Prepare for harmonized sales tax (HST) rate changes
HST rates are set to increase in three provinces. Businesses based in, or doing business with these provinces should prepare for the changes.
Rules to reinstate BC sales tax regime proposed
In case you missed it, in February, the federal Department of Finance announced its "Transitional rules relating to the elimination of the harmonized sales tax in British Columbia." BC is aiming to revert from the unpopular harmonized sales tax to separate provincial and federal sales taxes by April 1, 2013.
And now an update on HST transitions!
If you've been following the story of Quebec's efforts to harmonize its sales tax (the QST) with the federal Goods and Services Tax, you probably know that it took a bit longer than expected, besides the 19 previous years of semi-harmonization during which nothing really happened. The federal government and the province originally set a deadline of September 15 to reach a deal, but they subsequently extended the period, and as of Friday, the deed is done—kind of.
