With 1 US dollar equalling 1.12 Canadian I'm not rushing to the US to buy anything. Things would have to be a lot cheaper to make it worthwhile to spend the gas and pay the duty.
Yes, they are cheaper and have been for many years.With 1 US dollar equalling 1.12 Canadian I'm not rushing to the US to buy anything. Things would have to be a lot cheaper to make it worthwhile to spend the gas and pay the duty.
That's true for income tax, but I don't know if it's true for sales tax.Most tax treaties seem to be set up to avoid double taxation.
I don't think you can, but I do agree that the Canadian taxes at the border should be levied on the item price alone, not the item price plus the US sales tax.1) Is there some way I can claim an exemption or refund of US state tax when making purchases I bring back to Canada? Complicated or not, I can't find anything on the internet about this.
Dave, I already tried on the jacket at the local store and there is no way I'd pay $200 for it ($179.00 + PST and GST) when comparable items are available for less.$89.95 Price
$10.00 UPS shipping (if you can get it that cheap)
$25.00 UPS Brokerage
$15.00 exchange costs
$02.50 Credit card fee for currency exchange
$12.00 GST & PST
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154.45
$30.00 savings
Being able to try it on or return it -- priceless!
$89.95 Price
$10.00 UPS shipping (if you can get it that cheap)
$25.00 UPS Brokerage
$15.00 exchange costs
$02.50 Credit card fee for currency exchange
$12.00 GST & PST
======
154.45
Have you considered that your behaviour contributes to the higher cost of the product in Canada? If everyone were to do the same, the price at the Canadian retailer would rise to infinity (all expenses of maintaining stock, but no revenue), while the on-line retailer with far less expensive space gets to move his cost closer to the actual cost of production.Dave, I already tried on the jacket at the local store...
But some vendors in the US will NOT ship USPS. Picking stuff up on the other side of the border is great for those who live near by. That excludes a lot of folk in Canada, though.I find USPS airmail the best deal if possible (don't know why, but it's even cheaper than ground it seems to bypass taxes or something)
I do not consider that to be the case, that is simply your prerogative. This is analogous to people who test drive their favorite cars here in Canada and end up going Stateside to buy them for significantly less. Do you also see a problem with that ? At the end of the day, I have to look out for my little family's finances and I am willing to do everything within legal and reasonable means to keep things in perspective.Have you considered that your behaviour contributes to the higher cost of the product in Canada? If everyone were to do the same, the price at the Canadian retailer would rise to infinity (all expenses of maintaining stock, but no revenue), while the on-line retailer with far less expensive space gets to move his cost closer to the actual cost of production.
When a vendor applies a "bait & switch" to a customer, everyone howls about how unfairly they are being treated, but when the customer plays a similar game, by using the retailer without any intention of a purchase, that's considered O.K?