Buying CPAPs from south of the border

rosacer wrote: After each absence of 7 days or more You can claim up to CAN$750 worth of goods without paying any duties. Although you can include some tobacco products and alcoholic beverages, a partial exemption may apply to cigarettes, tobacco products and manufactured tobacco. See the sections called “Alcoholic beverages” and “Tobacco products” for more details. With the exception of tobacco products and alcoholic beverages, you do not need to have the goods with you when you arrive.

Sounds like a good reason to come to the States and have a vacation! Our economy could use the tourism dollars.

Roseacer: those duty-free limits only apply on items which would ordinarily be charged duty. Medical equipment and assistive devices are already duty-free and GST-free.

Thanks MoneyGal and diboja for the information. I imagine it applies for all the provinces?

I was not sure about the medical equipment because I had to pay duties (January) for a shipment from Florida. I need to say the company didn't specified it was medical itemds inside the box. Yesterday I tried to find information about duty fees or exceptions for medical equipments and as usual that big document was a big mess and I didn't succeed to find the answer .

Thanks.

Rosacer: did you pay DUTY, or GST, or an IMPORT FEE for the equipment? (These are all different things.)

Here's the GST memorandum which provides that assistive devices are "zero-rated" (no GST is payable on their purchase): http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pub/gm/4-2/4-2-e.pdf

I bought one in Canada for 1800.00 Crazy,While I was on vacation I get a resmed autoset s8 for 350.00 BRAND NEW I was in Florida..Do I feel Guilty HELL NO!!!! I wish I had bought em bouth in the US.

MoneyGal, thanks for the link.

I really don't know what Canada Post asked me to pay. What I know is I had to paid $26.84 for a total of $165.53, which is 16% (that's more than GST).

What is important is that now I know I need to ask the seller to clearly identify the shipment as medical equipment. I know too, if it happens you are asked to pay you can file a demand of reevaluation of duty fees. You need to keep all the papers to prove your shipment had an excemption. I think some times it's less complicated to pay a couple of $ and help in that way to pay the national debt

I was charged by mistake a couple of times, but right there at the post office (where I get my mail) they had a form for me to fill in, and used part of the original shipping label, and it was sent to 'wherever' it goes at the PO, and a month later (standard) I got the refund.

Thanks Julie, I will keep that in mind. I love your kitty!