| Author |
Topic: ? For Those Who Have bought Guitars From Canada |
Bobby Boggs
From:
Upstate SC.
|
Posted 28 Oct 2009 7:32 pm |
|
How much import-duty or whatever tax might I expect to pay as a U.S. buyer?
I bought a Profex II some years back.And about 2 weeks after it arrived. I received a import tax bill, I guess? For about 10% of the value of the Profex.
When buying PSG's this can add up. I'm sure many of you have imported guitars from Canada. So what's your experience? Thanks in advance....bb |
|
|
 |
Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
|
|
|
|
Greg Simmons
From:
where the buffalo (used to) roam AND the Mojave
|
|
|
|
Jeremy Threlfall
From:
now in Western Australia
|
Posted 28 Oct 2009 10:11 pm
|
|
this is not directly relevant to your query Bobby, but may give you some things to think about
When I bring stuff over to Australia from the US, this is what I pay
1. purchase price in $US
2. freight in $US
3. import duty (if it is a guitar, no import duty if it is a harp) usually 5 per cent of the purchase price in $AUS
4. GST (Goods and Services Tax - equivalent to your VAT?) 10 percent of the total of the purchase price, freight and import duty
5. Import brokers fee (do do the paperwork and to clear customs) last time was AUS$65
For example
New Pedal Steel (say US$2500)
Freight (US$500)
Import Duty 5 per cent of 2500 = US$125
GST 10 per cent of (2500+500+125) = US$312.50
Import Broker fee AUS$65 (say US$75)
Total: US$3512.5 (AUS$3900)
Some freight providers include the import brokerage fee in the total quote for their freight
hope this helps/is of interest |
|
|
|
Bobby Boggs
From:
Upstate SC.
|
Posted 29 Oct 2009 4:05 am
|
|
Thanks guys. It's been years and I'm a little foggy. But if i remember correctly I was billed by the Canadian government.
Besides the brokerage fee Doug mentioned. Have any of you been billed by either the US or Canadian government? .......Thanks........bb |
|
|
|
Bill Miller
From:
Gaspe, Quebec, Canada
|
Posted 29 Oct 2009 5:22 am
|
|
| Bobby, I'm no expert on this but I have imported a fair bit of equipment from the U.S. to Canada. I don't think the Canadian government would be charging you for anything. Before the North American Free Trade Agreement came into effect the U.S. government would have charged you duty on goods from Canada, and they will still charge you duty if the item you are importing from Canada is manufactured in some other other country (other than Canada or the U.S.). Your federal and state governments will probably charge you sales tax on the imported item...they do up here. And of course the carrier will charge you brokerage, some more than others. I don't know about USPS but Canada Post charges a reasonable flat rate brokerage for importing from the U.S. The courrier companies can be pretty expensive. |
|
|
|
Ben Jones
From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
|
Posted 29 Oct 2009 6:07 am
|
|
| I think Bill may be correct. I bought a guitar from Eastwood (Ontario, Canada) and paid nothing for brokerage. this was maybe three years ago? |
|
|
|
Ryan McMahon
From:
The Land Of Sky Blue Waters
|
Posted 29 Oct 2009 6:47 am fee
|
|
Im not a numbers guy, but, i still owe ups some 30 bux for my Fulawka i got from Al Brisco in august. it too arrived weeks after i took delivery. Crazy. I guess this means i gotta pay up, huh?
_________________
Williams and Fulawka Guitars |
|
|
|
Marc Jenkins
From:
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
|
Posted 29 Oct 2009 7:30 am
|
|
| It really depends on the freight carrier. For importing into Canada, the post is the method with the lowest fees. Fedex Ground is not too bad, but UPS and Fedex Express charge handling fees and Ups often includes fees with virtually no explanation. Stay away. |
|
|
|
Al Brisco
From:
Colborne, ON Canada
|
Posted 29 Oct 2009 7:37 am
|
|
Hi Folks,
Perhaps I can give you some insight on imports on shipping between US & Candaa.
General Rule:
...for smaller type items;
If the weight & dimensions are within the post office guidelines, (any small package for sure & some guitars), use the post office.
Canada to US...I've never heard of any brokerage fee or taxes owed.
US to Canada...Canada Customs charges a $5.00 handling fee, plus appropriate GST & PST.
...for largter items (guitars & amps);
If the item was made in the other country then you have to include a NAFTA Certificate of Origin to avoid any duties.
If the item is being shipped into the country where it was manufactured, no NAFTA is required, however the paperwork has to indicate the country where manufactured.
When using a courier to ship items across the border, a brokerage fee for customs clearance of between $30.00+ is charged & usually payable to the courier driver upon delivery.
Hope this helps,
Al Brisco |
|
|
|
Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
|
|
|
|
Al Risbeck
From:
Iowa, USA
|
Posted 29 Oct 2009 10:34 am Bank fees also
|
|
I shipped items worth $80.00 to Canada, the customer paid with a Canadian Postal Money order and my bank charged me back $10.00 for collecting it from the Canadian P.O.   |
|
|
|
Darrell Urbien
From:
Echo Park, California
|
Posted 29 Oct 2009 11:31 am
|
|
I think there is a dollar amount limit that triggers when brokerage fees get applied. I've bought two instruments from Vancouver luthier Michael Dunn, a ukulele and a steel guitar. The uke came without additional fees, but the guitar needed more money and a bunch of forms filled out before it would ship.
I have also purchased instruments from the UK, and those came with brokerage fees AND duty fees from US Customs; they eventually come after you if you don't pay them, too. |
|
|
|
Jeremy Threlfall
From:
now in Western Australia
|
Posted 29 Oct 2009 5:34 pm
|
|
Once again, this is from my US-Australia experience
Import duty (and therefore import brokerage, and the GST too) doesn't apply for any goods imported with a value of less than AUS$1000
I've had US$700 guitars delivered to me in the mail like any other parcel sent from within Australia - with no attendant paperwork or officialdom of any kind. |
|
|
|
Dennis Manuel
From:
Quesnel, B.C., Canada
|
Posted 29 Oct 2009 6:16 pm
|
|
If the item being purchased is manufactured in either Canada, United States or Mexico there is no duty.
If you are planning on using a courier do not use DHL! |
|
|
|
steve takacs
From:
beijing, china via pittsburgh (deceased)
|
Posted 29 Oct 2009 7:38 pm BAX Global
|
|
| Right, do use BAX Global if you can. I've done it several times through my friend's buisness. (I needed a business address to use them in the past. I don't know if that is needed today). Very efficient and realtively cheap. steve t |
|
|
|
Bob Blair
From:
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
|
Posted 30 Oct 2009 8:36 am
|
|
| Al Risbeck points out a recurring problem. Although Canadian Postal Money Orders that have been issued in U.S. funds are as solid as can be, many, but certainly not all, U.S. Banks just don't like them. I once sent a small postal money order down to cover a discrepancy in the shipping estimate amount, and the same bank that had accepted a much larger Bank-issued money order (both were issued in U.S. Funds) without question wanted to charge a $25.00 "foreign cheque" fee. Another time a bank just insisted the money order was somehow bad, though eventually they processed it and waited for it to clear and of course it was not. I'm aware of another incident where someone else had a problem as well. It doesn't matter that the people in the receiving bank are uninformed, misinformed, unreasonable or anything else. If they cause a problem for the recipient of the funds it becomes a problem for the sender of the funds and the recipient, and will hold up your deal. So despite my high regard for the service I have gotten from Canada Post over the years (like Al Brisco I have become convinced they are a great alternative to UPS et al, and I always get terrific friendly service at our downtown post office - much better than at the "contracted out" drugstore facilities,generally speaking) , and my complete trust in their money orders, I won't use them to send funds south anymore. Too bad because it is a convenient and highly secure way to send money. |
|
|
|
Willis Vanderberg
From:
Petoskey Mi
|
Posted 30 Oct 2009 8:51 am
|
|
I too ran into a problem with a Canadian postal money order. The way my bank explained it was this. Some money orders have an account number on them . Some do not. If there is no account number then the bank cannot collect the funds electronicaly. They have to go the snail mail route and charged me
$ 25.00 to collect a $ 100.00 money order,pretty steep charge.. |
|
|
|
