[navcom]

Originally Posted by ll_coffee_lP

You guys are killing me...5-9% sales tax and no income tax??? WTH!

Ontario, Canada
8% sales tax on everything you buy
5% GS Tax on almost everything you buy (a few exceptions...i.e. children's clothes, food purchase under $4.00, etc.)

Income tax of 30% - 40% or better on every cent you make. That's right...30-40%.

Ordering a lens from the U.S. for shipping to Canada - add between 20-30% of cost to import into Canada.

Finally we are beginning to see prices of lenses on par with our US friends...as we should - our dollars are essentially equal now.

c[_]

Keep in mind that these are STATE taxes referred to. The FEDERAL taxes are much more! The last figures I heard this spring were that the average American pays over 65% of their income annually in taxes of one shape or another:

State taxes: (sales, income, property, tolls, license fees, etc.)

Federal taxes: (income, social security, medicare, medicaid, tax on interest earned, capital gains (not just for the "rich" anymore!), phone usage taxes, internet tax/fee, gift tax, marraige penalty, death tax, etc.).

I think I remember a CPA-friend of mine tell me sometime back that the feds have over 15,000 different taxes and fees!

....almost as many taxes as there are Pentax lenses made that fit on my K10D!

...I feel a tea party coming on!