Just finished the Sellers survey, but we need a 'buyers survey' soon.

[munytabern]

I would think that a 'Buyers Survey' would be in order following the recent 'Sellers Survey'.

Hopefully it would give us (buyers) a chance to vent our feeling over this unfair tax grab/shipping costs scheme toward Canadians.

I am speaking of the new 'Global Shipping Program'. Regardless of what they (GPS) says, it is not a more efficient way of getting our purchases from the US. to Canada in spite of the fact we (Canadians) never had much of a problem before. This is merely another method that the Canadian Government has devised to illegally collect taxes from private purchases in another country.

I believe our Government (Canada) would try to collect taxes on private purchases in this country (Canada) but they have not as yet

devised a method to do so.

  munytabern

[pierrelebel]

"I believe our Government (Canada) would try to collect taxes on private purchases in this country (Canada) but they have not as yet

devised a method to do so."

???

The government already does.  Everytime you go to a store and purchase a taxable item, you pay GST and PST or HST (depending on your province of residence).  Basically the same rules apply when importing.  Nothing illegal about it.

The rules can be found here: http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/import/postal-postale/duty-droits-eng.html

Now, when you refer to the Global Shipping Program (GSP) that is something else.  Most Canadian buyers agree with you that the program does not generally benefit Canadian buyers for most transactions, more so for low value transactions (under $100).

The GSP is a program made to help American sellers ship outside their borders.  The program (through Pitney Bowes) collects taxes (and duty if applicable) on behalf of a large number of countries, not just Canada (a relatively small country).

[lady.stark]

I don't understand... which seller survey are you talking about?

[munytabern]

Hay man, our government DOES NOT collect taxes on private perchases, , like if I bought a lawnmower from the guy across the sreet.

no taxe. But if I bought it online from a person using the GSP Harper would take a slice, see what I mean?

[munytabern]

The last one.

[marnotom!]

---

@munytabern wrote:

Hay man, our government DOES NOT collect taxes on private perchases, , like if I bought a lawnmower from the guy across the sreet.

no taxe. But if I bought it online from a person using the GSP Harper would take a slice, see what I mean?

---

I had to pay tax the last time I made a private vehicle purchase.  That's how it rolls here in B.C., not sure about other provinces.

While taxes aren't generally charged on purchases made within Canada from sellers who aren't registered to collect sales taxes, this isn't necessarily true for sales from outside of Canada.

Read the page that's linked on Pierre's post if you haven't done so already.

[femmefan1946]

Hay man, our government DOES NOT collect taxes on private perchases, , like if I bought a lawnmower from the guy across the sreet.

no taxe. But if I bought it online from a person using the GSP Harper would take a slice, see what I mean?

Your neighbour is not registered to remit taxes (the government doesn't so much care if the seller collects them as long as he sends the correct amount of tax along). And unless the seller is selling more than $30,000 a year (gross), these garage sale purchases are ignored. It is too expensive to collect them.

Many eBay sellers, even those selling well under $30K annually, are registered to collect sales tax from Canadian buyers. Some put it as a separate item, some include it in the asking price.

But if your neighbour started selling lawnmowers out of his garage, the attitude of the tax man would change. Now he would be required to fill in a form explaining how much he sold and sending in the appropriate amount. Monthly. (fun fact- the seller gets paid to do this as a credit on the amount he has to send)

Pitney Bowes and all the couriers like UPS are registered to  remit those taxes and duties. They handle the importatation of millions of dollars worth of goods every month.

But importation is a different thing. For one thing, imported goods push Canadian made goods (and jobs) out of the market. The government doesn't want that. Neither do unemployed Canadians.

At which point we start discussing the pros and cons of Free Trade and I fall asleep.

[femmefan1946]

Hay man, our government DOES NOT collect taxes on private perchases, , like if I bought a lawnmower from the guy across the sreet.

no taxe. But if I bought it online from a person using the GSP Harper would take a slice, see what I mean?

Your neighbour is not registered to remit taxes (the government doesn't so much care if the seller collects them as long as he sends the correct amount of tax along). And unless the seller is selling more than $30,000 a year (gross), these garage sale purchases are ignored. It is too expensive to collect them.

Many eBay sellers, even those selling well under $30K annually, are registered to collect sales tax from Canadian buyers. Some put it as a separate item, some include it in the asking price.

But if your neighbour started selling lawnmowers out of his garage, the attitude of the tax man would change. Now he would be required to fill in a form explaining how much he sold and sending in the appropriate amount. Monthly. (fun fact- the seller gets paid to do this as a credit on the amount he has to send)

Pitney Bowes and all the couriers like UPS are registered to  remit those taxes and duties. They handle the importatation of millions of dollars worth of goods every month.

But importation is a different thing. For one thing, imported goods push Canadian made goods (and jobs) out of the market. The government doesn't want that. Neither do unemployed Canadians.

At which point we start discussing the pros and cons of Free Trade and I fall asleep.

[munytabern]

I understand all that, I think everyone missed my point, thats ok but in your last paragraph shoulden't you be referring to 'Chinese made goods' ? It is very difficult to 'push Canadian goods' out of the market when there is little of it existing in the first place...