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
Parliamentary report on Emergencies Act decision is 18 months past due — and counting
The erstwhile group of senators and MPs studying the federal government's invocation of the Emergencies Act over the "Freedom Convoy" was supposed to present its findings in December. December of 2022, that is.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Black youth face multiple barriers in accessing mental health care, experts say
Black youth in Canada face multiple barriers in getting access to mental health services — and health-care providers can make the situation more difficult, experts say.
Bystander livestreams during Charlotte standoff show an ever-growing appetite for social media video
Saing Chhoeun was locked out of his Charlotte, N.C., home on Monday as law enforcement with high-powered rifles descended into his yard and garage, using a car as a shield as they were met with a shower of gunfire from the direction of his neighbor's house.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Israel has briefed U.S. on plan to evacuate Palestinian civilians ahead of potential Rafah operation
Israel this week briefed Biden administration officials on a plan to evacuate Palestinian civilians ahead of a potential operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah aimed at rooting out Hamas militants, according to U.S. officials familiar with the talks.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.