DUTY for everyone IMPORTING a Laptop from U.S.
I have been doing searches on how to import a laptop from US to Canada, specifically regarding duty, with a lot of ambiguous results. So I thought I would post my own research findings:
Buying from HP.com which has trouble with anything but US credit cards, but this is a completely different issue.
I had a relative purchase my laptop from HP.com and had it shipped to a different US address where I can pick it up.
Here were the other options: USPS, Fedex, UPS, other mail-forwarding services
The problem with shipping from such services is their outstanding BROKERAGE and DISBURSEMENT fees (which does NOT have anything to do with DUTY).
The best solution I have found is if your close enough just go over to the States, pick it up, and pay HST (for Ontario, other provinces maybe different, eg. Quebec) at customs.
I am using this mail-holding service (http://www.usaddressinc.com/ for $5/package, the best one I could find around my area, though they DO NOT FORWARD MAIL, ONLY FOR HOLDING), where HP.com can ship it under my name, and the package will be held under my name.
So, for the good stuff
I called Canadian customs: 1-800-461-9999 about 4 different times asking them the same question:
'I am going to bring over a laptop that I purchased from US, it is made in China. Will there be any duty?'
And their response was the same everytime, 'NO DUTY ON LAPTOPS that you have purchased in the US and are bringing over to Canada REGARDLESS of origin. You only pay HST.'
I asked about what is taxable, the declared value? the base value w/o US tax? The customs agents said:
(US price +US tax + total shipping charges) x HST = Total Price for Laptop
Shipping cost is shipping + brokerage + disbursement + anything else UPS/Fedex charge you. So the real reason I think people get unexpectedly shafted when shipping from US into Canada, is the HST tax you pay on the total, and then the HST you pay on the total shipping charges.
Customs Tariffs on Laptops (code 8470.31.00) is found HERE, on PAGE 106
and that even though it is made in China, it is FREE of General Preferential Tariff treatment (GPT, which is the only tariff that applies to laptops made in China) mentioned in above link, and found HERE
If you have anything to add or had experience with this please add.
I hope this helps anyone else looking through forums for some peace of mind.
Buying from HP.com which has trouble with anything but US credit cards, but this is a completely different issue.
I had a relative purchase my laptop from HP.com and had it shipped to a different US address where I can pick it up.
Here were the other options: USPS, Fedex, UPS, other mail-forwarding services
The problem with shipping from such services is their outstanding BROKERAGE and DISBURSEMENT fees (which does NOT have anything to do with DUTY).
The best solution I have found is if your close enough just go over to the States, pick it up, and pay HST (for Ontario, other provinces maybe different, eg. Quebec) at customs.
I am using this mail-holding service (http://www.usaddressinc.com/ for $5/package, the best one I could find around my area, though they DO NOT FORWARD MAIL, ONLY FOR HOLDING), where HP.com can ship it under my name, and the package will be held under my name.
So, for the good stuff
I called Canadian customs: 1-800-461-9999 about 4 different times asking them the same question:
'I am going to bring over a laptop that I purchased from US, it is made in China. Will there be any duty?'
And their response was the same everytime, 'NO DUTY ON LAPTOPS that you have purchased in the US and are bringing over to Canada REGARDLESS of origin. You only pay HST.'
I asked about what is taxable, the declared value? the base value w/o US tax? The customs agents said:
(US price +US tax + total shipping charges) x HST = Total Price for Laptop
Shipping cost is shipping + brokerage + disbursement + anything else UPS/Fedex charge you. So the real reason I think people get unexpectedly shafted when shipping from US into Canada, is the HST tax you pay on the total, and then the HST you pay on the total shipping charges.
Customs Tariffs on Laptops (code 8470.31.00) is found HERE, on PAGE 106
and that even though it is made in China, it is FREE of General Preferential Tariff treatment (GPT, which is the only tariff that applies to laptops made in China) mentioned in above link, and found HERE
If you have anything to add or had experience with this please add.
I hope this helps anyone else looking through forums for some peace of mind.