Dragonfyree
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posted on January 2, 2001 05:36:50 PM
I have shipped items to Canada several times, but they have only been $3 or $4 items. I just sold a book for $33.00. I know there is some kind of tax which the buyer has to pay,for merchandise coming into Canada but am not sure if it's on all merchandise or if it's going to be a lot on a $33.00 item. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
Not Dragonfyree on Ebay.
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sunqiang
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posted on January 2, 2001 08:01:46 PM
If you declare as gift, no one needs to pay tax and duty
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RB
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posted on January 2, 2001 08:11:09 PM
"If you declare as gift, no one needs to pay tax and duty"
Just before you do this, check the Canada Customs site and good advice provided by several people on these forusm. This poster is giving you bad advice and false hope for beating the tax (there is NO duty on this item, there is a limit on the amount that can be declared as a gift, and you will be subjecting yourself to all kinds of hassles by making a false declaration ... it's NOT a gift!!)
Besides, declaring anything as a "gift" is simply a signal to Customs. They will open the package and they will decide it's value. This will result in a delay of a couple of weeks before your buyer gets the item, there will be negative FB, and on and on.
At the worst, your buyer will have to pay 7% GST and whatever the PST is on the converted to Canadian amount, plus a $5.00 (Canadian) handling charge.
Why are you concerned with this anyway? Your buyer should be aware of these extra costs before placing a bid ...
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AnonymousCoward
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posted on January 2, 2001 08:11:42 PM
Canadian taxes, tariffs and duties are the responsibility of the importer, not the exporter. In this case it's the buyer's responsibility.
Be aware that falsely declaring the item as a gift is making a false export decleration to US customs. Do it if you wish, but it is illegal to do if it's not truly a gift. They usually never check, but....it's your call.
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sunqiang
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posted on January 2, 2001 08:18:17 PM
Anyway, Poor Canadian!
Move to south! O'Canada, we are poor country!
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RB
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posted on January 2, 2001 08:30:16 PM
Buy Canadian!
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AnonymousCoward
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posted on January 2, 2001 08:36:50 PM
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genie9
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posted on January 2, 2001 11:31:41 PM
Happy 2001!
For some reason Ive never been charged taxes on small packets (such as books). Only on larger parcels (bigger than my mail box) regardless of value.
Perhaps you should send it in a padded envelope and not a box (which is my usual preferred method for book shipping). Who knows?
In any case, don't lie on the customs form.
After a few tax hits, Canadians usually figure out that it costs much more to buy outside the country.
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Zazzie
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posted on January 3, 2001 12:42:43 AM
Just put on the customs form that the actual price the buyer is paying---and if it is a used book--make sure you write that down in the description Don't say it is a gift unless you feel comfortable with that.
Getting charged the federal sales tax in Canada is our problem--not the USA sellers.
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Dragonfyree
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posted on January 3, 2001 09:28:12 AM
Thanks so much for the advise. I would never lie on the custom form. With my luck, they would catch me. I've been getting more Canadian buyers - three this week and I'm wondering if I should put some kind of reminder about the Canadian tax in my auctions.
Not Dragonfyree on ebay.
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kraftdinner
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posted on January 3, 2001 12:04:02 PM
~dragon~...you seem like the perfect seller to me! I don't know of any other seller that's as concerned about our extra costs!
Canadians pay about 63% of our income to taxes, so when the government adds on extras for this & that, we're all used to it! Stating it in your description would be pointless (to Canadians anyway).
I agree with RB - don't lie on Customs forms - but that goes BOTH ways. Don't send a $10.00 package valued at $100.00. We pay on the stated value.
Sorry "sunqiang" but if Canadians are so poor, why are they buying on eBay with the conversion & added taxes???????
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loony
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posted on January 3, 2001 08:51:48 PM
As a Canadian Ebayer perhaps I can help.
By law there is an exemption for goods imported for personal use under $20.00 and for gifts from FAMILY MEMBERS of under $75.00
DO NOT make false declarations!
Do however state the amount of sale excluding shipping.
Always ship to Canada via USPS as they honor the $20. exemption and above that they only assess a modest $5.00 fee to process the taxes (GST & PROV tax)
Conversly UPS will assess a $25.00 fee to process ALL imports (even the free $20.00 ones) then they charge $5.00 (funds advancement fee)to collect the GST 7 Prov tx
and then Tax all those fees. Therefore a $9.00 (prepaid) item will land on our door with about $39.00 COD.
If you want an upset Canadian use UPS.
We know its our obligation to pay GST and PST
as we do on all goods and services that we procure here in Canada. And sure I don't mind it if you tack on $1.00 or 2 to 'process' the declaration forms. But PLEASE don't do as some sellers and double shipping or add $10.or $20. for 'int'l S&H '. Guaranteed I'll never be back!
p.s.: I have concluded many satisfactory buys from the US and appreciate all those fine and fair sellers. My feedbacks reflect it as "Fair seller to Canadians"
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lanefamily
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posted on January 3, 2001 09:25:31 PM
This was a good topic for me as well. I ship to CANADA on average twice per week. Always USPS Airmail. In a prior post I quote "By law there is an exemption for goods imported for personal use under $20.00 and for gifts from FAMILY MEMBERS of under $75.00" Is that Canadian value? At what %65 that would only make the us value at $12.00. Any way I have had many Canidian e-mail me to declare it as a gift. I would much sooner be able to correctly state the value and not have a problem.
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RB
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posted on January 4, 2001 06:04:45 AM
lanefamily ... it's Canadian dollars. And you really need to research your info about exchange rates, and ... get a new battery for your calculator eh
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loony
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posted on January 4, 2001 07:22:17 AM
To clarify things a bit.
Yes the $20, $75. exemptions are in CD$, however it seems that they ofted let slide amounts that are close. I have seen as much as $50 ish slip by.
In fact it is somewhat silly (and costly) to collect on say a $30 item (about $4.50 + the $5.00 fee). All considered (salaries, overheads and all the paperwork involved) it would probably cost well over $100. to do so. So I suspect it becomes a judgement call or perhaps what side of the bed the person got up on.
Recieved one package today that was $29.00 and it came thru free.I was fully prepared to pay if asked to. (bulk random orbital sanding disks ) And NO I'm not running to offer voluntary taxes! LOL
And I believe (from many officious postings), that postage should not be included in price.
Often folks declare insurance @$100. (because the fee is sold in $100 lots) on minor shipments and I guess the seller figures to profit on the loss and so to justify his insured value he declares the value at the same $100.
Not to fret, Canada Customs will remit fees( takes about 20 days) and all you have to do is print out the auction notification and fill in claim form that is intigral to the payement notification. I simply tell them that my USER NAME is my bidding alias. They accepted this a few time so far.
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