Important thing to remember to avoid surprise fees when shopping online
The holiday shopping season kicks into full gear with Black Friday later this week and Cyber Monday a week from today.
If you're shopping online you have to be careful you don't get a surprise and end up paying more for items than you thought you would have to.
"There is a definite sticker shock with a lot of people when something comes across the border," said Sean Morrison, Superintendent, Canada Border Service Agency’s (CBSA) Postal Operations.
When you shop online, some items you buy could be coming from another country and along with taxes and shipping you could also have to pay duties and brokerage fees.
Try to do you homework and ask questions before you click so you don't end up with unexpected charges.
CBSA said online shopping has surged during the pandemic and it’s seen a 117 per cent increase over the past three years in the shipments it deals with.
A duty is a tariff paid on an item imported to Canada and CBSA is reminding Canadians when items cross international borders into Canada there may be duties added to the final price tag.
Morrison said don’t assume purchases from web addresses ending in dot ca means the goods are shipped within Canada.
The agency is also reminding Canadians that receiving or sending cannabis into or out of Canada by mail or courier is illegal and you could be arrested and prosecuted.
"While it may be legal to purchase cannabis in Canada within our own borders you can't send it anywhere and you can't import it" said Morrison.
When it comes to lower value items $20 and under are duty and tax free. Above $20 duties and taxes may apply and gifts worth $60 or less must be sent by friend or relative.
Duties will vary depending on the item and where it's from, but there are ways to determine if you'll have to pay extra.
"If it wasn't made in Canada or in the U.S. or Mexico duty applies to it, so be prepared that you may have to pay that plus taxes on top of the price” said Morrison.
If you're not sure if you have to pay duties the agency's website has a duty and taxes calculator.
You enter where you live, the item you're buying, it’s cost and where it's being shipped from and you'll get an estimate of the duties and taxes.
Canadians can also benefit from recent changes under the United States-Mexico-Canada agreement (USMCA), which raises Canada’s duty-free level from $20 to $150. Anyone ordering eligible items online shipped by courier from the U.S. or Mexico with a total combined cost above $40 and up to $150 will be duty free, but taxes will still apply.
Eligible items total value under $40 shipped by courier will be duty and tax free. Shipments above $150 both duties and taxes will apply. However, this exception is only for private courier companies and not for those who use Canada Post.
The agency also wants people to know threatening scam calls are being made from criminals claiming to be with border services that are not legitimate.
"We will never call someone to let them know there has been a seizure and we will never call someone to let them know there is an arrest warrant, those are scam calls and unfortunately they are prevalent right now" said Morrison.
Supply chain issues are also causing backlogs and some goods remain stuck on container ships so the border agency is advising shoppers to do their holiday gift buying early to avoid delays.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Here's how much more Canadian landlords are asking for now, according to a just-released report
A new report says the average asking rent for a home in Canada in April was up 9.3 per cent compared with a year ago, while a slight month-over-month increase was also recorded for the first time since January.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
What is basic income, and how would it impact me?
Parliamentarians are considering a pair of bills aiming to lift people out of poverty through a basic income program, but some fear these types of systems could result in more taxes for Canadians who are already financially struggling.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
'I may have some nightmares:' Man survives being bitten by 2 sharks in Bahamas
A man who was bitten by two sharks in the Bahamas said Thursday he's 'thankful that I'm here' while sharing his story of survival.
Out-of-control wildfire burning near Fort McMurray
As of 9 a.m. on Friday, the wildfire burning 28 kilometres southwest of the northeastern Alberta city was 25 hectares in size.
Mexico's president accuses press and volunteer searchers for missing people of 'necrophilia'
The administration of Mexico's president has accused the press and volunteer searchers who look for the bodies of missing people of 'necrophilia,' comments that drew criticism this week.