TAX - Canada - Thomas-Distributing.com

What will bee the TAX added to an order to Canada from USA?

FX: If I buy batteries at Thomas-Distributing.com from Canada?

Thanks!

Commander

Depends on what province you are in. It will be GST+Provincial sales tax, or as they like to call it here on the east coast, Harmonized sales tax.

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HunterSon said:
Depends on what province you are in. It will be GST+Provincial sales tax, or as they like to call it here on the east coast, Harmonized sales tax.

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Near Vancouver!?

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Commander

When American tourists return to the U.S. from Canada, they can file for a GST refund, so possibly GST doesn't apply to American orders. Just MHO.

This is a Customs and Excise thing. If you order something from a foreign country over $50 declared value from a business or person they will charge you GST and provincial sales tax when you pick it up plus a customs fee. If you travel to another country and buy something you are usually allowed a limit on how much you can bring back into the country based on how long you stayed.

There is a GST fee and Administration fee of $10 on the GST. I live in Alberta and I don't have PST so I'm lucky on that. However it's the Administration fee on the GST that bother me and can bring something cheap like CR123A to a very high price if ordered in small quantity.

If you buy something via online and receive it via mail, here's the break down.

Anything over $20 CAD value from a business will be taxed GST and PST. Books etc. get taxed only 1 tax.

Anything over $60 CAD value from a personal (gift), will be taxed GST and PST.

Canadian customs fees are $5. USPS to Canada will most likely incur this. Also sending via USPS, sometimes packages get through without being taxed etc, but don't count on it.

If using courier such as UPS, Fed EX, they take care of the customs right away, you won't be able to avoid it. The declared value limit are the same as above. However, UPS and Fed EX charge an arm and a leg for "brokerage fees" on top of your custom taxes.

To give you an example, I ordered some merchandise worth $25 USD sent UPS, thus above the $20 CAD business declared limit. I paid more than $30 in "brokerage fees" and customs.

These are generally the rules, sometimes you get lucky, most of the time you don't with courier. My advice is to send your products to someone you know in the United States and have them bring it up to Canada when they visit, or make them mail it to you with a lower declared value and marked as a gift.

Good luck.

The courier companies do their own customs clearance, and as a result, have to charge duties, GST and PST, and then charge for the honor of doing so. Often these charges are substantially higher than the actual shipping charges.

In addition, all the couriers use a zone system, so if you ship from the US West Coast to PEI, or NS, look out. Post charges are not zoned, all of Canada is one price, no matter how remote.

The reality is Postal shipments can be charged, but rarely are, and the fees charged by customs are a fraction of what Fedex, DHL or UPS charge for the honor. Canada Customs just cannot be bothered most of the time.

When I ship to Canada, I usually point out that even Air Parcel Post to Canada tends to be less expensive the UPS ground. The shipping isn't what kills you, it is the destination charges that get tacked on!!

I ship CDs to Canada (or used to--we're now shipping out of Toronto for Canadian orders) and more and more they were charging GST+PST and a fee. The fee ranged from $5-$8 CDN from what I've heard. Pretty hefty on a single CD!

UPS seemed to be the worst shipping to Canada--I paid $140 for shipping a "shelf system" stereo to Toronto from LA, although the quoted shipping was only $40. AND the recipient paid the duty/taxes. This was in 1999.

Fed Ex has shipped stuff both ways--mostly master tapes--with no surcharges other than the shipping costs.

Cheers,

Richard

<font color="red"> Q: </font>
What will bee the TAX added to an order to Canada from USA?
If I buy batteries at Thomas-Distributing.com from Canada?

<font color="red"> A: </font>
5 x Energizer Lithium 4PK BATTERY
8 x Kodak MAX 3V Lithium BATTERY
6 x Kodak Photo Max Lithium BATTERY
Total US $: 73

Shipping and handling: 24 USD
TAX: 30 CDA

Total price: 125 USD

Hope this can help others...