You're kidding, right?  You're really worried about a cheque in Canadian
dollars?
And you're living in a country with the biggest deficit in the history of
civilisation?

I thought you were some kind of world traveller, Joy.

The last time I had trouble with Canadian money was in Sturgis, South Dakota
in 1972, long before it became the party town it is today and it was
populated by a few thousand hicks who were afraid of money that wasn't
green.

The Black Hills sure were magical, though.

On 1/10/07, Joy Hecht <jhecht@alum.mit.edu> wrote:
>
> You don't have to do your rebate through a private company.  When you
> leave
> Canada, go into the Canadian customs and immigration office at the border.
> You may have to look hard to find them - if you're not at a major border
> point, they will be off on the left hand side of the road as you're going
> out, where people going into Canada could easily stop but people going out
> can't.  Bring the receipts for any eligible items, and bring the items
> themselves.  They have to see the items you bought and see that you are
> really taking them out of the country.  They will stamp your receipts and
> give you the government forms to fill out.  Then you fill out the forms
> and
> send in your stamped original receipts.  And eventually they send you some
> money.
>
> You get back federal tax on items you bought and on lodging.  BUT - each
> receipt must be for a minimum amount, $CA 50 I think.  That means if you
> stayed one night in each of many campgrounds, none of your lodging is
> likely
> to qualify.  If you stayed several nights in the same campground it will,
> because it will be over $50.
>
> You can't get refunds on provincial tax.  You can't get refunds on taxes
> on
> transportation (e.g. gasoline, ferries).  I'm pretty sure you can't get
> refunds on food.  Only lodging and items.
>
> I don't know how long it takes to get reimbursed.  I sent in my paperwork
> a
> month ago, roughly - haven't gotten a refund yet.  What I'm worried about
> is
> what to do with a check in Canadian dollars!  And how much my bank will
> charge me to deposit it.
>
> Maybe I'll get the check in time for Bus Fusion and I can ask some
> Canadian
> friend to cash it for me.  Greg?  Gord?  Frank?  Wanna help?
>
>
>
> Joy
>
>
>
> :::-----Original Message-----
> :::From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf
> :::Of misemefein
> :::Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2007 3:53 PM
> :::To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> :::Subject: Canadian taxes
> :::
> :::The Canadian federal government shops out GST tax rebates to a private
> :::company called Premier Tax Free.  Any foreigners visiting Canada with
> :::the intention of reclaiming their eligible tax should visit the web
> :::site before leaving:
> :::
> :::   http://www.premiertaxfree.ca/
> :::
> :::The mail service is very slow.  We filed for rebates for a trip to
> :::Quebec on August 24; the check arrived just before Christmas.  Out of a
> :::retail amount of about $750, we got $20 back.  Premier Tax Free takes a
> :::healthy 18% service charge off every claim, besides whatever they're
> :::making off their contract with the government.
> :::
> :::Some of you may decide it's not worth it. . . .
> :::
> :::Perhaps you can do better if you cash in your receipts at the border.
> :::Be sure you use a border crossing that is prepared to handle such
> :::things!
> :::
> :::Good luck with the trip.  It sounds fabulous.
> :::
> :::Ellen
>

--
Jake
1984 Vanagon GL
1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie"
www.crescentbeachguitar.com