taxes on the Canadian and US side
By itsjustmeb
@itsjustmeb (1212)
Canada
March 8, 2007 11:14pm CST
What I don't understand is when someone from the Us sends me something, almost always I am dinged taxes and duty prices - even if the item is a gift. Now, why is it that us Canadians get stung with taxes and duty, yet if you ship something to someone in the US, they do not get stung taxes and or duty. How is that fair?
Personally I think they need to make that 50/50. I mean why sting us with high taxes and duty, why can't Americans pay the same?
2 people like this
4 responses
@mari61960 (4893)
• United States
9 Mar 07
Well it's not the fault of us americans. It's the canadian postal system or the canadian government that institues those taxes and duties, isn't it. I don't really know too much about it. But for us to pay half would probably cause us not to send goods to canada.. I don't think it fair, why should you have to pay anything but shipping. Where does the money go from the taxes and duties? Like I said I really don't know much about it.
1 person likes this
@itsjustmeb (1212)
• Canada
9 Mar 07
I have no idea , LOL and I don't think its the americans fault that we are charged..
@itsjustmeb (1212)
• Canada
9 Mar 07
What this was saying is that why aren't americans charged the same on their side - meaning when we send things to you, why are you not charged for the duty/taxes as well... I didn't mean when someone sends something TO ME from the US that they would have to pay it on their end :D
1 person likes this
@mari61960 (4893)
• United States
9 Mar 07
I know what you meant, I messed up... I meant as americans if we had to pay the the tax and duty on stuff from canada we would just have it sent from somewhere else, cutting like ordering from non canadian companies or something..I don't know..lol
1 person likes this
@jeweledbluerose (3061)
• United States
9 Mar 07
Although it is unfair, America and Canada are two different countries. What may apply for you, will not apply the same way to me. The taxes and such you have to pay is something that your government has set whereas here in America we don't have those same taxes. Though from what I understand Americans do pay high postal prices to have things shipped to Canada. Or at least I have when shipping things to a friend that lives there.
1 person likes this
@itsjustmeb (1212)
• Canada
9 Mar 07
That isn't always true either.
I have had diapers sent to me, and have had to pay more to ship them. when I look at the post mark, it always cost them less to send to me than it costs me to send to them!
@jeweledbluerose (3061)
• United States
9 Mar 07
Must be because I am sending heavier items than, but again I believe how the postal system works here and how it works there are two totally different systems. Maybe it's because you are paying those higher postal rates that folks in the United States don't have to pay taxes or in some manner those taxes and duties don't apply to us or can't be charged as such. It's something I'll have to do a little digging around and reading up on to actually understand it to the best that I can.
1 person likes this
@patgalca (18180)
• Orangeville, Ontario
9 Mar 07
I don't get the inconsistencies. I have ordered books and CDs on ebay, amazon and chapters/indigo and have not had to pay duty. I ordered from Cheryl Richardson's website a deck of Grace Cards. I did not have to pay duty. But when I ordered a book from Cheryl Richardson I had to pay duty.
And I'm not sure whether our American friends know this, but when we purchase a .50c stamp, we also have to pay 7% tax. We pay goods and services taxes on our postage stamps.
I don't understand the duty thing. It makes no sense to me. Why do we need to be charged to receive goods from another country? Really, why? Are we being penalized for shopping outside of Canada? We can't always get what we want in Canada so we have to look elsewhere. I don't think we should be penalized for that.
With our government I guess we have to take the good (free health care) with the bad.
1 person likes this
@itsjustmeb (1212)
• Canada
9 Mar 07
True enough. But I don't understand it either.
I mean for a 25 dollar pair of wool pants, they charged me 8 dollars in duty. A 100 order of diapers they dinged me 25 dollars in duty. Yet I had an order come through two days later which was marked at 100 dollars, with no duty.
And what cheeses me off about customs too is they hold stuff for so long it drives me nuts!
@albert2412 (1782)
• United States
9 Mar 07
Well, I do not know why you have to pay import taxes and duties. That does not seem fair to me either. Perhaps one day Canada and the United States will be one country and there will be no import duties ot taxes.
