Apparently my cigar collection is illegal

[drew_goring]

I was came across a section of the Alberta tobacco act and noticed this:

Limits on possession of tobacco

4.1 No consumer shall, without a permit issued under the regulations, possess

(a) more than 1000 cigarettes,

(a.1) more than 1000 tobacco sticks,

(b) more than 1000 grams of fine cut tobacco,

(c) cigars that in total contain more than 1000 grams of tobacco, or

(d) any combination of tobacco containing more than 1000 grams of tobacco.

Hope they don't bust down my door some day.

[gifters]

how many cigars are there that only contain a gram of tobacco?

[craig]

I was came across a section of the Alberta tobacco act and noticed this:



Hope they don't bust down my door some day.

Wow, you need a permit in Alberta. http://www.finance.alberta.ca/public...acco/tta7.html

TRA considers persons who possess more than these quantities without a permit to be retailers. A consumer can apply to TRA for a permit to possess more than the quantities noted above. The application should state the reasons for requiring the excess quantities and the use that will be made of the tobacco.

[EGQ]

how many cigars are there that only contain a gram of tobacco?

1000 grams = 2.2 lbs.

I would guess that some small cigars would come in around a gram, but larger cigars could easily hit 20-30 grams a piece.

Excess quantities? I wonder how many folks ever apply for it. I thought we had it bad...

Any ways -- Gob bless America (and our benevolent buddies to the North).

[drew_goring]

1000 grams = 2.2 lbs.

I would guess that some small cigars would come in around a gram, but larger cigars could easily hit 20-30 grams a piece.

Excess quantities? I wonder how many folks ever apply for it. I thought we had it bad...

Any ways -- Gob bless America (and our benevolent buddies to the North).

Tax Per Cigar: Value before GST per Cigar X 103% (Round up to nearest cent) with minimum tax of $0.20
per cigar and maximum tax of $6.27 per cigar.

That is just provincial tax. I think federal tax is around the same rate but not capped per cigar.
No surprise that non-Cuban cigar makers are reluctant to import to Canada.

[craig]

Tax Per Cigar: Value before GST per Cigar X 103% (Round up to nearest cent) with minimum tax of $0.20
per cigar and maximum tax of $6.27 per cigar.

That is just provincial tax. I think federal tax is around the same rate but not capped per cigar.
No surprise that non-Cuban cigar makers are reluctant to import to Canada.

Start with the price of the cigar.

i) Add in duty (usually nothing) + excise duty (1.85 cents/cigar)

ii) Add in excise tax (67% of the total in i) to get "Value before GST."

iii) Add in GST (5% of the total in ii)

iv) Add Provincial tobacco sales tax to the total in ii) (usually). Tax rates vary across provinces, just like they do in American states. Ontario's is 56.6% - no cap.

The major differences in US and Canadian cigar prices are due to:
- no cap on federal tax (In the US, federal tax is 52.75% - but with a 40.26 cent cap.)
- selling or transporting tobacco across provincial boundaries is (essentially) illegal. Thus, the out-of-state retailers that Americans use to possibly evade paying their state's taxes don't exist.

In any case, we're f*cked .