Fighting the Fight
The story of our Small Business, fighting against an unjust decision, and asking for policies and processes to be changed and to have equality for ALL businesses in the future.
If you've been following along with the news about all the things that have been happening with our store, you'll know that recently, we've come under fire from our own Canadian Government for not classifying the import of some of your favourite costumes and accessories with the "proper" or "correct" import chapter tariff code.
We are being told that iconic costumes like Ghostface, Mario, Luigi, and even something as small or simple as a "Chippendale's" Collar and Cuff Set are no longer "Halloween Costumes" or "Halloween Costume Accessories", that can be classified under Chapter 9505 of the Canadian Government Tariff Classification of Costumes which allows Duty-free import of "garments exhibiting significant deficiencies in terms of styling, construction, finishing touches and embellishments." but are now considered by our government as what THEY classify as "fancy dress attire" that falls under Chapters 61 and 62 which constitutes as "Textile costumes that are designed and constructed in a manner that allows for repetitive use, that are comparable in quality and value to articles of clothing" of the same Legislation.
Chapters 61 and 62 come with an 18% Duty attached to it, and the Canadian Border Services Agency has decided to arbitrarily decide for themselves what is and is NOT subject to that by way of audit. The audit, and the bill the must be paid before we are able to even START the process of overturning this decision, has been retroactively dated back to 2019! It's a scary situation for us, because if we can't succeed in getting a favourable vote to be able to appeal this BEFORE paying the bill, it could very well mean the end of The Costume Shoppe, and everything that you have come to depend on us for, goes away.
This is a fight we never thought we'd need to have, simply because WE know all this to be untrue, YOU know all this to be untrue, and according to CityNews, Global News, CTV News, and even our own Elected MP Shuv Majumdar (who took the fight to the HOUSE OF COMMONS) know this is untrue.
With all that said, our Store Owner - Ryan Schoel - will be headed to Ottawa to speak directly to those in these positions of power, making these decisions and asking for their policies to be changed, and to have fairness and equality for all businesses across Canada.
To that end, be sure to stay up to date here and on our Social Media pages, as Ryan will be live updating as his days and meetings in Ottawa progress.
If you wish to help in the meantime, please do so either by contacting your local MPs as we have, sharing this page and all of the other associated pages and links for this is issue, and of course by purchasing items from our store so we can continue to put those funds towards this issue.
From everyone at The Costume Shoppe, thank you.