Importing from US to Canada
09-07-2005, 11:23 PM
#1
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Importing from US to Canada
Hi everyone, lots of threads on this topic but the conclusion I reach is really too hard to believe so I need to ask for confirmation.
When duty, GST, PST etc are all added up, you must fork over APPROX. 21% of sale price in taxes to import a 993 from the US to Canada?
Un. Freaking. Believable. Please tell me I'm missing something. Use a hypothetical US 993 selling for $30k if you can show me the math.... Thanks.
When duty, GST, PST etc are all added up, you must fork over APPROX. 21% of sale price in taxes to import a 993 from the US to Canada?
Un. Freaking. Believable. Please tell me I'm missing something. Use a hypothetical US 993 selling for $30k if you can show me the math.... Thanks.
09-08-2005, 09:29 AM
#2
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The only thing you're missing are the RIV fees on top of that. I think that's another $125 or so. But you don't have to pay the PST if it's a car that you've already owned for a period (I think 1 year min., but check with the province you are importing to). Just make sure you don't pay any local sales taxes, otherwise you're really gonna get killed.
09-08-2005, 11:16 AM
#4
Originally Posted by Jaak Lepson
If it's a private sale ... no GST (7%) .
09-08-2005, 12:51 PM
#5
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When you cross the border, you have to pay Canada Customs the duty (6.1%) and GST 7.0%). The GST is payable irrespective of whether it is a private or business seller.
You pay PST when you register any car you buy (in province, rest of Canada, outside of Canada), unless you live in Alberta where there is no PST.
So, the marginal cost of importing a car is the duty, the GST, the RIV fee and an air conditioning levy of something like C$100.
You pay PST when you register any car you buy (in province, rest of Canada, outside of Canada), unless you live in Alberta where there is no PST.
So, the marginal cost of importing a car is the duty, the GST, the RIV fee and an air conditioning levy of something like C$100.
09-08-2005, 05:18 PM
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Your assumptions are correct 21.1% (GST+PST(Ontario)+Duty) + RIV fee (+/-$100.00) + Air Conditioning Tax?? (+/- $125.00).
I went through this process exactly 2 years ago to the day. I'd do it over again if I were looking for another car. The paperwork is fairly straight forward, and in my case the cost difference for a US car made the deal financially worthwhile even considering the added cost of transport. I paid around $800.00USD to ship my car from Salt lake City, Utah to Buffalo, NY. I picked up the car in Buffalo, bought temp NY tags, drove the car to US Customs at the border who verified there where no liens or warrants on the car and that it was cleared for export. Then crossed the border went to Canadian Customs provided the US paperwork, paid the GST based on purchase price, and Duty of 6.1% and was on my way. Once in Toronto I and made the necessary upgrades / modifications (DRLs and switched the digital speedo to metric, some have also had to apply French / English air bag stickers, but I didn’t. One other modification I had to make was a rear seat child seat restraint tether. This was as my car is a boxster w/o rear seats. Didn’t matter the tech inspecting the car said rear seat tethers were required even if there are no back seats???.
After provincial inspection at Canadian tire was complete) I was able to register the car and pay the PST.
One thing I found, when required to pass several government requirements / regulations, US, Canadian Federal, & Provincial and several different clerks / agents are involved, the interpretation of the regulations sometimes vary from agent to agent. In other words I thought I was following the steps set out by the RIV and some of the agents seemed to have never had to deal with some of the items, while some additional items were required that were not mentioned by the RIV.
Aron in Toronto
I went through this process exactly 2 years ago to the day. I'd do it over again if I were looking for another car. The paperwork is fairly straight forward, and in my case the cost difference for a US car made the deal financially worthwhile even considering the added cost of transport. I paid around $800.00USD to ship my car from Salt lake City, Utah to Buffalo, NY. I picked up the car in Buffalo, bought temp NY tags, drove the car to US Customs at the border who verified there where no liens or warrants on the car and that it was cleared for export. Then crossed the border went to Canadian Customs provided the US paperwork, paid the GST based on purchase price, and Duty of 6.1% and was on my way. Once in Toronto I and made the necessary upgrades / modifications (DRLs and switched the digital speedo to metric, some have also had to apply French / English air bag stickers, but I didn’t. One other modification I had to make was a rear seat child seat restraint tether. This was as my car is a boxster w/o rear seats. Didn’t matter the tech inspecting the car said rear seat tethers were required even if there are no back seats???.
After provincial inspection at Canadian tire was complete) I was able to register the car and pay the PST.
One thing I found, when required to pass several government requirements / regulations, US, Canadian Federal, & Provincial and several different clerks / agents are involved, the interpretation of the regulations sometimes vary from agent to agent. In other words I thought I was following the steps set out by the RIV and some of the agents seemed to have never had to deal with some of the items, while some additional items were required that were not mentioned by the RIV.
Aron in Toronto
09-08-2005, 07:37 PM
#7
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Hypothetically:
After you buy a US car and import it to Canada (i.e. pay GST, import duty, etc), can you sell that US car to another canadian without having registered that car in your province (no PST paid yet)?
I'm thinking about trying that as I am still driving around in california plates... 3 years ago, I bought an old winter beater (1985) and paid 8 cents in provincial taxes... I declared it for a buck and there wasn't any trouble.
M-A
After you buy a US car and import it to Canada (i.e. pay GST, import duty, etc), can you sell that US car to another canadian without having registered that car in your province (no PST paid yet)?
I'm thinking about trying that as I am still driving around in california plates... 3 years ago, I bought an old winter beater (1985) and paid 8 cents in provincial taxes... I declared it for a buck and there wasn't any trouble.
M-A
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09-09-2005, 12:46 AM
#8
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Thanks. That's really obscene. It just killed a sale for me.
09-09-2005, 11:54 AM
#10
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Well, it's not that bad... For the child seats, I talked to the CT manager and he said he only wanted to see the restraint physically so I just bought two and showed it to him.
Check out book value and everything and don't declare what you really paid for it? I chopped off a lot of purchase price and it saved me 2k+ in taxes. The border guy didn't even question how could a '91 911 cost around 15k!
I bet I could have gone lower... You just have to use your imagination... (PM me if you want some creative imagination)
You could probably declare your 993 for 20 USD which is acceptable considering it needs a new flywheel and clutch (2k+ labour), rotors on all corners + pads (1k), etc... and maybe low compression on #4? I dunno! Hey, I like porche's more than I like paying GST and duty... NAFTA?
I didn't buy any temp plates. Drove from Cali to Quebec with Cali plates... Heck, if you don't want to pay 800 USD in shipping, I drive it back for you (minus a few expenses of course).
M-A
http://www.p-caronline.com/directory/gmab2/
Check out book value and everything and don't declare what you really paid for it? I chopped off a lot of purchase price and it saved me 2k+ in taxes. The border guy didn't even question how could a '91 911 cost around 15k!
I bet I could have gone lower... You just have to use your imagination... (PM me if you want some creative imagination)You could probably declare your 993 for 20 USD which is acceptable considering it needs a new flywheel and clutch (2k+ labour), rotors on all corners + pads (1k), etc...
and maybe low compression on #4? I dunno! Hey, I like porche's more than I like paying GST and duty... NAFTA?I didn't buy any temp plates. Drove from Cali to Quebec with Cali plates... Heck, if you don't want to pay 800 USD in shipping, I drive it back for you (minus a few expenses of course).
M-A
http://www.p-caronline.com/directory/gmab2/
09-09-2005, 05:38 PM
#12
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About 4.5 days... It was a blast! If someone wants to buy a car on the West coast, I have access to really cheap airline tickets (for myself only unfortunately)!!
Any takers? Please?
M-A
Any takers? Please?
M-A