US Dollar = Canadian Dollar 1:1!

[LorbeerTLC 0]

Just in today (20 September 2007):The US Dollar = The Canadian Dollar at a ratio of 1 to 1.Sure makes the conversion a lot easier.I think the last time is was like this was back in 1976.

[smartzuuk 167]

And we ARE getting hosed by companies who haven't adjusted their prices accordingly. Time to boycott, or just buy direct from the US. And that may include smart cars....

[mixed 1]

Take a walk into any bookstore and look at book pricing.......... then cross the border to buy anything you really want.

[Steve C. 0]

went to indigo today, wallpaper mag is 8 bucks u.s. 11 dollars canadian !! jackie is going to buffalo tomorrow so she will pick it up for me down there. ridiculous.

[LorbeerTLC 0]

Here's a link to follow:

http://www.advfn.com/currency-converter/us...ian-dollar.html

It may change in the coming days- but for now, both sides are 'supposedly' equal.

Boy, I hope they hurry up and sell that smart over here (U.S.) before they 'jack-up' the price. The value of the US Dollar just keeps going down!

[Evilution 0]

£1 currently equals $2 which is nice as the Americans get stuff cheaper than us anyway, then we get it for half that price.

[mkt 0]

Where I live.. I get hosed. US dollar AND Canadian prices (Except on medicine... that's US Prices + 12%)YAY!I got hosed!

[Steve C. 0]

the euro is strong right now, the american dollar is weak, and we are at par with them again. even the pound has come down a little more, so it sure sucks that everything from magazines to cars are so overpriced here compared to the states. my dad just got back from scotland, gas was 98p (almost $2.) compared to ours at near $1. again. jackie is in buffalo today shopping with my sister, said the border was no more busy than usual (we go every 6 weeks or so for a sat. drive).i wonder, does anyone have the canadian price for the pure? at 11,999 U.S. i can see canadian sales hurting as at par, 12K canadian plus duty/tax it may still mean some savings in the thousands (thanks, free trade...NOT!!). my friend andrew wants a honda s2000 which is around 50k here, but more like 36K u.s...he could potentially save around 15,000 bucks by buying over there and paying 5 grand to import it here. why are we so screwed in prices? andrew was told that the s2000 is higher here because the market can bear it (so i guess everyone just needs to stop buying it for a few months to bring prices down in line with our neighbours).if its "under 12K" according to the u.s. stats on the new fortwo, what is the canadian price? somehow i dont think we will get it at 12K also. who gets the extra cash? merc or the government? really curious about this now our dollar is at par. jackie took 40 u.s. for lunch/mag money, it cost 40.96cdn. my sister lifted 80u.s at 81.94 cdn. also...pretty sweet considering magazine conversion pricing or cars for that matter.maybe time to get our scion xb now...

[LorbeerTLC 0]

Even though the US Dollar is about even with the Canadian Dollar, I'm curious what your tax system is like. Are you taxed heavily compared to the US? Maybe that's why there is still so much of a price difference.

[bilgladstone 13]

Yeah... it's not that the Canabuck is going up so much as the doomed Yanqui Dollar is slipping again versus International currencies where ours is not taking quite the same beating.Bil

[LorbeerTLC 0]

Yeah... it's not that the Canabuck is going up so much as the doomed Yanqui Dollar is slipping again versus International currencies where ours is not taking quite the same beating.Bil

Agreed.But if both currencies are now equal, why is there such a price difference between Canada and the U.S., for the same product? Wouldn't they be the same price as well? That's why I'm wondering if your tax system might add to the expense, but I really don't know.

[danno 0]

The taxes wouldn't be that much of a difference. The only "hidden" taxes (those included in the purchase price) would be the corporate income taxes plus payroll-related taxes. Corporate taxes generally comprise a very small amount of the selling price of an item (only taxed on the profit), so wouldn't have much of an effect (and the tax rates aren't that different). Payroll taxes are more here, but only apply to the labour costs included in the cost of an item. For something made in France (smart) this would again have a negligible impact. Duties could comprise part of the difference - I don't know how they compare for items imported from Europe (which have nothing to do with our free trade agreement).

[LorbeerTLC 0]

I've heard rumors that since the Euro has worked in Europe, there is talk about adapting that to Central and North America (including Mexico, U.S., and Canada) to also develope a 'single currency' modeled after the Euro Personally, I think it would be a train wreck in the making. "They" say Free Trade is good, but I'm very skeptic. If all things being equal, then yes... but there is such a difference between the Peso and the U.S. Dollar (of course... given the way things are currently going...).I don't know... maybe I just wish they'd leave things alone. I think I'll grow old and become like one of the two old codgers, who sat up in the balcony from the 'Muppet Show', and heckle people passing by. Things maybe going to hell-in-a-hand-basket, but at least I'll have fun!

[danno 0]

The UK (and a few others) still don't use the Euro even though they are members of the EU. It doesn't matter how close to parity currencies are if/when you adopt a common currency - that just affects how much of the new currency you get when you trade in what you have now. For example, if the Cdn$ was only worth half what a US$ was, when switching to a single currency you would have to trade in two Cdn$ for every one US$. I'm not convinced of its benefits, however.

[Cait 0]

don't even talk about a canada/us currency becuase I would probably have to kill someone!

[Steve C. 0]

heres the rub, americans have this funny money, thats all the same colour so you have to lok at the number on the bill to see what it is, whereas we canadians simply pull out a green for a 20 or a blue for a 5, etc...much easier, so im all for a unified currency AS LONG AS ITS COLOUR CODED !! rumours are that britain will head towards the euro soon, against public wishes, just to make it easier for travellers spending cash in their country. what next, protestants and catholics will stop fighting over religion? but the days of going to a rangers vs celtic match and not getting the crap kicked out of you for wearing the "wrong" colour arent coming anytime soon.we may finally get rid of the penny soon. it actually costs more to make one !! stores can round up or down and a can of coke can be a dollar. plus .14cents tax, so i guess a $1.01 makes it easier. no more rusty brown pennies. i wish we were like britain where the price you see is the price you pay...taxes in, so you know exactly the cost. here, as in the u.s we have the price, then need to add on the tax, so un necessary when it could be done for us.if we lose the penny, no more "my car was 17K, when it was 17,999, because the penny off means a 17 instead of an 18 in the pricetag. your car was always a penny short of 18k, i dont know how stupid they think we are these days that we fall for that crap. i still dont understand so called "free trade", seems you need to pay tax on everything coming from the u.s, i get dinged all the time for cd's, etc from ebay. i dont know whats free, if anything. i cant wait to see what the price of the smart is in canada, seeing as we are on par now.definitely be asking why if its over the 12k american/cdn price our neighbours are getting for its release. could hurt sales here if it is. i prefer paying 8 bucks for a mag,u.s. instead of the "adjusted" cdn. price of $11 now that we are level dollar wise. same would go for a north american car launch. guess we will have to wait and see.

[ValgardForkbeard 2]

I should walk into a book store with a wad of US greenbacks, and tell the cashier that I want to pay the american price in USD for the book. Anyone think it would work? :devil:MG

[bilgladstone 13]

Re: book store, there was just a piece on CBC1 suggesting that very thing! But I do not think it'll work.

Re: common currency, it is an element of the Harper Government in its bid to "harmonise" our country with the US in every possible way, explicitly not discounting a common currency. He has learned well from his mentors that we Canadian "frogs" will not croak complainingly if he implements his "boiling water" policies incrementally.

http://www.harperindex.ca/ViewArticle.cfm?Ref=0095

Maybe Cait can promote political awareness and democratic participation amongst her young friends... the Country needs them now more than ever!

Bil

[MikeT 744]

I remember US tourists complaining at Banff in 1976 that this "funny money" cost more than theirs.....quite humerous. Bad for CDN tourism thoguh. Victoria is hurtin'.

[IMSMRT 0]

Bad for tourism and bad for manufacturing too. Our break even was around .97 cents. If it wasn't for the lack of logs from the logger strike we would be down because of the dollar. Luckily oil and gas is still profitable...hello Alberta!I thought the US was starting to get some colour to their cash too? Maybe in preparation of adopting the more valuable Canadian dollar as their currency? :cheeky:Why wont the price of goods like books and everything else that is more in Canada change? because people will still go out and PAY the Cdn price anyways! the savings are reaped by the retailers back to the manufacturers...

[LorbeerTLC 0]

I thought the US was starting to get some colour to their cash too?

Yup, that's correct. The only original "Greenback" left is the $1. And I don't think they're going to change it (but that's what they said about the $5 too).http://www.moneyfactory.gov/newmoney/main....nteractiveNotes-Tom L.

[Kimberly 2]

I have someone from our head office in Philadelphia visiting us this week and last night I suggested she go to Eaton Centre for something to do. Well - this morning she comes in and is shocked at the price we have to pay for shoes (especially the taxes on top of it) as she pays about half and no taxes on clothes/shoes in Philadelphia. I don't mind if I'm buying a Canadian product (hard to do) but when you go buy something at an American chain and the US company is making a killing off of us it's really annoying. I bought furniture from Pottery Barn where the mark-up can be as high as 1.80 from the US price and they told me it costs more to ship it up here. Not sure how much of that is true.

[mixed 1]

this doesn't suprise me (Im only 10 minutes from the border) and most of my shoe / clothes shopping is done in the US.... I love Buffalo and Niagara Falls......

[mkt 0]

Not sure how much of that is true.

That's probably part of it, but there may be import duties, etc to factor in on top of the price.Most things made in the US that are sold here cost about 20%+ more after you factor in import duties and shipping costs. Oddly though, a few US chain and big-box retailers (Radio Shack, Costco, Hot Topic, PacSun, etc) on the island sell at the same price they do in the US, which makes for the ocassional good price. Sometimes we get phenomenal sales to drive in business... better sales than the US.When we need to buy anything expensive, we usually buy it in Miami or online if we can't get it at a decent price on the island. EG, I recently bought an iTalk for my iPod (voice recorder). The only retailer that carries it on the island is CompUSA and they charge USD$52. I bought it on Amazon, shipping included, for USD$28. At least the iPod was the same price here (actually, I got it for $10 less at Costco than I would have at the Apple Store)

[Hammer Smart 0]

1:1 Canbuck USbuck equals AWESOME!But I live near the border, and don't really have my job affected by the currency fluctuations. Over my dead and decaying body will I live in a country where monetary policy is decided by them blasted Merkins! Much love to all the US Americans on the board here, but Washington DC determining the monetary policy of Canada? Um. No. No common currency. effthateh?Lorbeer, Here are the personal tax rates (estimated for 2007.) And the percentage of that amount that you pay. (So, If I made $200 000, I would only pay the 29% on dollars $120 887 to $200 000) (Source is Wikipedia take with NaCL)(est.) $0 - $8,929 $8,929 - $37,178 $37,178 - $74,357 $74,357 - $120,887 over $120,887 0% 15.5% 22% 26% 29%But we pay taxes on things that you don't and don't pay taxes on things you do. For example, if I win a MILLION dollars in the lottery? Guess what my bank account says when I deposit the cheque? $999 900, (I'm in Overdraft right now by $100) (j/k)We don't pay taxes on the capital gains of our primary residence when we sell it, but our mortgage interest isn't tax deductible either.In Ontario our Consumption tax (Retail Sales Tax) is 8% (varies province to province), and our Federal Sales tax is 6%. So for the majority of things we buy that aren't staples, (bread, milk etc.) we pay 14% on top of that. In Alberta they only pay the federal amount, and in BC I think it's 10%+6%. Ouchies.Oh, and tax credit vs. tax deduction definitions are reversed I think. A tax credit in Canada is not as nice as a tax deduction. Now, I'm not an accountant so YKMV.