avoiding taxes on US purchases shipped to Canada?

If I understand the rules correctly Camera's and equipment have a duty free status, but we have to pay GST and provincial taxes (we are exempt from the provincial rip off). It is better to check with the authorities on that one.
I don't think the tax issue is to much of a biggie, someone has to finance the politicians and the bureaucratic boneheads, it's our calling in life.

gotak wrote in post #8712790
Buy your stuff used from within Canada? No taxes cause it's already been paid.

The problem is it takes forever to find someone selling what you want in Canada, at a reasonable price. Most sellers in Toronto can't seem to understand used they are being undercut by sellers in the US (tax and shipping included) :P. And some don't even realize they are being undercut new by local stores. That last one's the one I really don't get. How can you sell a used 70-200 4L for 900 bucks when new it's 700 tax in if you get it from Henry's ebay store?

On the other hand sometimes you get crazy deals. I've seen a nikon f3 with a 50/1.2 go for 50 bucks.... but usually craigslist is full of crazy people. There's a pentax k1000 with a 50 which the seller is asking 250 bucks for.

DocFrankenstein wrote in post #8712802
On the other hand sometimes you get crazy deals. I've seen a nikon f3 with a 50/1.2 go for 50 bucks.... but usually craigslist is full of crazy people. There's a pentax k1000 with a 50 which the seller is asking 250 bucks for.

Same thing with kijiji (which is more popular here in Halifax).. I constantly see people selling XSi kits for more than the current retail price new. People seem to think that just because they spent $1000 on something 4 years ago makes it worth $1000 today.

if your writing it as a gift and have not got nailed your just lucky, technically as posted above its only 60 or 80 bucks that your allowed to ship across as gifts

I have driven across the border with something and told them I had it as a gift and it was only around 100 bucks and they made me go inside and pay duties on it

I have shipped things though and never had any duties on them, and I never wrote it as a gift

its hit and miss and you could send 20 things and only 1 get nailed

DocFrankenstein wrote in post #8712784
He's just clueless. It depends on the time period - if away for 24 hours it might be 70 or so and then after 7 days it jumps to 500 or 800 and then a bit more....

Something like that.

After 24 hr absence...C$50
--No Tobacco and Liquor

After 48 hr absence...C$400
Tobacco...200 Cigarettes and 50 Cigars and 200g of loose Tobacco.
Liquor....1.14L of spirits, 1.5L of wine,or 24 bottles or cans of beer.(8.5L) After 7 days absence...C$750

All of discussion is the reason why I dont buy lenses across the border. I buy locally and pay a premium. At least I can test a lens in the store and if its a dud when you pixel peep at home you can swap a lens in a matter of minutes/hour.

Recently I purchased a Think tank modular belt locally and it cost less (taxes included and money conversion!!) then ordering it direct from them in the US.

As far as craigslist is concerned I seldom buy used lenses. CL has a reputation of credit card fraud and homeboy shopping networks However there are times legit great prices are found. My brother purchased a mint 70-200 f/2.8IS (less than one year) for 1800cdn from CL.

As mentioned, the only way to completely avoid having to pay taxes is if the sender marks the total value of the package ridiculously low - online shops shipping products from China (such as Maxsaver.net) typically do this.

The catch there is that you might be playing with fire if that package is lost in transit.

Here's a couple of threads that might be worth a read though:
http://www.redflagdeal​s.com …s/showthread.ph​p?t=512053
http://www.redflagdeal​s.com …s/showthread.ph​p?t=514565

Questions in those threads are answered by border guards.

yogestee wrote in post #8712431
Mate,,,you guys in North America are being ripped off!!

In Australia we pay import tax on anything valued over 1000AUD, about 850USD..

No, "You guys in Canada are being ripped off!" US citizens can travel abroad and bring back $400 per traveller without any duties.

For those who refer to the wonderful Canadian health care model being mimiced by the US, keep in mind the taxes paid for that health care...nothing in life is free and little is truly cheap!

Wilt wrote in post #8713224
No, "You guys in Canada are being ripped off!" US citizens can travel abroad and bring back $400 per traveller without any duties.

For those who refer to the wonderful Canadian health care model being mimiced by the US, keep in mind the taxes paid for that health care...nothing in life is free and little is truly cheap!

wait..what?

from http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca …/facts-faits/060-eng.html


and how did we all of a sudden start talking about health care?

beeng wrote in post #8713330
wait..what?

from http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca …/facts-faits/060-eng.html

and how did we all of a sudden start talking about health care?

Simply remarking about the 'I am being ripped off by GST and PST' sentiment!

millwright wrote in post #8712798
If I understand the rules correctly Camera's and equipment have a duty free status, but we have to pay GST and provincial taxes (we are exempt from the provincial rip off). It is better to check with the authorities on that one.
I don't think the tax issue is to much of a biggie, someone has to finance the politicians and the bureaucratic boneheads, it's our calling in life.

You are correct, there is ZERO duty on all camera equipment imported to Canada from the US. I've placed many (>20) orders from B&H Photo and have never paid 1 cent of duty on the camera equipment in the box. I have paid duty on instructional DVD's and other non-equipment related photography items, but never on equipment.

However, when the items are brought across the border you do have to pay GST, or GST+PST or HST depending on the province. In other words, other than the cost of shipping (using UPS Expedited ensures shipping cost includes brokerage fees) there is no difference between buying from B&H and buying from a local store.

Lots of audiophile equipment is also duty free. I've purchased headphones from the US with no duty.

So basically everything comes down to the exchange rate. You'll have to pay taxes regardless of where you buy it from. If (buying+shipping)*exch​ange < buying local, then buy it from the yanks :P

beeng wrote in post #8713405
So basically everything comes down to the exchange rate. You'll have to pay taxes regardless of where you buy it from. If (buying+shipping)*exch​ange < buying local, then buy it from the yanks :P

Yes and your credit card company also charges a small amount for doing the exchange, so if you want accuracy you also need to take that into account.

From what I have experienced, anything marked gift, and the added 30 dollar value doesn't get tagged.
Anything above that I have had to pay taxes on, this is at the courier. I bought a camera here a few years ago, great deal. What I didn't expect was the $141.00 it cost me before I could collect the camera.The value was posted in the declaration.

Flo wrote in post #8713450
From what I have experienced, anything marked gift, and the added 30 dollar value doesn't get tagged.
Anything above that I have had to pay taxes on, this is at the courier. I bought a camera here a few years ago, great deal. What I didn't expect was the $141.00 it cost me before I could collect the camera.The value was posted in the declaration.

GST and PST is paid by the courier when they bring it over the border and they recover it from you before handing over the goods.

Why didn't you expect to pay GST+PST?