Quick Question: Buying An eBay Item From Canada

[Biggs]

Do I need to pay customs/duties tax if I bought a Thinkpad from Canada via eBay? I'm in New York. Thanks!

[tfflivemb2]

It depends on how they send it, I think. I know that using regular postal mail, I haven't paid any duties or fees....it is just a little slower.

[qviri]

Sending the other way, the deciding factor is whether the item is marked as "gift" by the sender on the customs declaration. Gifts don't get charged duties. Usually private sellers don't mind marking stuff as gifts, companies may be a bit more wary of doing that.

[ryengineer]

Sending the other way, the deciding factor is whether the item is marked as "gift" by the sender on the customs declaration. Gifts don't get charged duties. Usually private sellers don't mind marking stuff as gifts, companies may be a bit more wary of doing that.

That is partially true. Having lived in both countries, all I can say is it merely depends on the "declaration value" for the item. There was a table somewhere I saw on USPS site a while back that showed if a gift is over $20-$25 (can't really remember the exact number) it will be charged some tax otherwise not.

[qviri]

Really? Learn something new every day.

And I suppose all these rules are fluid depending on if someone decides to enforce them or not.

(Story: I once received an SFF computer marked as a gift around $200 (it was actually worth that amount). Some genius decided that it looked like a $2000 part and slapped us with a $150-ish customs duty. One not-so-brief appeal later...)

[NorrisCell]

Receiving items from Canada, I've never been charged customs fees or duty fees. Sending to them I believe the above is correct, that the value is used to help determine fees.