December 2/09 12:13 pm - Canada to tax Dutch for bikes brought to Olympics (UPDATED)

Posted by Editoress on 12/2/09
 

From The Globe and Mail

The Dutch government plans to bring hundreds of bikes into Canada to promote pedal power and a healthier lifestyle during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

But the taxman has put the brakes on their plans, at least temporarily, by demanding import duties that may make the bicycle program too expensive, say consular officials from the Netherlands.

Dutch officials initially balked at the cost, which reflected a markup of more than a 100 per cent. But talks were continuing this week on how to handle the issue, Hans Driesser, the Dutch consul-general in Vancouver, said yesterday in an interview. He declined to disclose the cost of importing the bikes.

Click on the link above to read the rest of the article

UPDATE  December 4th

Canada backpedals on import tax for Dutch bikes brought for Olympics

Canadian authorities have shifted gears and decided to waive import duties on some of the bikes from Amsterdam that the Dutch government planned to leave in Canada after the 2010 Winter Olympics, an official with the Netherlands consulate in Vancouver said yesterday.

Full update at the Globe and Mail