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Thread: Shopping in USA - HST?!? :(

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    Frosh Canuck
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    Have you guys ever been hit with the HST tax after coming back from the States. My family and I make a casual shopping trip to the States maybe every 2 months just to change things up. We have never ever been charged with HST but this time we did and I was shocked. Have we just been lucky to miss it every time? We spent around $240 for 3 people so that's around $80 per person. They charged us 13% on that. So much for the amazing deals we got in the States -_- I don't want to rant too much because perhaps this is just a normal thing and we've just been very fortunate to not have to pay these taxes before. Let me know if this has happened to you! Thanks
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    Yes, we live really close to the border. If you buy less than $60 depending on the border guard they'll wave it, but if it's more that's normal. You're just lucky to have never had to pay it before.
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    Frosh Canuck
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    Quote Originally Posted by nicolthepickle View Post
    Yes, we live really close to the border. If you buy less than $60 depending on the border guard they'll wave it, but if it's more that's normal. You're just lucky to have never had to pay it before.
    Thanks for letting me know. I guess it's a good thing I didn't have to pay any duty; I suppose they could have charged that, as well!

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    Frosh Canuck
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    I have never had to pay anything when traveling by car or plane returning from the states.

    Doesnt it depend on how long u are in the states and how much u buy? Maybe google canada customs and duty for more info?
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    Quote Originally Posted by princess_m View Post
    I have never had to pay anything when traveling by car or plane returning from the states.

    Doesnt it depend on how long u are in the states and how much u buy? Maybe google canada customs and duty for more info?
    When I asked the lady at customs why I had to pay she said that you always have to pay. She told me it does not matter how long you stay, we are supposed to charge you taxes every single time. She said the more # of days you stay in the States the more money you're allowed you spend over there :/ I was there was less than 24 hrs so she the $$$ limit does not even apply to me. If you're less than 24 hrs you are 100% supposed to be charged. I think she said over 24 hrs and you wouldn't have to pay duty. I did some googling but everyone is saying something different. Next time, I'm just gonna be sneaky and put some of my clothes on and throw out the receipts LOL. We usually claim every single thing we bring over -_- silly of us I suppose but since we didn't know we'd get charged HST we thought nothing of it.
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    Yes it does depend on how long you were and how much you buy as well as what you buy.

    Quote Originally Posted by princess_m View Post
    I have never had to pay anything when traveling by car or plane returning from the states.

    Doesnt it depend on how long u are in the states and how much u buy? Maybe google canada customs and duty for more info?

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    Canadian Genius xox2010's Avatar
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    I had no idea they charged HST! We have never been charged it anytime we bring stuff back... we usually only go for 2 -3 hours and spend less than $200 though.
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    Normally you do not pay duty, we have a lot of agreements in place for cross border shopping so duty charges are usually for international (non US) shipments and importers bringing in a lot.
    People confuse paying HST at the border with duty

    When you return to Canada, duties and taxes are applicable on all purchases unless you qualify for a personal exemption. Personal exemptions allow you to bring goods of a certain value into the country without paying the regular duties. If you have been outside Canada for:


    • 24 hours or more, you can bring in CAN$200 worth of goods free of duty and tax;
      • If the goods you bring in are worth more than CAN$200 in total, you cannot claim this exemption. Instead you have to pay full applicable duties and taxes on all goods you bring in.

    • 48 hours or more, you can bring in CAN$800 worth of goods free of duty and tax;
    • 7 days or more, you can bring in CAN$800 worth of goods free of duty and tax. Goods may be in your possession at time of entry to Canada but are also permitted to follow entry to Canada (via courier, mail or delivery agency).

    Alcohol and Tobacco - Restrictions apply to the amount of alcohol and tobacco you can bring into Canada under your exemption. If you have been outside Canada for at least 48 hours and are of legal age, you can bring in these amounts of alcohol and tobacco products free of duty and tax as part of your personal exemption:

    Alcoholic beverages:


    • 1.14 L (40 oz.) of liquor; or
    • 1.5 L of wine; or
    • 24 X 355 ml (12 oz.) containers of beer.

    Tobacco products (all of the following):

    • 200 cigarettes
    • 50 cigars or cigarillos;
    • 200 tobacco sticks; and
    • 200 g (7 oz.) of manufactured tobacco.


    What if I'm away for only a few hours?

    If you don't qualify for a personal exemption, you can still bring back any amount of goods - except for restricted items - as long as you are willing to pay the duties and any provincial and territorial assessments that may apply.
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    Frosh Canuck
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    WOW WOW WOW what an awesome reply. Thanks so much @FallenPixels! Good to know such things. Unfortunately I'm never their for over 24 hours (unless I'm vacationing) so I guess I will never really qualify for this exemption! Boy have I been lucky to never have had to pay HST before!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Baggravation View Post
    When I asked the lady at customs why I had to pay she said that you always have to pay. She told me it does not matter how long you stay, we are supposed to charge you taxes every single time. She said the more # of days you stay in the States the more money you're allowed you spend over there :/ I was there was less than 24 hrs so she the $$$ limit does not even apply to me. If you're less than 24 hrs you are 100% supposed to be charged. I think she said over 24 hrs and you wouldn't have to pay duty. I did some googling but everyone is saying something different. Next time, I'm just gonna be sneaky and put some of my clothes on and throw out the receipts LOL. We usually claim every single thing we bring over -_- silly of us I suppose but since we didn't know we'd get charged HST we thought nothing of it.
    I think we've all been tempted to do that....SO not worth it, though if one gets caught. We live close to the border and always declare everything...very occasionally we get charged HST. I despise having to pay it but it's what gives us our health care system, schools, roads, etc. I try and remember that when I hold my nose and cough up the money.
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    Quote Originally Posted by DianneS View Post
    I think we've all been tempted to do that....SO not worth it, though if one gets caught. We live close to the border and always declare everything...very occasionally we get charged HST. I despise having to pay it but it's what gives us our health care system, schools, roads, etc. I try and remember that when I hold my nose and cough up the money.
    Unfortunately, it's not worth shopping in the States if I'm going to have to pay HST afterwards. I understand that our taxes are what pay for healthcare and all of the other things you've mentioned but I honestly feel as though we pay quite a lot whilst in Canada! I don't think there should be a need to tax someone who spend a couple hundred over the border on the odd occasion. We already end up paying around 8% taxes in the States and then we have to pay an additional 12% here Shucks.
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    That state tax across the line really hurts when added in. I know that you can get it back if you spend over a certain threshhold but I never seem to spend enough in state tax to qualify for the refund. (It also means filling out forms and submitting them.) I make it a rule of thumb that I calculate the HST on top of what I'm buying "just in case". We rarely have to pay it, so my 'mental math' is that if I pay it once in every 30 trips, then I spread out the one 'hit' over the 30 times I didn't have to pay. Thank goodness there is no HST on most groceries....
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    What`s happened here is some of the merchants pubicly complained that if the customs officer doesn`t pull you over for duty and taxes, on same day trips, it puts them at a price disadvantage ... I guess the info has filtered through.
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    I have never had to pay duty or taxes. BUT, I am always prepared to. There will come a day when I have to and that will be my day to pay, but after YEARS of paying nothing, who can complain. I have not been over for a full weekend shopping trip since they changed the 48 hour limit to $800. Next time I go for a weekend shopping trip. I plan to blow ever cent!!!
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    Canadian Guru cabmonk's Avatar
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    My friend( old old friend, haven't seen them in like 20 years lol damn I'm getting old) used to go to the US to buy tools for work. In the parking lot of the store he would take them all out of the packaging and put them in his tool box in the back of his van.

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