New to Ebay Canada and after tips re postage

[micromachineworld]

Hi all, I have the very good fortune to have moved to canada from the uk and I want to resume selling here,
I sell micro machine toys so some of the items I will post (if sold singly) are only 2.5cm x 1.5cm wide.
I have looked at canadian sellers and there is a big difference in postage, in the uk its really simple as there is only one postage for the whole of uk for each size item, but here its a different story as you have such a large country.
I am going to go to the post office monday to have a chat with them, but wondered if any of you have any tips / tricks re postage in canada and to Usa

many thanks
(-:
Steve

[momoftwingles2]

Quebec has its own HST. It has been there for many years.

The comment I made related to Saskatchewan.

Regarding PST in Saskatchewan....

If I bring in my business license to any place and purchase consumables for mailing, etc...I am not charged PST.

Mind you, I don't carry my business license or # around with me. I file PST once a year and any PST that I have paid on consumables...envelopes, boxes, paper, bubble wrap, bags for bagging eyelets, brads, etc.....I claim as a credit. Always have. I was audited my first year by GST and PST personnel and was it was the PST person that told me...CLAIM IT and they actually adjusted my first year PST and gave me my money back.

The GST...I claim as part of my credits on my annual GST form.

Works for me!

Susan in SOGGY SASKATCHEWAN

[pierrelebel]

"If I bring in my business license to any place and purchase consumables for mailing, etc...I am not charged PST. "

Technically, that is NOT correct.

The licence is meant to be used for goods purchased for resale, not for goods consumed in your business.

Whenever you can spare a few minutes, call the Saskatchewan Ministry of Revenue to check on that.

[momoftwingles2]

"If I bring in my business license to any place and purchase consumables for mailing, etc...I am not charged PST. "

Technically, that is NOT correct.

The licence is meant to be used for goods purchased for resale, not for goods consumed in your business.

Whenever you can spare a few minutes, call the Saskatchewan Ministry of Revenue to check on that.

Hi Pierre,

It is CORRECT for Saskatchewan. I have done my PST return like this for the past 9 years with Revenue Sask correcting the first one that I did not.

We do not pay PST on consumables for mailing and/or packaging OR for items purchased for resale, however, I didn't include that because I've never been charged PST on any of my items for resale because of the companies having my PST # and/or them coming into Canada duty/tax free.

But, here in Saskatchewan...consumables are PST exempt.

I'm doing it right...for here.
Susan

[pierrelebel]

I guess I am not reading that right http://www.finance.gov.sk.ca/Default.aspx?DN=e5f80742-9ab3-416c-88c4-f9aa1da73998 :

"What does a vendor's licence number allow me to do?
.
A vendor's licence number allows you to purchase inventory and taxable services that are for resale without paying tax by providing your supplier with your vendor's licence number. Non-returnable packaging materials may also be purchased tax-exempt by providing your supplier with the number. You may not purchase goods or services tax-exempt for your personal use or for use in operating your business by quoting your vendor's licence number."

"The tax must be paid on all new or used equipment and supplies that are purchased for business use. "

I just don't get it. 😞

[momoftwingles2]

I guess I am not reading that right http://www.finance.gov.sk.ca/Default.aspx?DN=e5f80742-9ab3-416c-88c4-f9aa1da73998 :

"What does a vendor's licence number allow me to do?
.
A vendor's licence number allows you to purchase inventory and taxable services that are for resale without paying tax by providing your supplier with your vendor's licence number. Non-returnable packaging materials may also be purchased tax-exempt by providing your supplier with the number. You may not purchase goods or services tax-exempt for your personal use or for use in operating your business by quoting your vendor's licence number."

"The tax must be paid on all new or used equipment and supplies that are purchased for business use. "

I just don't get it. 😞

Hi Pierre,
You have quoted it correctly. If I purchase mailers....they are PST exempt. If I purchase storage containers or shelving for my products they are not.
It's Saskatchewan! It's not supposed to be understandable!

Susan

[pierrelebel]

OK - I think I get it - So you pay PST on everything you use (office supplies, computers, printers, laser cartridges, etc) except mailing supplies, is that correct?

If so, then you would benefit from having HST in SK like BC, ON and the three Maritime provinces as ALL "stuff" (equipment/supplies/etc) used in the business is eligible for ITC just as you currently get on 5% GST.

[momoftwingles2]

OK - I think I get it - So you pay PST on everything you use (office supplies, computers, printers, laser cartridges, etc) except mailing supplies, is that correct?

If so, then you would benefit from having HST in SK like BC, ON and the three Maritime provinces as ALL "stuff" (equipment/supplies/etc) used in the business is eligible for ITC just as you currently get on 5% GST.

For the most part, yes! PST is not paid on the mailing supplies and I also don't pay it on the bags used for packaging the eyelets and brads that I sell. But, office supplies, printers, computers, etc....all have PST on them!

And then all of those items I claim on my GST return as inputs.

The HST is strongly disliked here in Saskatchewan. I'm not sure why, but it is. For me, as a business I would benefit in having all PST included as an ITC with HST. So perhaps Saskatchewan is biting off their nose to spite their face!

Keep in mind over the past years that Saskatchewan is usually the LAST province to sign on to any federal farm help. Why? Not sure...especially when Sask usually needs more help than other provinces.

It will be interesting to see what happens in the future! Who knows...by then we may be living in Ottawa!

Have a good one, Pierre!
Susan

[pierrelebel]

"The HST is strongly disliked here in Saskatchewan."

Actually the HST is dislike everywhere in the country except by business, all sizes, who directly benefit from getting all taxes back.

Eventually, HST will help the economy in three ways:
1) lower costs for business mean potentially more employement since the cost of buying equipment becomes much cheaper
2) possibility of lowering prices to match lower operating costs or minimizing price increases due to inflation.
3) raises taxes for the provincial government and, that is not necessarily a bad thing. We need hospitals and schools and competent personel to staff them.

In the meantime, most consumers see an extra $1 in tax for a haircut and are upset about it!
Where HST will really hurt, is in real estate where realtors will have to charge the tax on their already fat commissions and laywers on their already fat fees. 😞

[momoftwingles2]

You hit the NAIL on the head!

Susan

[dipmicro]

3) raises taxes for the provincial government and, that is not necessarily a bad thing. We need hospitals and schools and competent personel to staff them.

Governments are chronically known as not very good businessmen, they overspend and over-complicate. Canadian governments are not immune, there are stories on how much they spend on paper-clips and how many hours government worker spends on Facebook.

HST takes money from working class and splits it between government and corporations. There is too much wealth already concentrated in the hands of corporations, the wealth that used to be in hands of middle class. HST and ITC are making the wealth distribution even more uneven.

The car dealer charges $95/hr, but the technician gets $25/hr. Now they are giving dealership more ITCs and the technician will pay for it. This is plain wrong, the government should find ways to collect more revenue from wealthy, not from the poor. The taxation in North America is still not as high as in Europe but is getting there. And it seems with time we pay more taxes and receiving less and less for it.

[westernstargifts]

In the meantime, most consumers see an extra $1 in tax for a haircut and are upset about it!

$2.40 but who's counting?

Where HST will really hurt, is in real estate where realtors will have to charge the tax on their already fat commissions and laywers on their already fat fees.

I have several family members who are real estate agents. The last couple of years have been brutal in the real estate market.

Now the lawyers...they are kept in business by my neighbours who sue for a living.

And what about the new eco "non-tax" in Ontario? Unannounced and harder to swallow than the HST.

[momoftwingles2]

[quote mid="500892954"]In the meantime, most consumers see an extra $1 in tax for a haircut and are upset about it!

$2.40 but who's counting?

Where HST will really hurt, is in real estate where realtors will have to charge the tax on their already fat commissions and laywers on their already fat fees.

I have several family members who are real estate agents. The last couple of years have been brutal in the real estate market.

Now the lawyers...they are kept in business by my neighbours who sue for a living.

And what about the new eco "non-tax" in Ontario? Unannounced and harder to swallow than the HST.[/quote]

Hi Judy,

What is this eco "non-tax" that you are referring to?

Susan

[pierrelebel]

It is not a tax.

For more information, take a look at this http://www.stewardshipontario.ca/consumers/what-we-do/mhswenvironmental-fees

The fee has been around for quite some time. However, several products were added on July 1 (same date HST went into effect on Ontario) and a few retailers (namely Canadian Tire) wrongly and grossly overcharged consumers for many products.

For apologies, check this http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/836944--belated-apology-for-eco-fee-asco

The fees raised do not go to the government, directly or indirectly.

[westernstargifts]

It is not a tax.

That is why I called it a "non-tax". There was some concern regarding it's legality as it was being applied by a non-government agency as you would apply a tax and only governments can legislate a tax.

A new round of eco fees took effect July 1 — the same day as the new 13 per cent HST — on everyday household items from matches to hand sanitizers, aerosol products such as shaving cream and asthma inhalers, household cleaners, pharmaceuticals, fire extinguishers and compact fluorescent light bulbs.

They understate the number of products that were included. One lady was charged $12 on a T.V. that she purchased. Another person bought a $10 alarm clock and paid an extra $2 or more on her purchase. HST was applied to that fee as well.

As the system now stands, shoppers don’t find out the fees until after they pay and see the charges on their receipts.

That is what made in so unpalatable to consumers. It was "unannounced" and consumers got the big surprise at checkout.

What is this eco "non-tax" that you are referring to?

Hi Susan. The links that Pierre provided and the quotes I made from them pretty much explain it. I first heard about it on the Toronto radio station am740. They have a call-in programme Monday to Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. called "Goldhawk Fights Back". Dale Goldhawk is a journalist but also a consumer advocate. There has been a great deal of discussion on his show regarding this new fee which apparently has, at least temporarily, been canned. I heard on the news that Canadian Tire apologized for charging customers too much. The whole thing certainly was a fiasco.

am740 is online if you like great oldies. They play big band, Perry Como, 50's & 60's rock and roll, etc. Just a plug for them. I love that station and have gained an appreciation for different artists and types of music that I didn't like when I was younger...even Frank Sinatra!