Customs Act — C-52.6 124
Ascertained forfeitures 124 (1) Where an officer believes on reasonable grounds that a person has contravened any of the provisions of this Act or the regulations in respect of any goods or conveyance, the officer may, if the goods or conveyance is not found or if the seizure thereof would be impractical, serve a written notice on that person demanding payment of (a) an amount of money determined under subsection (2) or (3), as the case may be; or (b) such lesser amount as the Minister may direct. Determination of amount of payment in respect of goods (2) For the purpose of paragraph (1)(a), an officer may demand payment in respect of goods of an amount of money of a value equal to the aggregate of the value for duty of the goods and the amount of duties levied thereon, if any, calculated at the rates applicable thereto (a) at the time the notice is served, if the goods have not been accounted for under subsection 32(1), (2) or (5) or if duties or additional duties have become due on the goods under paragraph 32.2(2)(b) in circumstances to which subsection 32.2(6) applies; or (b) at the time the goods were accounted for under subsection 32(1), (2) or (5), in any other case. Determination of amount of payment in respect of conveyances (3) For the purpose of paragraph (1)(a), an officer may demand payment in respect of a conveyance of an amount of money of a value equal to the value of the conveyance at the time the notice is served, as determined by the Minister. Value substituted for value for duty (4) For the purpose of calculating the amount of money referred to in subsection (2), where the value for duty of goods cannot be ascertained, the value of the goods at the time the notice is served under subsection (1), as determined by the Minister, may be substituted for the value for duty thereof. Value of exported goods (4.1) Sections 117 and 119 and subsection (2) apply to a contravention of this Act or the regulations in respect of goods that have been or are about to be exported, except that the references to “value for duty of the goods” in those provisions are to be read as references to “value of the goods”. Value of goods (4.2) For the purposes of subsection (4.1), the expression value of the goods means the total of all payments made or to be made by the purchaser of the goods to or for the benefit of the vendor. Value of goods set by Minister (4.3) If the value of the goods cannot be determined under subsection (4.2), the Minister may determine that value. Service of notice (5) Service of the notice referred to in subsection (1) is sufficient if it is sent by registered mail addressed to the person on whom it is to be served at his latest known address. Interest (6) A person on whom a notice of ascertained forfeiture has been served shall pay, in addition to the amount set out in the notice, interest at the prescribed rate for the period beginning on the day after the notice was served and ending on the day the amount is paid in full, calculated on the outstanding balance. However, interest is not payable if the amount is paid in full within thirty days after the date of the notice. R.S., 1985, c. 1 (2nd Supp.), s. 124; 1995, c. 41, s. 33; 1997, c. 36, s. 187; 2001, c. 25, s. 67