admission Permit (Form E29B). This permits:

• Entry of coins duty- and tax-free with a refundable security deposit equal to the GST/HST amount.
  
  
• Refund of the deposit when the coins leave Canada within the permitted timeframe (typically six months).
  
  
  

GST/HST Exemptions for Precious Metal Bullion Coins
Investment-grade gold and silver bullion coins with high purity (≥99.5% gold, ≥99.9% silver) are often exempt from GST/HST, further reducing costs for bullion collectors.



Important Documentation for Shipping Coins to Canada
To ensure smooth customs clearance and qualify for tax relief:

• Provide accurate descriptions and fair market values on customs forms.
  
  
• Clearly state the coins’ country of origin: United States.
  
  
• Mark shipments as “Temporary import for photography – to be returned to owner.”
  
  
• Complete or coordinate the filing of the Temporary Admission Permit (E29B) with Canadian customs.
  
  
  

Returning Coins to the U.S.: Duty-Free Re-Entry
When shipping your coins back to the U.S., they qualify for duty-free re-entry under HTS 9801.00.10 (“American Goods Returned”). Proper documentation stating that the coins are returning to their U.S. owner will help prevent import duties or fees on return shipments.



Best Shipping Methods for U.S. Coins Sent to Canada

• USPS Registered Mail is the safest, most cost-effective way to ship coins internationally with insurance and tracking.
  
  
• Couriers like FedEx or UPS may impose restrictions on shipping currency or coins and often have limited insurance coverage for coin shipments.
  
  
  

Summary: Taxes and Tariffs When Shipping U.S. Coins to Canada for Photography



By following these guidelines, you can ship your coins to Canada for photography without paying tariffs or taxes, ensuring a smooth and affordable cross-border process.



NOTE
The tax and tariff regulations affecting the shipment of collectible coins between the U.S. and Canada are subject to change and may vary depending on individual circumstances.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Wow
This border friction must really be a hit to your bottom line. Good luck

 

Fortunately, as a coin photographer, it doesn't affect me at all, or my US customers. However, I feel for the Canadian coin dealers selling to the US. They are being slammed.

 

Where are you quoting from?

 

Various government sites in the US and Canada, but mostly my own experience doing it. Have you had different experiences?

 

It certainly read like "this guide" was a copyrighted work, uncredited.

 

Well, at least you're not accusing him of using AI to generate it, which seems to be the current trend whenever someone makes an informative, well-organized and grammatically correct post.

Where do you think copyrighted works come from?

 

This guide was initially posted on my blog, but I thought it might be helpful here as well.

 

Thanks for clarifying it. I was surprised, since usually it is copyright issues and if it's an original work people tend to say so.

 

So if I read between the lines on form yada yada yada.
The US coin dealer can send say X# coins to someone in Canada for as you say, photographer/photography... everyone has a cell phone camera.
That could be interpreted like visual inspection.
Person in Canada likes the inspection and returns the box that held the coins, possibly empty or with something else inside.
2 were parties were satisfied.

 

Yes, that could be interpreted as a visual inspection, but the reason for sending them is not the problem in that scenario. I'm talking about something like sending a couple of watches to Canada for repairs. What you're talking about is changing the watches or not returning all of them, without changing the customs declaration... that is.. I don't know.. smuggling? Fraud? Some type of crime. The two parties might be satisfied, but the customs people will not think you found a loophole should they discover it.

I'm curious why you mentioned "everyone has a cell phone camera" with a laughing face emoji.

 

When the tariffs were first announced, one of the TPGs stopped accepting submissions from outside the US except through their foreign offices.

They were going to be combining and packaging all submissions and doing a TIB (Temporary Import under Bond) import - have the coins graded and returned to the foreign office for reshippment to the customers.

TiB is a privilege than an import/export company can lose if their is ANY hanky panky.

The program seems to have quietly been scrubbed from their website...