Dean30

Hi, we are landing in Vancouver in the next couple of months. I am a Carpenter/Joiner and wondered if my tools will work, they are UK 110 v. Would it be better to buy new ones or ship mine over? Any advice appreciated, especially from anyone who works in Construction and has made the move themselves. Thanks

JonboyE

If you are taking tools onto a work site they must be CSI or UL approved. Technically, tools approved to a similar standard by another competent body such as BSI are also acceptable but arguing with a site foreman or a safety representative that UK tools are approved to an equivalent standard is not going to be a productive use of time and energy.

I understand that the difference in frequency of the current can cause some issues but hopefully someone who understands these things can comment.

Tools are relatively cheap here. You can bring all your tools and keep them for use at home or in your own shop. Buy new tools to use on site. You can take your UK tools to CSI to have them tested and approved but there is a cost to this. It might be worth it for your favourite ones.

[Edited to add] If you do decide to ship your tools and are going to use them in your trade then you will be charged tax and duty on them, so make sure you describe them as for home use.

JonboyE

Someone has accused me of encouraging people to avoid tax and duty by describing goods as for personal use when they are actually for business use. So, for the sake of clarity, if you are importing tools that you will use to earn taxable income in Canada you are required to pay GST/HST/RST on the value of the tools. GST/HST will be collected by Customs and you are required to self-assess RST if you are resident in a province that has this tax.

You may also have to pay duty depending on the nature of the tool and its country of origin.

You are not required to pay tax and/or duty if you import tools for personal use as settler's effects and declare them as goods to follow or goods accompanying.

Hopefully this clarification will satisfy the most pedantic of posters.

Former Lancastrian

Now that reply is very informative and much more helpful to a poster.These are the sorts of advice that should be given so well done on that.
Pedantic mmm Ive certainly been called a lot worse lol.
I am merely trying to point out that some advice given on here will be taken as gospel or could get another person into difficult situations.

Imagine the person turning up at the POE to activate his landing.
BSO is completing the landing, reviewing the list of goods entering and list of goods to follow. BSO sees all the tools listed and thinks mmm quite a lot of tools being brought in I wonder if these are for business use. Asks the person about them and is told oh they are for my personal use.

BSO does some checking and finds out he is a carpenter.
BSO then takes him to the special room you know the one with the chains, phone books rubber gloves etc. After hours of being grilled he finally admits they are for his business use. The BSO says so why didnt you say that initially??? Person says someone on British Expats told me to say they were for personal use.

Trivial to some, pedantic to others but they are not the ones being dealt with so why should they care any monies being paid isnt coming out of their wallets.

dbd33

Maybe he doesn't say that. Maybe he says,

"I've made it explicit that these tools are for personal use because, as you know, I'm a carpenter and use similar tools in my trade. I can't use these ones on site because they're set up for the wrong voltage, not marked by the CSA, and general contractors, the workmans comp boards and liabiliity insurers for businesses, care a great deal more about these matters than do carriers of home insurance. Accordingly, as I have learned from the British expats board, these professional grade tools will not be used professionally in Canada and so are personal effects not subject to taxes at importation".

Maybe he's right. Of course, his being right has no bearing on what will actually happen, if he thinks the guard is a jerk and likely to make his life a misery, he'll probably pay the tax rather than drag it out. Just as, in another case, a guard might think "hmm, that's a bit dodgy" but choose not to bother with the issue for unrelated reasons. Real life, regulatory minutiae, worlds apart.

Dean30

Thanks guys, very informative.

Souvy

That post should be made sticky. This question comes up quite often and you have found a very good answer (if slightly dodgy).

dbd33

We were involved in a slightly dodgy importation of construction materials on the weekend. Presented with receipts for materials, mainly drywall, valued at $1100 or so, the officer waved us through even though the allowance, for two people, is $800. These things are always a bit random, we could have wound up paying tax or some or all of it. We had no expectations and were happy with the outcome. Similarly, the tool owner should hope not to have to pay but should have the funds available just in case.

Souvy

Random is a good word. It all depends on who you are in front of. I've been berated for an undisclosed Toblerone and waved-off after fessing-up to having way more than my duty free allowance.

Former Lancastrian

I wouldnt call it dodgy. You declared the full amount knowing that you had exceeded your personal exemptions and if required to pay any applicable taxes on the overage. The BSO used their discretion and elected not to collect. The BSO was happy, you ended up happy not paying so all ended well.

Aviator

However if this happens and goods are for business use, you are still required to self declare to CRA or the provincial ministry of finance if applicable.

Former Lancastrian

Well yes of course you would as the goods are no longer considered personal.
I think my clue was the poster mentioned the $800 allowance for 2 persons and therefore not covered as a business importation.

Aviator

However I was not talking about anyone poster in particular, more in general. This has happened to me a few times.

in the woods

I have got 110v power tools and just put on a Canadian plug all working fine 5 years latter on. Also have my 240v tools just wired in a English extension lead. now i don't think you will have any probs using them on a work site if they are a Dewalt or another well known brand.But if its like a screwfix chepo then who knows

Aviator

If tools are being used on a job site, the operator should be absolutely sure that standards are met and WCB regulations are met. There may not be a problem until there is an accident, then Workers Compensation are looking for someone to blame, often it is the employer.

In this excerpt from BC WCB http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publicati...linePart12.asp there are lots of references to CSA standards, which unless a tool has a CSA stamp then there is no way to be sure it complies. Owners of imported tools can pay CSA to inspect and stamp the tool if it complies.

We had a near fatal accident on a job site, the first question WCB asked was whose tools were being used.

Homeowners may also liable for any accident that occur while work is being done on their property by a contractor, unless the contractor has WCB coverage of their own. I don't take a contractors word for it, I get a clearance letter off WCB which cover me as the homeowner. If the contractor does not have current WCB coverage, a homeowner can take out their own WCB for a job, usually around 2% of the labour cost.
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publicati...elinePart2.asp