The provincial government has released a comprehensive list of products and services that will be subject to the Harmonized Sales Tax, which comes into effect July 1.
The province published a 'What's Taxable and What's Not' list on its HST website today.
The Ontario government, which also introduces an HST this summer, had released a detailed list of what would be taxed and what wouldn't. Finance Minister Colin Hansen thought that was a good idea.
"When we saw what Ontario had done on and put up on their website I immediately said this makes sense, let's actually copy what Ontario's done," Hansen told CTV News on Wednesday.
The HST will extend to previously PST-exempt items including camping sites; newspapers; air, rail and bus travel originating in B.C.; landscaping, plumbing and electrical services; hockey tickets; golf memberships, and tomato plants.
Other products are eligible for instant rebates on the provincial portion of the HST, including children's clothing and fuels (gasoline, ethanol blends, diesel, biodiesel). That 7 per cent tax break is twice the level of the 3.5 per cent carbon tax, pointed out Guy Dauncey in a recent Tyee article.
Colleen Kimmett reports for The Tyee.
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sunshine coast girl
3 years ago
Too little - too late.....
You've already lost Lieberals. Too bad you didn't think it was important to inform British Columbians BEFORE it got to this point. Amazing how much damage a little arrogance does, isn't it?
P-diddy
3 years ago
Really colin just now you thought of it?
Ok let me get this straight our government almost one year after the anouncement of the HST thinks its a good idea to give the public more info on the new tax. Incompatance thats all i can call the dealay. What fools we have running our province.
Skywalker
3 years ago
Desperate measures, eh?
So the Province now does what BC Elections ruled Hansen was not allowed to do. Isn't that nice of them. The joke is that no one reads that rag for anything but the sports scores.
Polakite
3 years ago
HST implementation...
done by fools.
Alastair Campbell could teach the BCLibs a thing or two or quite many, quite frankly.
I'm also a fan of the carbon tax so not happy that gas isn't getting the shaft but newspapers & camping are.
crankypants
3 years ago
Inaccuracy in this article
Not all kid's clothing is HST exempt. Only Kid's-sized clothing is exempt.
I guess I'll have to check this list out just to see if it's accurate or an attempt to mislead the public one more time.
G West
3 years ago
Alastair Campbell as a teacher
Perhaps you hadn't noticed but the 'no longer left wing' party Campbell advised ISN'T in power any longer...
That's what often happens when spin replaces moral commitment in politics.
Of course, that's 'exactly' what Gordon Campbell has adopted as his leitmotif.
plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose....
Grania
3 years ago
What?
Bikes go up and disposable diapers for folks to lazy to wash nappies go down? How green is that? Used adult clothing goes up and alcohol goes down? That is because Gordon and Co. buy new clothes! And drink! And their friends own clothing stores and liquor depots....
circle A
3 years ago
I wonder when?
they will inform small business if commercial fishers will retain their pst exemption? have not yet been notified by ccra or bc min. of finance.
BC Boy
3 years ago
No so.
"So the Province now does what BC Elections ruled Hansen was not allowed to do. Isn't that nice of them. The joke is that no one reads that rag for anything but the sports scores."
Actually wrong. Elections BC did not rule that Hansen could not provide a list of what is subject to HST and what is not subject to HST. He could always do that.
What Elections BC said, the propaganda material that Hansen was going to send out contained political statements pointing to errors made by the anti-HST petitions, stating political opposition to claims
made by the VanderZam anti-HST group.
Quite a big difference. Didn't have anything to do with The Province being able to give something to the public that Hansen couldn't.
Hansen should have provided that list several weeks after last fall's announcment, but true to form with this BC Liberals, they missed.
G West
3 years ago
You misunderstand Skywalker
The commenter is talking about the 'Province' newspaper - one of the two daily organs of the CEO press.
The clue is his use of the word 'rag'.
Thank you for the apology.
BC Boy
3 years ago
No apology is given as none is delivered
"The commenter is talking about the 'Province' newspaper - one of the two daily organs of the CEO press."
Doesn't matter.
"The clue is his use of the word 'rag'."
An alternative commonly used word for
newspaper.
"Thank you for the apology."
None provided as none was packed for delivery
Moving on..
crankypants
3 years ago
The list
The list seems to be fairly comprehensive, but I'm sure that there are other goods and services that will fall to the 7% increase. The impression I get is that even Hansen and his staff don't know everything it will impact.
I do question the format they chose as some of the items seem to be listed to make it seem that there will be a reduction. For example booze is made to look as if the tax is being reduced by 3%, and from comments I have read here and on other sites a lot of people reference the supposed savings. The reality is that the government instructed the LDB to increase prices by the 3% on liquor products. As a matter of fact the increases were imposed a couple of weeks ago even though the HST doesn't begin until July 1. It looks as if the government is going to pocket an extra 3% on sales until the HST kicks in.
Another item that makes no sense is to hit the sales of used clothing under $100 with an extra 7%. First of all most of the retailers of such products have ties with charities such as Share Society, many hospices, Salvation Army Store etc. STUPID, STUPID, STUPID.
jim1966
3 years ago
It's Gonna Cost Both You & Me More
So the "big"list came out. Big Deal. Why?, I don't care what facts or hype the BC Liberals put on or do about the HST. Whatever your political stance I don't care. Point is though, that these guys lied, misled and tried to cover this entire boondoggle up. They are after all Bozo's and nothing more. Sadly though once again we are paying the price for something we were never consulted on as a society. I looked at the list and my cost of living is going to go up, the only marginal credit, and it's very minimal is the GST/HST credit, but it is a toss in the bucket and nothing more. I guess that credit will vary for a lot of people. Sadly though it does not change my opinion about the BC liberals as they credit is administered by the Feds. Can you imagine if you are a person relying on income or disability assistance from the province?, No cost of living increase to offset these folks costs, eventually landlords will pass on any increases to a tenant via a rent increase, some food supplies and services for people will go up, the GST/HST credit does not completely offset these added stresses to income assistance or disability clients. These folks will have less and either get sicker, which will cost a lot more in the end, especially in health care. So, let's for once be a smarter society and maybe change the future and get rid of the BC Liberals.
cheers
jim1966
biscotti
3 years ago
govt list apparently incomplete
According to Fight HST, over 30 items are missing from the govt list. From an email I got this morning:
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Vander Zalm says the list excludes almost all "services" that will now have HST applied to them.
“They left out items such as; catering; computer repair services; consulting services; commercial leases; fishing charters; home appraisals; investment counseling; limousine rentals; skiing; and even parking fees!”
Vander Zalm says that the HST applies to virtually every service that the GST applied to, so the government has no excuse for not knowing which items should have been included.
Vander Zalm says they are also playing games with HST applying on new home construction. He says the government list indicates “no change” to new homes under $525,000, with a confusing, small print footnote indicating “embedded PST of 2%” on new homes under $525K.
“The truth is, even after HST rebates new homes under $525,000 will have approximately 2% more tax added to them in HST. That means on a new house worth $300,000, buyers will pay an additional $6,000 in HST. On a big ticket item like a new home, that is a ton of money taken from consumers.”
“They’re calling it embedded PST. That is absolute trash. They eliminated the PST. It is 2% HST,” Vander Zalm explained.
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A more comprehensive “HST Hit List” can be found at www.fighthst.com