Harmonized Sales Tax - British Columbia

[HST]

Those who have not yet voted may be interested in reading this article from the Vancouver Sun, which, I believe, contains some very wise advice.

“Don't vote if you haven't considered the economics of the HST”, By Gordon Gibson, Vancouver Sun July 9, 2011
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/vot...715/story.html

[The other Pat]

I am very much liking the Tyee lately. Here is a link to the reality of the HST.

http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2011/07/06/HSTConJob/

HST fits long pattern of tax cuts for business

Days before we vote in the HST referendum and either accept or reject a massive, $2 billion tax-shift from businesses to families and individuals, we should re-examine the array of business tax cuts the Campbell-Clark Liberals have instituted over the last decade.

In the summer of 2001, weeks after winning the general election, the B.C. Liberals slashed the corporation income tax rate from 16.5 per cent, to 13.5 per cent. It stands today, after four further reductions, at an even 10 per cent. The revenues lost to the provincial treasury from these corporate income cuts: approximately $650 million, each and every year.

The corporation capital tax also was narrowed and reduced in 2001, and then abolished entirely in 2009. At one time it generated more than $400 million annually.

The sales tax was removed from production machinery and equipment in 2001 at a cost of $160 million, each and every year. That exemption was expanded in 2002, at a further cost to the provincial treasury of $15 million annually.

In 2008, the B.C. Liberals slashed the school-tax rate for large industries, and in 2009 they provided a new tax credit for major industrial and light industrial properties. The former move cost the provincial treasury $24 million annually; the latter, $52 million.

Space does not permit an exhaustive listing of all the tax cuts and reductions handed over to the business sector by the B.C. Liberals over the last 10 years. The list is lengthy and costly.

$12 billion already given away, for what?

The B.C. Federation of Labour has prepared an analysis that calculates revenue losses for the provincial treasury since 2001 from reductions in the corporation income tax rate alone at between $7.7 billion and $8.5 billion.

The total cost of all of the B.C. Liberal corporate tax cuts over the last decade may only be estimated; it almost certainly is no less than $12 billion.

Again, what did British Columbians get for this massive expenditure? We clearly didn't gain the new jobs as promised, because the B.C. Liberals' record on job creation over the last five years has been no better or different than the provincial average since 1980.

Despite spending billions of dollars on corporate tax cuts, the B.C. Liberals created no more jobs in the last decade than did Social Credit in the 1980s or the New Democratic Party in the 1990s.

The Harmonized Sales Tax is yet another in a long, long string of corporate tax cuts instituted by Gordon Campbell, Christy Clark and the B.C. Liberals over the last 10 years.

Their earlier tax cuts created nary a single new job, so why would reasonable, rational people expect anything different from the HST?

British Columbians should vote YES in the HST referendum -- YES to get rid of the HST, YES to stop the massive, $2 billion tax shift from corporations onto working families, and YES for tax fairness.

And, let's start thinking about how to create new, decent paying jobs.

[yorway]

"“Don't vote if you haven't considered the economics of the HST”, By Gordon Gibson, Vancouver Sun July 9, 2011""

A nice piece from yet another die hard Liberal. I wonder why he is pro HST

[HST]

The Assistant secretary-treasurer of School District 43 explains in this article how it saved $500,000 with the implementation of the harmonized sales tax.

“District 43 saves $500,000 with HST”, By Jennifer McFee, Coquitlam NOW, June 17, 2011

http://www.thenownews.com/news/Distr...#ixzz1RqJfWA6Q

[All Ages Music Concerts]

Somehow I think I will stay focused on who controls the purse of the money and how they have control of how it is run and given back or allotted. This type of complete control usually ends in a no win - win for the tax payers; only a way for the high rollers in office to keep paying themselves along with other luxuries to themselves. Just another $$ purse to have complete control over.

[keeha]

What bothers me most about the GST and now HST is the additional tax on food.

It makes me sad to see the local grocery store have to tax the food it makes and or packages fresh in store, while the same quantitity of the same food several days or weeks old, from a factory, trucked here from far away, does not have to pay the tax.

The regulations state such deli items (and other food items) packaged off site are not taxed, but if the same quantity of the same food item is packaged onsite it is fresher, perhaps using locally farmed items and employing your neighbour, and generating more local taxes all along the way, pays the extra tax.

[Lopita]

This referendum is about holding our "Leaders" accountable for election promises. This is still a democracy and this is the only peaceful way to drive home the message, WE Will Not Be Lied To. This YES vote will put all levels of government on notice that we have the tools and the people-power to keep them honest. Don't be fooled by the dishonest "stickmen" ads we are all paying for. The reduction from 12% to 10% will only happen if the economy improves and if the Liberals are still in power, in 2014.I tried complaining to elections BC about the wording on the ballot. Many will vote NO to get rid of it and YES to keep it. I contacted CRTC about the dishonest ads, can't police the political ads. Called the Ombudsman, again not anything they can do to help. Soooo, the only way we can send them a clear message is to vote Yes to extinguish( like its a fire?)

What bothers me most about the GST and now HST is the additional tax on food.

It makes me sad to see the local grocery store have to tax the food it makes and or packages fresh in store, while the same quantitity of the same food several days or weeks old, from a factory, trucked here from far away, does not have to pay the tax.

The regulations state such deli items (and other food items) packaged off site are not taxed, but if the same quantity of the same food item is packaged onsite it is fresher, perhaps using locally farmed items and employing your neighbour, and generating more local taxes all along the way, pays the extra tax.

[HST]

This referendum is about holding our "Leaders" accountable for election promises.

Lopita: A referendum is NOT an election.

Former Premier Vander Zalm applied to Elections BC, (Chief Electoral Officer Harry Neufeld), pursuant to the Recall and Initiative Act, for a petition, which was issued to him and officially described as follows:

Initiative petition number: IP-2010-002
Initiative petition title: An initiative to end the harmonized sales tax (HST)

With his application, Mr. Vander Zalm was required to submit a proposed Question and Provincial Statute to Elections BC. Apparently, the draft documents were run by some members of the BC NDP, as well.

The statute that was submitted to Elections BC with the application is known as the HST Extinguishment Act. Hence, the word “extinguish”. Registered canvassers, (including NDP MLA’s), gathered sufficient signatures on the petition.

The FightHST organization has managed to perpetuate the confusion, since September, 2009. The subject matter of the petition is the harmonized sales tax, which is tax reform.

There is loads of information on this at www.hstinbc.ca.

The eleven publicly-funded debates betweeen the official YES and NO sides can be viewed online at www.hstpublicforums.ca. These began on May 24th and in the first four debates that took place, a Vancouver lawyer, who is a sales tax specialist, explained this transparent tax structure in layman's language.

[yorway]

I was going to write a great big rant about voting for the HST. Then I thought, why bother. The pros and cons of this tax grab have been debated by everyone who is interested in every way and form that people can think about.
The debate has gone on to long and as far as I am concerned it is over. I have already voted yes and have sent my ballot in weeks ago ( well perhaps two weeks ago).
Anyone who lives in this area and has any interest in the referendum has probably done the same thing. The rest of the people have thrown out the ballot and gone about their merry way
To me its become like the busking debate, uninteresting with everything that has to be said already said over and over again, with the exception of a few buskers who carry on their fight with the city.
As I have done with the busking forum I will do the same with this forum and quit reading it.

[titan5]

I am very much liking the Tyee lately. Here is a link to the reality of the HST.

http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2011/07/06/HSTConJob/

And the Tyee has also published a couple PRO HST columns too. Here is the latest:
http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2011/07/13/LoveHSTMore/

It provides yet another POV about why the Left should support the HST.