Well, I had my first run-in with customs on my last package recievd.

As usual it was declared as "humidor acessories" with a low dollar value.

I get the package and notice some funny looking yellow tape on the bottom that says "opened by customs"
Oh shit, I think, they have me now. There doesn't appear to be any other paperwork attached to the box, and it still feels heavy, so I open it up. The side that they opened just happened to have a "happy birthday" note attached to the packing pillows. The contents were not visible from that side. I assume they just read the note and the closed it back up .

I now reccommend that a small happy birthday note be included on all cross-border packages, on the side of the package that is easiest to open.

Worked for me, the whole shipment arrived intact and tax-free.