I could have sworn that I read about a "transport fee" or something when shipping retail items to Canada. However, I can't find such a fee on the usps.com site... I guess my general question is: what are the rules for shipping items that are bought from my website to Canada? Do I have to charge the user this transport fee (if it exists) or just make sure I pay it at the post office? Thanks!
Only use USPS. Fed Ex and (worst of all) UPS both charge "brokerage" fees.. an expense they bill to the receiver for conducting the item through customs. The US Postal Service either doesn't charge it or builds it in... either way, USPS is always the cheapest for Canadians and merchants that don't know and ship things UPS are screwing their customers with an extra bill they'll receive a few weeks later. OK beyond those brokerage fees there is also the GST charge. If an item is valued at over (I think?) $50, then the receiver has to pay taxes on the item when they receive it. Again, not your problem and most people should know about this one. Some merchants screw the Canadian government by marking things as under $50 value or as a "gift" or business sample.
Ok, so just to clarify: There is nothing we need to do other than ship the product, even if it is over $50? It is the receiver's responsibility to pay the taxes if the cost is over $50? We don't have to mention this on the site anywhere? Thanks for the quick and informative reply!
Correct. I can't say what everyone knows, but if you've ordered more than once from the US, you're probably aware of paying the taxes on something coming over the border. I would say "the customer is responsible for any local taxes" etc.
yes you are correcy i once was chared 50$ for a screen that cost me 150$ for "taxes issues" , but since then just mark it as a gift and price under 50$ , they wanna play with us ... we can play with them
If you are shipping to Canada, you will need to provide a commercial invoice as well as a certificate of origin for the product(s). The customer recieving the goods will need to pay a value added tax which in Canada is reflective by the General Sales Tax (GST). The customer may also be subject to brokerage fees unless the shipper absorbs such. Depending on the product(s) being shipped there may also be duty and the responsibility of the buyer/customer. Do not fake any of the documents as if you do you are subject to fines and penalties for the first offense and it is very likely your future shipments will be monitors. I believe that in event of a second offense, Canadian customs can prevent your goods from entering the country.
Not sure if this will help, but I just ripped this from http://pages.ebay.ca/help/sellerguide/shipping/importing.html: What does the US or International Seller have to do? Attach a Customs Declaration Form. The exporter must complete and attach a standard Customs declaration to all items they ship by mail to Canada, accurately describing the goods, stating their origin, and reporting their value. A false or incomplete declaration could result in unnecessary delays in processing your shipment. A Canada Customs Invoice or Commercial Invoice is the most common form used. What does the Canadian Buyer have to do? Pay Applicable Customs Duties and Taxes. You must pay for applicable duties and/or taxes before the goods can be released to you • You pay duties based on the value of the goods in Canadian funds (duty rates vary according to the type of goods you are importing and the country they came from or were made in); • You pay Goods and Services Tax (GST) on most goods you import into Canada. GST is 7%, calculated on the item's total value (in C$) plus any duties that apply; • You pay Provincial Sales Tax (PST) on all goods that are taxable under the province's tax base if you live in BC, Ontario, Manitoba, PEI, Saskatchewan or Quebec. PST is charged according to the provincial tax rate that applies; • You pay Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) instead of GST if you live in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland or Labrador. HST is 15%, calculated on the item's total value (in C$) plus any duties that apply. Basically, all I think you really have to do is attach the customs form. I also ripped this from an ebay forum post: CUSTOMS: There are two standard USPS customs forms for Canada-bound packages: one for Letter-post mail (4x3 green sticker: PS Form 2976) and one for Parcel-post mail (6.5x8 white form & sleeve: PS Form 2976-A (& 2976-E - the plastic holding sleeve)). They both require the contents description (the eBay item, for example, 'Used Coat') and value (always the eBay Winning Bid). The white form requires the addition of both parties' names, addresses and buyers' phone number. EMS has its own customs form/mailing label (Label 11-B).
I have this verbage on my shipping info page: *Please note, Customs policies vary from country to country. You may be subject to import duties and taxes, which are enforced once a shipment reaches your country. Charges for customs clearance must be paid by you. Unfortunately, we have no control over these charges.
I ship to Canada often ship through usps fill out the form they give you done deal. I do not cheat on price ect. (you are a business act like one) I have never had a problem. Shipping through UPS is a pain several forms to fill out ect.
Being Canadian, I can tell you that if I know I'll be paying customs fees on an item, I will not buy it. The last item I did (I had no choice) was worth $38. I paid $27 in customs taxes. Paying customs fees completely drives me away from a product.
It's completely possible if it was sent UPS. A couple years ago I ordered some stuff from the states, and since it was only a couple dollars more to ship UPS with faster delivery (rather than the regular USPS they offered), I chose that option. I don't remember the exact numbers, but I believe the parts were around $50. Because of the UPS brokerage fees, the amount owing at the door was somewhere around $20-30 IIRC. This didn't happen the first time, when I had my stuff shipped by USPS (same retailer). If you're selling a product and offer shipping to Canada, do not offer UPS as a shipping method (unless you have a strong dislike for Canadians .) Even if it costs more for you to ship USPS, just charge more for shipping. You're doing Canadians a favor - they'll still be saving money in the end, since they won't be hit with unexpected (and unreasonable) fees at the door. It can also save you headaches, because I've heard many stories of some people blowing up at the retailer when they're hit with the unexpected UPS fees and looking for someone to blame.
hi, there.. do we get taxed for it shipping in US ? so, how does the tax work in uS (the sales tax and shipping tax) ?? thanx for your reply