Buying a BC Car

[bol]

Looking at buying a car from BC as their prices seem to be so much better than ours... until you factor in the PST!

Is it possible to claim the PST back on your purchase? Everything I've found says not if you live outside of the country... I can't find anything about Alberta residents.

Does anyone know for certain?

[xkon]

id say no, youll also have to get it safetied, as its out of province :thumbsdow

[EK 2.0]

Originally posted by xkon
id say no, youll also have to get it safetied, as its out of province :thumbsdow


seeing as how Bol is talking about PST...I think its safe to say he is looking at a new car...

and no...you can't claim the PST back...I had a family member do the same thing...she had to pay the PST and still walked away a couple grand UNDER Alta. Dealers...

[max_boost]

1. You do NOT have to pay PST, if you did, the government thanks you for your donation! I've made two vehicle purchases in BC in the last two years and did not have to pay the PST. I just tell them in advance and the dealer prepares the paperwork. Go and present your AB Driver's ID + Health Care Card as proof of AB residence and sign a couple forms at the dealer and you are done!

2. If you plan to drive the vehicle back, the registry will issue you this paper that reads 'Vehicle in transport' or something. You post it on your front windshield and have 2-3 days to drive the car back. You must have insurance on the vehicle. When you come back, get an 'Out of Province' inspection done and the mechanic will give you this green paper declaring your car has safely passed the inspection (basic stuff). Then bring that piece of paper back to the registry and they will issue you registration.

That is all and what cha planning to buy man?! :thumbsup:

[max_boost]

As for PST for shopping, clothes, whatever etc. Some stores you have to pay, some stores you don't :D Some stores will just get you to fill your name with driver's ID and you just pay GST. Some stores, it don't work. Why? I don't know!

I just say, I don't want to pay PST, and they go, OK! (75%) of the time :D

[RiceCake]

I bought my first car in BC. You don't have to pay PST as long as you are an Alberta resident, you have an AB lisence and AB insurance. :)

[max_boost]

Originally posted by CycloneAWD



seeing as how Bol is talking about PST...I think its safe to say he is looking at a new car...

and no...you can't claim the PST back...I had a family member do the same thing...she had to pay the PST and still walked away a couple grand UNDER Alta. Dealers... :dunno: :rofl: She got jacked.......not cool man!

[awd]

Originally posted by max_boost
1. You do NOT have to pay PST, if you did, the government thanks you for your donation! I've made two vehicle purchases in BC in the last two years and did not have to pay the PST. I just tell them in advance and the dealer prepares the paperwork. Go and present your AB Driver's ID + Health Care Card as proof of AB residence and sign a couple forms at the dealer and you are done!

2. If you plan to drive the vehicle back, the registry will issue you this paper that reads 'Vehicle in transport' or something. You post it on your front windshield and have 2-3 days to drive the car back. You must have insurance on the vehicle. When you come back, get an 'Out of Province' inspection done and the mechanic will give you this green paper declaring your car has safely passed the inspection (basic stuff). Then bring that piece of paper back to the registry and they will issue you registration.

That is all and what cha planning to buy man?! :thumbsup:

thanks for the info max, I wish I would have known that a year ago!

[EK 2.0]

Originally posted by max_boost
:dunno: :rofl: She got jacked.......not cool man!


Dude, I am just realizing that...man it sucks...but she still did save like 2000 dollars over what an Edmonton dealer was giving her, PLUS she got the colour she wanted...but yeah...hmmm...interesting...

[xkon]

used cars from a dealer charge gst, would they not charge PST as well??

interesting about PST... ill try that when i get a car from there... NEVER would have even thought about it!!!

[bol]

We're talking about a used car here... and the dealer says he has to charge me it. I'm going to try to find out some more info from the government themselves.

[max_boost]

My S2K and 323I was used!!!
I think the dealer will charge you and then profit it! It fits their shady practices right? :D

[bol]

Originally posted by max_boost
My S2K and 323I was used!!!
I think the dealer will charge you and then profit it! It fits their shady practices right? :D


No kidding...

[bol]

OK. Non BC residents are PST exempt! There is a form that the dealers should have called FIN598 from the Consumer Taxation Branch. It needs to be filled out and submitted by them. There are some rules to it but it's what I and most of you who buy a car in BC need.


Useful information for dealers who don't know....


Edit: http://www.rev.gov.bc.ca/ctb/forms/0598FILL.pdf is the URL for the form if the dealer does not have it.

[whiskas]

On April 1 2013 BC goes back to having PST. Does anyone know if the same exemptions for OOP residents will still apply after that?

[DeeK]

Originally posted by whiskas
On April 1 2013 BC goes back to having PST. Does anyone know if the same exemptions for OOP residents will still apply after that?
Yes, they still apply the same way.

[funkedelic2]

Originally posted by max_boost
1. You do NOT have to pay PST, if you did, the government thanks you for your donation! I've made two vehicle purchases in BC in the last two years and did not have to pay the PST. I just tell them in advance and the dealer prepares the paperwork. Go and present your AB Driver's ID + Health Care Card as proof of AB residence and sign a couple forms at the dealer and you are done!

2. If you plan to drive the vehicle back, the registry will issue you this paper that reads 'Vehicle in transport' or something. You post it on your front windshield and have 2-3 days to drive the car back. You must have insurance on the vehicle. When you come back, get an 'Out of Province' inspection done and the mechanic will give you this green paper declaring your car has safely passed the inspection (basic stuff). Then bring that piece of paper back to the registry and they will issue you registration.

That is all and what cha planning to buy man?! :thumbsup:

This is exactly right. I bought a Subaru in BC before. Didn't pay any pst. Does anyone know if this is the same case with other provinces? I have looked into buying in Ontario before.

[npham]

Yes, this should be the same across all provinces with any goods.

[NoMoreG35]

Originally posted by whiskas
On April 1 2013 BC goes back to having PST. Does anyone know if the same exemptions for OOP residents will still apply after that?

Is this an April Fools' Day joke?

[Matty_10]

Ok so let me get this straight I'm looking to buy a truck in Alberta as I live in SK, so I won't have to pay pst at the dealership but when I go to register it with SGI do I have to pay pst?

[adam c]

Going to bump this thread

I've received mixed information about PST and Alberta

I've read that we are PST exempt on vehicle purchases but other places says no, pst is still charged

[nismodrifter]

See Page 11:

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/taxes/sales-taxes/publications/pst-308-vehicles.pdf

"Vehicles Purchased for Use Outside BC
If you purchase a vehicle in BC for use outside BC, you are exempt from PST provided all the
following criteria are met:
 The vehicle is a type that is eligible for registration (i.e. it is not a vehicle that cannot be
registered)
 The vehicle is purchased for use primarily outside BC
 The vehicle will not be used in BC for a business purpose
 The vehicle will not be registered in BC
 If you are purchasing the vehicle as an individual, you are not a resident of BC
You are also exempt from PST on the purchase of a vehicle if the vehicle is shipped by the
seller for delivery to an address outside of BC. To be eligible for the exemption, no use must be
made of the vehicle by the purchaser while the vehicle is in BC. "

Document is up to date, having just been modified in April 2018.

[adam c]

OK I did read it right, guess dealers in BC just don't know or know and just want to make extra $$

[shakalaka]

I am on my second Bimmer from BC since last year and have never had to pay PST. Dealer took care of all for me.

[adam c]

interesting, this was their response


HI Adam,

pst must be charged.

thanks

John

[Team_Mclaren]

Tell them you'd like to pay PST directly to ICBC upon registration. that should be an option for them if they are confuse.

Usually when you put in an AB address the system should take PST off automatically. just like any online purchase.

[Tik-Tok]

Have bought two used cars from BC dealerships, wasnt charged PST on either. The first one educated me that out of province purchasers don't pay PST.

[Skyline_Addict]

I’ve bought 2 cars in the last two years from BC. One was through a dealership and one was private sale. Was not charged PST on either. For the private sale, the seller and I went to an insurance broker to settle everything and transfer registration. I just had to prove AB residency (Drivers license seemed to suffice but I brought my healthcare card and a utility bill just in case). Was given an in-transit pass to stick on windshields and away I went. You have to pay for the in transit pass, and I think the price is based on how many days you request for it to be in-transit.

[roopi]

interesting, this was their response

Is this from the salesperson or from the finance manager?

[adam c]

Is this from the salesperson or from the finance manager?

I assume sales person but I can't be sure

I've cancelled my trip out there due to this weather and BC extending the winter tire requirements until the end of April

[Kloubek]

Picked up my Jag from Vancouver last fall. They were not super used to the process, but the dealership knew I was exempt from the beginning. Be thankful they got rid of the HST.

[Skyline_Addict]

interesting, this was their response

Completely wrong. Tell him to do his research or point him in the right direction. There are even BC government / ICBC documents online which clearly state that PST is exempt for OOP purchases. When I bought through the dealership, they already knew this right away.

Edit: here is BC government document regarding PST on vehicle purchases

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/taxes/sales-taxes/publications/pst-308-vehicles.pdf

See bottom of page 11.

I believe ICBC has a document as well which may go into more specific detail, but suffice to say you do not pay PST.

Edit 2: just saw nismodrifter already posted everything above lol

[Rocket1k78]

My sister ran into this exact problem last summer, we knew that she wouldnt have to pay the PST. They agreed to a price which did include PST but she thought it would come off at the end, she sent them the deposit and when time came to finalize they wouldnt budge on the PST part. She threatened to cancel the deal if they wouldnt take it off and sure enough they sent her the money back that afternoon

[Skyline_Addict]

My sister ran into this exact problem last summer, we knew that she wouldnt have to pay the PST. They agreed to a price which did include PST but she thought it would come off at the end, she sent them the deposit and when time came to finalize they wouldnt budge on the PST part. She threatened to cancel the deal if they wouldnt take it off and sure enough they sent her the money back that afternoon

That sucks. I suppose some dealers are just more open to doing OOP sales and are willing to do the extra work (if any) to get it done. Other dealers seem to think they are entitled or required to charge PST - trying to protect local buyers (unlikely), or make extra money?

[Tik-Tok]

That sucks. I suppose some dealers are just more open to doing OOP sales and are willing to do the extra work (if any) to get it done. Other dealers seem to think they are entitled or required to charge PST - trying to protect local buyers (unlikely), or make extra money?

My bet is that they were planning on keeping her PST money as part of their profit. Hence the cancellation.

[D'z Nutz]

My bet is that they were planning on keeping her PST money as part of their profit. Hence the cancellation.

I'm getting the same impression with adam c's dealer.

[adam c]

I'm getting the same impression with adam c's dealer.

probably right but I cancelled the deal anyways

[Rocket1k78]

That sucks. I suppose some dealers are just more open to doing OOP sales and are willing to do the extra work (if any) to get it done. Other dealers seem to think they are entitled or required to charge PST - trying to protect local buyers (unlikely), or make extra money?
I didnt even think there was any extra work on their part and it was a cash sale so that makes it easier and a sure thing


My bet is that they were planning on keeping her PST money as part of their profit. Hence the cancellation.

Thats exactly what i thought when she told me but we were both surprised when they didnt even bother re negotiating and just returned her deposit. To cancel a sale with the hopes theyd find another out of town buyer willing to pay pst is pretty crazy and i could see if my sister grinded them down on price but she didnt and was willing to pay close to asking because it was a good price already

[Colin_R6]

If you are not from BC, and you got charged PST - there is a process to recover it.

There is a 4 year window to claim it.

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/taxes/sales-taxes/pst/refund

[Skyline_Addict]

If you are not from BC, and you got charged PST - there is a process to recover it.

There is a 4 year window to claim it.

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/taxes/sales-taxes/pst/refund

Interesting.

It'd be one thing if the dealership actually paid the PST to the government, but if they kept it for themselves, it might then become a civil matter...

[Colin_R6]

I suspect they would get their peepee smacked pretty hard if that were the case!


Also, there is a Western Trade Partnership now. I don't believe you need to get an out of province inspection in BC Ab or SK if the vehicle is 3 yrs or newer.

[Kloubek]

When you buy a car from a dealership, there is a PST exemption form that they fill out. Very simple, and they just collect your DL# etc to ensure you are out of province. For my transaction, it was barely a hindrance.