Calling International Rescue – Amazon tax saver

Recently my sister emigrated to Canada (apparently for a better lifestyle), so the first of her family birthdays and their first Christmas there were obviously going to need much “home” pleasures sent to remind them all of great Britain, however I hadn’t reckoned on the draconian Canadian import and tax system spoiling their and my fun!

My poor (not so much impoverished as unfortunate) sister has to pay import tax on items sent to her from abroad, even birthday and Christmas gifts – why am I alarmed by this fact when Britain reciprocates this for inbound items through our borders? – So it was painful sending her small luxuries like Cadbury Dairy Milk or CDs and DVDs you can only seem to get in the UK, as they all got hammered with import tax that exceed the original value of the item in the first place; and worst of all, my sister had to pay this before the Canadian postal service would relinquish the gift to her!

Sadly, it got to the point where, weeks before a birthday was due, my sister would call and simply ask for us to send a card as that wouldn’t cost her anything - oh what a martyr!

Then I discovered that Amazon had a Canadian site (Amazon.ca), which presumably because it was based in and trading from Canada meant no import tax was due and that I, the giver of present, could be safe in the knowledge that all costs associated with sending a present would be borne by me and not the receiver of the gift.

Although Amazon.ca has a much restricted range of items for sale, and most of it is local (Canadian), which kind of defeats my desire for giving my sister a tasty reminder of her homeland, I still routinely use it for Christmas gifts that can be bundled up into one shipment, thus saving time and money, but most importantly, as with all Amazon sites, guarantee safe and timely delivery!

For a more British affair, such as Twinings tea, Cadbury chocolate and Trebor Bassett sweets (or candy as the site refers to it) I use a small boutique company called “English Tea Store”. They are based in the US and because of a trade agreement with Canada don’t suffer from Canadian import tax duties either, so my sister and her family can rot their teeth in true British style even whilst abroad.