$$$ Totally O/T $$$ Canadian Dollar Going Up, Up And Away!
 

Attention Canadian members, check out the latest paypal exchange rate:
1 U.S. Dollar=0.993370 Canadian Dollars
Example $397.45 USD is worth $394.81 CAD
WOW!

Great time to be heading south for Blue Jays spring training!

Not too long ago the exchange rate was pretty steady at (about) $1C = about 68 cents US. I used to rib the Canadian guys I worked with about the Candian dollar. Now those C$ look pretty good.

Edited to add - The last time it was 68 cents to a $C was about 2003. The C$ hit a high of about $1.09 (US) in 2007.

Great for us Canadian buyers:), not so great for us Canadian sellers:(.

Rub it in Jeff,rub it in..........:D

being 15 minutes from the US border, i love it, i buy alot of crap down south...

Hey jeff,
maybe you can buy me dinner here in buffalo!!:d

Dosen't seem that long ago when exchange rate was in my favor. Couldn't stay away from canada!! I mean 1.60 for 1.00, but that was then:(

Does this mean the bank will finally accept my Canadian change?

Jeff,

"Great for us Canadian buyers, not so great for us Canadian sellers."

UNLESS YOU'RE SELLING TO ANOTHER CANADIAN! :p

heck, maybe i'll move to canada. i mean i can see it from my bedroom window!

Taxes and more taxes!!!
 

Larry, you might have second thoughts on moving if you knew what we pay in taxes!:mad:

Jeff

How did you get .99 cents for your exchange? I'm still buying US dollars for my purchases at .95 cents on paypal, as paypal normally has a 3-4 percentage spread from the spot price. Are you sure your quote wasn't for buying Canadian?

As for higher taxes, just move out west--Alberta and BC have lower effective tax rates than many states when all taxes and health care are factored in.

Max

My paypal dollars as of today:
$208.00 USD = $206.82 CAD

Max

You live in Van, you should know by now Gordo taxes us through the ass out here... Ive never seen any other province like BC, taxes taxes taxes...

Alberta, i agree with you ... i lived there most of my life..... moved to BC in 2005.

BC.... is beautiful, but we pay way tooo much tax here. HST will just make it worse! I cant wait to pay the extra 7% on everything.... BC gov't double dips on used goods, taxing housing and cars and soon to be groceries!

What is the basic tax rate in Canada? I head it was like 60% and then you get to pay taxes on the goods you purchase on top of that. Hey, you guys get "free" medical at least! That was a bad joke, my sincere apologies :o

Free medical if you want to wait...and wait...and wait.........in dirty old hospitals!

I heard about the waiting part, I just didn't realize the hospitals were dirty... you see, become a politician (or filty rich Canadian) and you'll be welcome in the nicer "clean" hospitals. I suppose you could find a doctor that collects cardboard and exchange preferential treatment for cards~

I'm a tax lawyer, so I am aware of the taxes. BC has the lowest taxes in the country for any taxpayer with a taxable income under $100,000. Its combined highest marginal rate of 43.7% is the second lowest in the country after Alberta's 39%.

The switch to HST is a tremendous decision and should have been made years ago.

The combined federal and provincial corporate tax in BC is 28% and will fall to 25% in 2012 (and much lower for small canadian controlled private corporations carrying on an active business), and is far lower than corporate taxes in the US.

Sorry, i am 100% against the HST in every way shape and form! So much so i am seriously considering a move back to EDMONTON

Value added taxes have been accepted as the best form of taxation by virtually every tax policy maker and economist. Consumption taxes, such as PST, are job killers. Figure out how much the HST will cost you, taking into account the enhanced GST/HST credit. It isn't much.

So what is the tax rate on Canadians making <$100K? Include the basic tax rate and the other taxes imposed (VAT or what ever it's called)?

add 12 % HST to a home.... now add in the fact the new laws are that you cannot finance/ mortgage more then 90% of your home value(new federal law)

so you take the average house price in Vancouver is 750k, tax on that house is 90k. you can only finance 675 k. so now your down payment is 165k plus the CMHC fees and such..

The HST and the new mortgage laws are going to kill our housing market in the local economy.. it will spiral from there.

Lets take groceries... if your spend $100 per week, you will pay an extra $7.00 x 52 weeks... then there are clothes for your kids, they will now be taxed, used vehicles, gas, booze, even your big mac or morning coffee. You name it, 7% more. Sure some items wont change, but alot will.

Now as a lawyer/ business man, you might enjoy it, but as the average Joe, it will hurt.

For my personal business, it just might price me out of contention. I have to pay the HST on the goods i buy, but i sell them to the middle east and cannot charge the tax. I must eat that cost and figure it into my selling price and my price will be too high against my american competitors.

No ONe will ever convince the HST is a good thing. I have freinds back east that have had the HST for years, and they all say it is terrible! NOt one positive comment about it.

Gordo is all about the kickbacks.. him and his stupid f'in red mittens need a kick in the mangina!

Jim

GST/HST is a creditable tax. Export sales are not subject to GST/HST; they are zero rated. If you make export sales, you will recover 100% of the HST you pay on your expenses. You will get a refund cheque from the government.

Basic groceries will not be subject to HST. I am not sure where you are getting your information, but it is wrong.

Translate it into USA for us
 

cheque = check?

OMG LMAO at all the acronyms. GST? HST? WTF--new TPG's??? Unless you own a business taxes regardless of locale are SNAFU.

check is spelled the British way in Canada. cheque

HST= harmonized sales tax
GST= goods and services tax


we also spell a few other words differently...

color= colour.... and similar words like harbour, favourite....

GORDO= Gordon Campbell, the flag waving, red mitten idiot you seen at every opportunity during the olympics. He feels he can use our wallets to finance whatever he feels like by adding another tax here, there, and anywhere he feels. We pay crazy fuel taxes, far more then any other province.

We have hidden "taxes" like ICBC (Insurance Corp of BC), which is suppose to be a non profit govt organization that provides auto insurance. But instead they use the 5 billion dollar surplus to line government pockets, buy votes and such rather then giving cheaper insurance rates. My insurance in BC in 3 times higher then it was in ALberta, when i first moved to BC it was 5 times higher, but then you get "discount" rates for being a good driver!

with 1 million drivers in BC, thats a $500 overcharge on average per person.

I agree with the sin taxes as long as that money goes to health care to offset the costs. (booze and smokes)

sorry but i need to vent on our useless provincial government....