VICTORIA (NEWS1130) – The tax that launched a province-wide referendum, forced a premier out of office and set off a series of political apologies is officially on its way out.
British Columbia’s finance minister introduced legislation that will help the province make the transition from the harmonized sales tax back to the provincial sales tax on April 1.
The introduction of Bill 2 by Mike de Jong comes almost 18 months after British Columbians voted in a referendum to dump the harmonized sales tax in favour of the PST.
The bill includes provisions like keeping the tax and price of tobacco constant, returns a 2.7 cents per litre tax on propane, and clarifies taxes on heating oil, non-motor fuel oil and natural gas.
After the tax was rejected by voters, the provincial government worked out an agreement to repay the federal government the $1.6 billion it gave the province as an incentive to blend the taxes.
The 12 per cent harmonized sales tax was a combination of the federal goods and services tax and the PST, and the ministry says more than 100,000 businesses will need to register to make the transition.
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Time to Change the Whole Political System
Liberal claimed HST was revenue neutral. Another mis-truth.
And all because the BC Liberals could/would not be up-front with the people – saying they were NOT considering “harmonization,” during the election campaign, and then doing just that immediate;y after they were elected (aka Campbell and Hansen’s folly) and the people who support this Party, are hypocritical to enough to be upset about a Dix Memo??? Seems the only difference is the magnitude of the deceit.
We Want Our Money Back ……………..
Same Old Rip Off in Another Format ………..
I love Basic Math
I Can See how with will be Better
Don’t forget to take the 7% PST portion off of used car sales. This was added when the HST was brought in and should be reversed.
They should return it to exactly the way it was before the HST. If not they will face voter wrath this election.
All my friends in the construction industry have been waiting for this day. The HST was a horrible tax that killed many construction companies and restaurants.
The HST in itself was not bad, the way the government chose to go about it was the problem. People have had enough of governments telling them what is good for them without the people having input. Personally I would like to have seen a non-violent coup to oust the government and overhaul the way politics take place in BC.