Originally Posted by courierdriver /img/forum/go_quote.gif [...] the shipper didn't mark them as used. Makes a huge difference, especially if you buy higher priced stuff like an amp.
I thought that Legally you need to you pay tax whether it's used or not for anything over $20. and for gift you need to pay tax for anything over $60 whether it is used or new make no difference at all
Originally Posted by DanT /img/forum/go_quote.gif I thought that Legally you need to you pay tax whether it's used or not for anything over $20. and for gift you need to pay tax for anything over $60 whether it is used or new make no difference at all
To my knowledge (and after 13 years in the shipping industry),these rules generally refer to people, who physically shop in the US, and then bring their stuff back into Canada, via automobile, crossing at a Canada/USA border. Things change a bit when you have stuff SHIPPED (via a courier, or the post-office) from the states, however. Usually, as someone else has previously posted, if you use a shipping agency; you are safe from any additional charges if your purchase is marked USED, and valued at under $200-$250-US. If you purchase something new, though; watch out...it's almost guaranteed that customs will sting you on your US-purchase.
Originally Posted by courierdriver /img/forum/go_quote.gif To my knowledge (and after 13 years in the shipping industry),these rules generally refer to people, who physically shop in the US, and then bring their stuff back into Canada, via automobile, crossing at a Canada/USA border. Things change a bit when you have stuff SHIPPED (via a courier, or the post-office) from the states, however. Usually, as someone else has previously posted, if you use a shipping agency; you are safe from any additional charges if your purchase is marked USED, and valued at under $200-$250-US. If you purchase something new, though; watch out...it's almost guaranteed that customs will sting you on your US-purchase.
Whether an item is used or new makes no difference for sales tax purposes when you import it in the mail. The only thing that matters is the value. If you are visiting the US, you can claim a tax exemption of up to $750, depending on how long you're out of Canada. That's for a 7 day absence, though. It's possible to mail goods home as part of this exemption.
Over here it's $1000AU including shipping and insurance costs limit before they slap on taxes and duties.
Given how strong our dollar is at the moment you can get some pretty great buys as long as the seller ships international of course.
Thing about 'used' though is the seller can mark a wider range of value on it, if they wished. After all if it's new the price is the RRP or thereabouts. With used depending on the item it can be massively lower in price or depending on who has used it or if it's discontinued or so on it could be worth more. Of course if the seller marks it's value as lower and it goes missing...
From my basic understanding of this, for items imported from the US to Canada, valued less than $1,600 Canadian, fill out an unofficial form the following:
NAME
TITLE
COMPANY
EXPORTER OF THE CERTIFIED GOODS
PRODUCER OF THE CERTIFIED GOODS
TELEPHONE
FAX
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
I haven't tried this yet, and with all my dealings with Customs Canada, all I can say is that they're a bunch of ****ing ******** that hold your packages for way longer than necessary and tax you up the ass for anything and everything they want.
I'll agree with that comment about Canada Customs.
I recently bought a rackmount server and had it shipped to a receiver nearby, just across the border to save the ridiculous brokerage and pay about 50% of the significant shipping cost (about $60 to US, $120 to Canada). This was all dandy, and I did the honest thing and declared it at the border, had receipts ready and the like - prepared to pay the tax I owed. The customs agent asked me if I knew where it was made, and being Dell, I assumed the USA as that's where all their computers are made. He proceeded to search my car, take my $2000 server out of my car and place it on a rickety table outdoors on a damp winter day and examine it. After 15 minutes of poking around my belongings and making me wait inside while he did so, he came in and told me to come outside with him. We went to the table with the server and he asked me again 'are you sure this is made in the USA, because I can't find any markings on it saying so'. I said uh..no..but I know Dell makes everything they sell in the US. He proceeded to give me a lecture on the difference between 'made' in the USA and 'assembled' in the USA. Then the kicker - he told me that he knew there was no duty (only tax) on the server (even if it wasn't made in the USA) and that the only reason he searched my car and wasted 45 minutes of my day was to teach me a lesson. What an *******.
Originally Posted by error401 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'll agree with that comment about Canada Customs.
I recently bought a rackmount server and had it shipped to a receiver nearby, just across the border to save the ridiculous brokerage and pay about 50% of the significant shipping cost (about $60 to US, $120 to Canada). This was all dandy, and I did the honest thing and declared it at the border, had receipts ready and the like - prepared to pay the tax I owed. The customs agent asked me if I knew where it was made, and being Dell, I assumed the USA as that's where all their computers are made. He proceeded to search my car, take my $2000 server out of my car and place it on a rickety table outdoors on a damp winter day and examine it. After 15 minutes of poking around my belongings and making me wait inside while he did so, he came in and told me to come outside with him. We went to the table with the server and he asked me again 'are you sure this is made in the USA, because I can't find any markings on it saying so'. I said uh..no..but I know Dell makes everything they sell in the US. He proceeded to give me a lecture on the difference between 'made' in the USA and 'assembled' in the USA. Then the kicker - he told me that he knew there was no duty (only tax) on the server (even if it wasn't made in the USA) and that the only reason he searched my car and wasted 45 minutes of my day was to teach me a lesson. What an *******.
I feel your pain, those guys at Point roberts (im assuming you went there) are ALWAYS on a power trip....
I was held up (not as long as you) bout 20 mins because after I declared everything a SECOND customs agent decided he wanted to search my car.
the guy kept searching until the first guy i dealt with said "i don tthink he's hiding anything"
Originally Posted by error401 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'll agree with that comment about Canada Customs.
I recently bought a rackmount server and had it shipped to a receiver nearby, just across the border to save the ridiculous brokerage and pay about 50% of the significant shipping cost (about $60 to US, $120 to Canada). This was all dandy, and I did the honest thing and declared it at the border, had receipts ready and the like - prepared to pay the tax I owed. The customs agent asked me if I knew where it was made, and being Dell, I assumed the USA as that's where all their computers are made. He proceeded to search my car, take my $2000 server out of my car and place it on a rickety table outdoors on a damp winter day and examine it. After 15 minutes of poking around my belongings and making me wait inside while he did so, he came in and told me to come outside with him. We went to the table with the server and he asked me again 'are you sure this is made in the USA, because I can't find any markings on it saying so'. I said uh..no..but I know Dell makes everything they sell in the US. He proceeded to give me a lecture on the difference between 'made' in the USA and 'assembled' in the USA. Then the kicker - he told me that he knew there was no duty (only tax) on the server (even if it wasn't made in the USA) and that the only reason he searched my car and wasted 45 minutes of my day was to teach me a lesson. What an *******.
Originally Posted by Manny Calavera /img/forum/go_quote.gif It still surprises me when I hear things like this,that in this day and age,people dont know you can.....
[size=small]"Shippee/Receiver will self-broker package" [/size]
Get the seller/shipper to write that on the customs declaration
Then go to the CRA,and then pay up in advance,OR,wait for it to show up,and refuse delivery from the driver when he attempts to drop it off.Make sure to tell him/her you wish to 'self broker'
He/She will take it to the courier depot,and it will sit until you get a copy of the waybill or reciept and take it to CRA and get it stamped and pay them the taxes.Then,go back to the courier depot office and show them the new papers and its pick up item time !
Courier companies hate this as there is nothing they can do stop it,and it cuts out a significant portion of thier already insane profits.I found out about it years ago on the news,and have done it several times now.It all started when I tried to import a very expensive mountain bike from a company called Ellsworth,into Canada.I did some research,after,I found out how astronomically high broker fee's can get
I was originally looking at paying over 600 Cdn on the one delivery ! This was just in brokers fee's.not the pst and gst,which was going to be extra on top of it all !
They will lie like rugs about it,to get you to go air,as ground insures you get raped by the brokers.What most dont know,is that if the package was paid to go air,but at any point goes ground in its travels to you,it can still get hit with a broker fee !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes,thats right !! They lie when they say "Go air,and the broker fee's WILL be included" That is an out and out lie !!!! I have proven it countless times.Not to mention I used to work for QMS here in Ottawa and have seen csr reps flat out lie to customers on this side of the boarder about this 'policy'
Going air,and spending a small kings ransom to do so,does not garuntee you wont get hit with broker fee's.Buyer beware.
Go to Ebay Canada's forums and you will of course see countless complaints from newbies that got hit with broker fee's from UPS,fedex,DHL,etc.. Its all of course a huge scam,"what else is new" you say ? Well be informed,and throw it back in thier faces.
That's something I'll keep in mind if I have no choice but to ship something with UPS. I've never heard of that before, but I couldn't have used it here anyway because I only found out it was being shipped with UPS after it was already shipped. I did hear something about contacting UPS right after it is shipped to tell them I want to self-broker it, but I heard someone say on another forum that that only works now if you're in Winnipeg or Vancouver, where the entry ports are. Maybe that's not true though.
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