Import Charges for Canada is just wrong!

[17dakotamoon]

They collect on our side if they want duty.I have had to pay twice at times! Not fair! Canadians are allowed to bring $200. across the border without paying anything.  I can see if item is over 200. but not under that.

[thestuffofchris]

Actually, our limit is only $20.

[femmefan1946]

Customs and duty are a federal responsibility.

You can write your MP at:

Your Member's Name, MP

House of Commons

OTTAWA ON K1A 0A6

or the Minister of Revenue at:

The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, P.C., M.P.
Minister of National Revenue
7th Floor
555 MacKenzie Avenue
Ottawa ON  K1A 0L5

You don't have to stamp the envelope. Reveal your inner James Bond and write OHMS in the upper right corner instead.

It's called Free Franking.

[afantiques]

Is that OHMS thing the law or just something you have always got away with?

I only ask because in Britain only official government post could be sent OHMS in envelopes with that printed on, and possibly since the Royal Mail was privatised it is now obsolete, I know I have not seen it for years but my corresponence with the government is minimal to none.

[momcqueen]

It's the law. Importing anything over $20 CAD de minimus by mail behooves import taxes. Shop from sellers located within Canada if you want to avoid it. 

[ypdc_dennis]

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@afantiques wrote:

Is that OHMS thing the law ...

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www.canadapost.ca/common/tools/pg/manual/PGgovtmail-e.asp

Government Mail Free of Postage allows for letter mail to be sent to and from the following individuals free of postage provided that both the sender and receiver are in Canada:

* the Governor General

* the Speaker or Clerk of the Senate or House of Commons

* the Parliamentary Librarian or the Associate Parliamentary Librarian

* Members of the Senate

* Members of the House of Commons

* the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner or Senate Ethics Officer

* the Director of the Parliamentary Protective Service.

...

However, to the best of my knowledge, OHMS isn't required on the envelope. It's also not forbidden.

-..-

[femmefan1946]

I used to work in a Minister' Office.

We didn't see it often, but it was legal.

In the same way, the Minister's correspondence went out OHMS.

I remember some discussion in the office, by then  Correspondence/ Departmental Secretariat, when a First Nations Band quite properly sent a heavy document to the Minister free franked, which was returned by the (local) post office, stamped and then accepted.

We had to explain Free Franking  to the younger staff members.

It's a freedom of expression issue at heart.

Not just 'libre' but 'gratuit'. (Bilingualism does come in handy sometimes.)

And of course not too long ago, an average person might not have the threepence in cash that stamping a letter to Ottawa would cost.

[marnotom!]

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@17dakotamoon wrote:

They collect on our side if they want duty.I have had to pay twice at times! Not fair! Canadians are allowed to bring $200. across the border without paying anything.  I can see if item is over 200. but not under that.

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To clarify Chris' post, the $200 limit to which you're referring only applies to visits to the United States lasting more than 24 hours. Goods transported from the United States to you in Canada(or other countries) are subject to taxes and duties.  If they're sent by mail or courier, that tax/duty-free limit is $20.

If you've been receiving items by mail with declared values of over C$20 and haven't had Canada Border Services assess HST/GST/PST, etc. on them and Canada Post charge you C$9.95 on top of that for collecting those taxes, you've simply been very fortunate.

More information here:

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/import/postal-postale/dtytx-drttx-eng.html