Question about customs from US to Canada [help]

[pipigrande]

I bought something from the US and I paid the seller $11 for shipping.

I told my bro today that I have bought something and he's like idiot! You should of bought it IN Canada.

He's like you have to pay Customs Fees!!

I was wondering if anyone had bough anything from the US and shipped it to Ontario and know how much is the Custom fees...

I searched Google and no help

[Snoopy]

The duty fee? Often you can get away with not having to pay for that stuff. My mum buys stuff from USA all the time, and Australia's Customs has a reputation for being the worlds most strict customs/quarantine.

Not much you can do about it really... except hope you don't get hit with a Duty fee. It shouldn't bee too much though.

[pipigrande]

What do you mean get away with it? Upon arrival I thought that you had to pay for it or they simply won't give you the package.

[Snoopy]

I get stuff delivered from the United States to my front door by Australia Post in a package from United States Postal Service.

But yea... I've never had to pay Duty fee...

[dom]

I bought a watch and had to pay like $50 in duties.

And you can't sneak in packages. They inspect every package (has a form explaining what the item is, how much it's worth, and whether duties apply).

Stuff made in the US/CANADA/MEXICO won't have duties, but a lot of the things you buy will be made outside of our region and be subject to duties. It starts applying when the item is around $25, sometimes they waive it if it's small.

Sometimes companies get around this by having a warehouse in Canada and ship the item to their warehouse, which isn't a sell and doesn't get charged duties, and then ship it from the warehouse.

What pissed me off about my watch is that I leave home at 8:30 and get home from work around 8 - Tuesday to Saturday. UPS wouldn't deliver the package unless I was home to pay the duties and I had to wait until Monday to drive to their distribution centre.

I've also bought stuff from Europe and had to pay duty. And seeing that i'm Canadian, i'm pretty sure you would be subject to the same laws.

[pipigrande]

Are you from Ontario Dom if so did you pay the 13% GST and PST?

[dom]

Are you from Ontario Dom?

Kitchener-Waterloo

I don't know what % is charged, but I know it's not that much. I bought some CDs that had the charges waived, a $70 encyclopedia that had no duties because it came from the US, and a watch that was charged $50.

If you go to the website of whoever is shipping your items, they usually have a duty calculator.

[pipigrande]

Are you from Ontario Dom?

Kitchener-Waterloo

What if I tell the guy to mark it as a gift. Do I still have to pay the customs?

And what happens if I'm not at home when they get here? Do they leave the package in the nearest Post Office (eg. Shoppers Drugmart)?

[dom]

Are you from Ontario Dom?

Kitchener-Waterloo

What if I tell the guy to mark it as a gift. Do I still have to pay the customs?

And what happens if I'm not at home when they get here? Do they leave the package in the nearest Post Office (eg. Shoppers Drugmart)?

If you're buying from a person (like on e-bay), I don't think it's subject to duties, and the little form they fill out with the info has a "gift" checkbox that is exempt from duties.

If you have to pay duties they hold onto it and make 3 attempts to deliver it and then return it to the seller, you can request they hold it at their warehouse (My only experience like this was with UPS).

When I ordered stuff without duties (Purolator), they drop it off at shoppers drug mart and you just pick it up with proof of ID.

Transfer of money after that item has been previously bought doesn't affect GDP, I think it isn't taxable (in most cases) as well. For example, if you bought a Wii on ebay from a person, I don't think it would be subject to duties. But if you bought a Wii from an online retailer from the US (and it were manufactured in Japan), it would.

[pipigrande]

If you're buying from a person (like on e-bay), I don't think it's subject to duties, and the little form they fill out with the info has a "gift" checkbox that is exempt from duties.

If you have to pay duties they hold onto it and make 3 attempts to deliver it and then return it to the seller, you can request they hold it at their warehouse (My only experience like this was with UPS).

When I ordered stuff without duties (Purolator), they drop it off at shoppers drug mart and you just pick it up with proof of ID.

Yes, I'm buying it from an Individual (not eBay though), NOT a company. Would they still give him the form to fill out? Sorry for stupid question, it's my first time buying something online

So, that means that if he marked it as a gift, then I don't have to pay the taxes nor the customs?

[dom]

If you're buying from a person (like on e-bay), I don't think it's subject to duties, and the little form they fill out with the info has a "gift" checkbox that is exempt from duties.

If you have to pay duties they hold onto it and make 3 attempts to deliver it and then return it to the seller, you can request they hold it at their warehouse (My only experience like this was with UPS).

When I ordered stuff without duties (Purolator), they drop it off at shoppers drug mart and you just pick it up with proof of ID.

Yes, I'm buying it from an Individual (not eBay though), NOT a company. Would they still give him the form to fill out? Sorry for stupid question, it's my first time buying something online

So, that means that if he marked it as a gift, then I don't have to pay the taxes nor the customs?

Gifts sent to individuals in Canada are exempt from duties and taxes if:

* the item is worth less than $60 CAN (see Bank of Canada exchange rates)

* the item includes a card or notice indicating that it is a gift.

If the gift is worth more than $60 CAN, the recipient will have to pay applicable duties and sales taxes on the value of the gift over $60 CAN.

The $60 gift exemption does not apply to

* tobacco, alcoholic beverages, or advertising material

* items sent by a business, company, or association

The $60 gift exemption can not be combined with the regular $20 mail exemption available for all items.

I got that from about.com

I've always just paid the fees and never questioned them, but I can assure you that if your item is taxable, the government will take your money.

[pipigrande]

If you're buying from a person (like on e-bay), I don't think it's subject to duties, and the little form they fill out with the info has a "gift" checkbox that is exempt from duties.

If you have to pay duties they hold onto it and make 3 attempts to deliver it and then return it to the seller, you can request they hold it at their warehouse (My only experience like this was with UPS).

When I ordered stuff without duties (Purolator), they drop it off at shoppers drug mart and you just pick it up with proof of ID.

Yes, I'm buying it from an Individual (not eBay though), NOT a company. Would they still give him the form to fill out? Sorry for stupid question, it's my first time buying something online

So, that means that if he marked it as a gift, then I don't have to pay the taxes nor the customs?

Gifts sent to individuals in Canada are exempt from duties and taxes if:

* the item is worth less than $60 CAN (see Bank of Canada exchange rates)

* the item includes a card or notice indicating that it is a gift.

If the gift is worth more than $60 CAN, the recipient will have to pay applicable duties and sales taxes on the value of the gift over $60 CAN.

The $60 gift exemption does not apply to

* tobacco, alcoholic beverages, or advertising material

* items sent by a business, company, or association

The $60 gift exemption can not be combined with the regular $20 mail exemption available for all items.

I got that from about.com

I've always just paid the fees and never questioned them, but I can assure you that if your item is taxable, the government will take your money.

My item is a signed Badminton Racket. Now, I bought it from this guy for $150.

How would the government know if the Racket is less or more than $60?... I mean there are just soooo many Badminton rackets..