Is HST TAX Bullshit - who does it really Benefit?

[lovedoc]

Is HST TAX Bullshit - Who does it really Benefit?

POLL - Please Select your answer above (Multiple answers allowed).

Anticipation of the HST gas increase caused panic at the pumps Wednesday evening as drivers lined up for cheaper fuel and some stations ran out. Pat O'Neill and limo driver Jonnie Mens found the pumps dry at a Shell station on Richmond St. E.


Read more: http://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/hst/article/830809--hst-s-canada-day-gift-higher-gas-prices


"Soft drinks, bottled water under 600 mL is now an HST-taxable item. Snacks, crisps, puffs -- they have all these terminologies they use. It's crazy," he said.
Smith and other grocers have been navigating a 35-page list of guidelines detailing which products are HST exempt and which aren't.
Smith is perplexed by the seemingly random nature of what's taxable, like vitamins.
"If you're buying your children some chewables: taxable. The health of your children is taxable," he said.


Meat, potatoes, fruits and vegetables are HST exempt. Cow milk is also exempt, but soy milk is not.
Chocolate bars are also subject to the new tax.
"Because they're wrapped as a bar they're taxable, but the chocolate chips at the back aren't because they're used for baking," Smith said. "Where's the criteria?"


Also hit by the HST are fruit drinks with less than 25 per cent real fruit juice, but buying in bulk doesn't mean you can avoid the tax.
"The single serving is what they tax you on. It doesn't matter if you buy this whole case, you're taxed on the single serving," Smith said.
Smith is certain the 12-per-cent tax means customers will end up paying more.
"When they see what is actually being taxed and that there's hidden costs that the retailer is going to have to absorb somewhere it gets pretty scary for them," he said.


Finance Minister Colin Hansen thinks many shoppers might be pleasantly surprised.
"I think there will be somewhat of a relief by many consumers that it's not as bad as they thought it was going to be," Hansen said. "There are fewer things on their shopping list that are going to be negatively impacted than they thought."


http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/...ocers_100630/20100630?hub=BritishColumbiaHome

What the Ontario HST Means to Consumers

For the most part consumers will not notice a large change in prices. However, there are many items currently exempt from the provincial sales tax that will no longer be exempt. They include:

• gasoline
• heating fuels
• electricity
• tobacco
• personal services, such as haircuts, membership fees for clubs and gyms, magazines, taxi fares, professional services for lawyers, architects and accountants, and real estate commissions.

The HST will not be charged on:

• basic groceries
• prescription drugs
• some medical devices
• municipal public transit
• health and education services
• legal aid
• most financial services
• child care
• tutoring
• music lessons
• residential rents
• condo fees

Currently the PST is not applied to those items.
There will still be a few exemptions from the provincial portion of the sales tax:

• children's clothing and footwear
• diapers
• children's car seats and car booster seats
• feminine hygiene products
• books (including audio books)
• prepared food and beverages sold for $4.00 or less
• print newspapers

The Ontario HST and Housing

No HST will be charged on

• residential rents
• condo fees
• purchase of resale homes

The HST will be applied on the purchase of new homes. However, homebuyers will be able to claim a rebate of some of the provincial portion of the tax for new homes priced up to $500,000. The rebate for new primary residences under $400,000 will be six percent of the purchase price (or 75 percent of the provincial portion of the tax), with the rebate amount reduced for homes priced between $400,000 and $500,000.
Buyers of new residential rental properties will receive a similar rebate.
The HST will apply on real estate commissions.

Source: http://canadaonline.about.com/od/money/a/ontariohst.htm

 

[cute-bald]

You are supposed to be proud on Canada Day that your government sees you as a cash cow & works for the rich, elite in this country to make them richer & lower, middle class Canada's standard of living.

 

[Never Compromised]

From an economic POV, a HST makes sense. But McSquinty should have cut the provincial rate since he is going to be reaping a net increase in taxes. Although Condo Fees and rent are not taxable, you can be damn sure both will be going up as the cost of services (especially power) will be increased. I strongly object to more taxes on gasoline as it is nothing more than a tax on tax. There are already provincial and federal taxes on petrol, and then putting a consumption tax both provincially and federally on top of those taxes is nothing more than gouging IMHO.

I also philosophically object to legal services being taxed. Large corporation will swallow the tax and spit it out as a cost of doing business and will pass that along to the consumer, but small business and people trying to defend them selves against criminal accusations will be hosed.

 

[El Mariachi]

HST and Canada Day on July 1st. Happy HST day !

 

[blueflame]

well i know its great for business owners..
i can now write off an additional 8%.. saves me some money

 

[out4fun]

It's a better tax system. I prefer taxes based on consumption, where the end user pays - its just too bad that it amounts to a tax grab. There should be greater offsets in the income tax system, or a lower aggregate rate, but Dalton needs too much money to feed all his friends.

 

[djk]

Its to benefit businesses and corporations.

Didn't you get the memo?

http://www.scribd.com/doc/6674234/Citigroup-Oct-16-2005-Plutonomy-Report-Part-1
http://www.scribd.com/doc/6674229/Citigroup-Mar-5-2006-Plutonomy-Report-Part-2

From that memo:

- The World is dividing into two blocs - the Plutonomy and the rest.
The U.S., UK, and Canada are the key Plutonomies - economies powered by the wealthy. Continental Europe (ex-Italy) and Japan are in the egalitarian bloc.

- Equity risk premium embedded in "global imbalances" are unwarranted.
In plutonomies the rich absorb a disproportionate chunk of the economy and have a massive impact on reported aggregate numbers like savings rates, current account deficits, consumption levels, etc.

This imbalance in inequality expresses itself in the standard scary "global imbalances". We worry less.

- There is no "average consumer" in a Plutonomy.
[...]
Indeed, traditional thinking is likely to have issues with most of it. We will posit that:
the world is dividing into two blocs - the plutonomies, where economic growth is powered by and largely consumed by the wealthy few, and the rest.
Plutonomies have occurred before in sixteenth century Spain, in seventeenth century Holland, the Gilded Age and the Roaring Twenties in the U.S.

What are the common drivers of Plutonomy?

Disruptive technology-driven productivity gains,
creative financial innovation,
capitalist-friendly cooperative governments,
an international dimension of immigrants and
overseas conquests invigorating wealth creation,
the rule of law, and patenting inventions.

Often these wealth waves involve great complexity, exploited best by the rich and educated of the time.

We project that the plutonomies (the U.S., UK, and Canada) will likely see even more income inequality, disproportionately feeding off a further rise in the profit share in their economies, capitalist-friendly governments, more technology-driven productivity, and globalization.
[...]

In a plutonomy there is no such animal as "the U.S. consumer" or "the UK consumer", or indeed the "Russian consumer".
There are rich consumers, few in number, but disproportionate in the gigantic slice of income and consumption they take. There are the rest, the "non-rich", the multitudinous many, but only accounting for surprisingly small bites of the national pie. [...] i.e., focus on the "average" consumer are flawed from the start.

Of course, we have recourse but I doubt the majority will exercise this.

RISKS -- WHAT COULD GO WRONG?
Our whole plutonomy thesis is based on the idea that the rich will keep getting richer. This thesis is not without its risks. For example, a policy error leading to asset deflation, would likely damage plutonomy. Furthermore, the rising wealth gap between the rich and poor will probably at some point lead to a political backlash. Whilst the rich are getting a greater share of the wealth, and the poor a lesser share, political enfrachisement remains as was -- one person, one vote (in the plutonomies). At some point it is likely that labor will fight back against the rising profit share of the rich and there will be a political backlash against the rising wealth of the rich. This could be felt through higher taxation on the rich (or indirectly though higher corporate taxes/regulation) or through trying to protect indigenous [home-grown] laborers, in a push-back on globalization -- either anti-mmigration, or protectionism. We don’t see this happening yet, though there are signs of rising political tensions. However we are keeping a close eye on developments.

In other words, one day the majority (lower class, middle class) might actually get pissed off enough one day and stop worrying about who Tiger Woods is sleeping with or what Lindsay Lohan is up to and vote out these bastards.

 

[shack]

Just curious. What happened in B.C., where there seemed to be more of a grass roots campaign against the HST than there was in Ontario? Did they have any success in delaying/modifying/killing the HST?

 

[lovedoc]

Its to benefit businesses and corporations.

Didn't you get the memo?

http://www.scribd.com/doc/6674234/Citigroup-Oct-16-2005-Plutonomy-Report-Part-1
http://www.scribd.com/doc/6674229/Citigroup-Mar-5-2006-Plutonomy-Report-Part-2

I've read this memo ages ago, but another version.... I wonder if the Rockefeller had anything to do with revamping this economic revelation/thesis by Citigroup to cloud their vision for a "New World Order".

Of course, we have recourse but I doubt the majority will exercise this.

Our recourse/prevention is through freedom of speech, opposition political parties and of course protesters to maintain a well balanced economic system as to maintain our chose and freedom to be part of the middle class group.

In other words, one day the majority (lower class, middle class) might actually get pissed off enough one day and stop worrying about who Tiger Woods is sleeping with or what Lindsay Lohan is up to and vote out these bastards.

I think we've already hit this stage ages ago and with our latest economic crisis - how dare they with this HST Tax.

 

[lovedoc]

Just curious. What happened in B.C., where there seemed to be more of a grass roots campaign against the HST than there was in Ontario? Did they have any success in delaying/modifying/killing the HST?

Unfortunately not, as I'm sure Ontario would have their say if otherwise....B.C.'s HST went into effect (July 1, 2010) same time as ours.

Many people in British Columbia feel both dismayed and betrayed by the HST. It is a $2-billion shift in hidden sales taxes from business to consumers done by a government that said sales-tax harmonization was not on the radar screen during the most recent election.

Read more: http://www.theprovince.com/technology/least+problems+July/3226482/story.html#ixzz0sZNN09L6
​

 

[Tokyo Heights]

Introduction of HST is another bull shit of the provincial govt! People should have strongly resisted from it's initial stage only, so we would not have got a shocking gift on Canada Day viz July 01/07/2010.
Over 85% of our Ontario population is under heavy burden of enormous taxes we pay at every step we take! Just imagine that there is no one to voice an increase of 8 cents per Litre of Gas, it's really pathetic and shocking for a common citizen of Ontario. We should not pay more than 8% of total taxes to the Government, like our brothers pay in Buffalo, USA.
Taxes in Ontario is a big burden for everyone now, when we are dipping into double dip recession soon in Canada. Instead of providing some relief to middle income class our Government is killing the middle class over here in Ontario! There is no one to check and balance our provincial government of Ontario! Lord save the people of Ontario from HST and other Taxes! My conclusion after studying the few aspects of HST is: To Live In Ontario and to Die In Ontario has become much Expensive w.e.f. Canada Day July 01, 2010 Lol.

 

[lovedoc]

Introduction of HST is another bull shit of the provincial govt! People should have strongly resisted from it's initial stage only, so we would not have got a shocking gift on Canada Day viz July 01/07/2010.
Over 85% of our Ontario population is under heavy burden of enormous taxes we pay at every step we take! Just imagine that there is no one to voice an increase of 8 cents per Litre of Gas, it's really pathetic and shocking for a common citizen of Ontario. We should not pay more than 8% of total taxes to the Government, like our brothers pay in Buffalo, USA.
Taxes in Ontario is a big burden for everyone now, when we are dipping into double dip recession soon in Canada. Instead of providing some relief to middle income class our Government is killing the middle class over here in Ontario! There is no one to check and balance our provincial government of Ontario! Lord save the people of Ontario from HST and other Taxes!

Amen.

 

[lovedoc]

Introduction of HST is another bull shit of the provincial govt! People should have strongly resisted from it's initial stage only, so we would not have got a shocking gift on Canada Day viz July 01/07/2010.
Over 85% of our Ontario population is under heavy burden of enormous taxes we pay at every step we take! Just imagine that there is no one to voice an increase of 8 cents per Litre of Gas, it's really pathetic and shocking for a common citizen of Ontario. We should not pay more than 8% of total taxes to the Government, like our brothers pay in Buffalo, USA.
Taxes in Ontario is a big burden for everyone now, when we are dipping into double dip recession soon in Canada. Instead of providing some relief to middle income class our Government is killing the middle class over here in Ontario! There is no one to check and balance our provincial government of Ontario! Lord save the people of Ontario from HST and other Taxes!

[FONT=&quot]According to Revenue Minister John Wilkinson -- the government's lead salesman on the HST -- said the tax changes are all about creating jobs. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"We have a plan that's going to lead to 591,000 new jobs over the next 10 years because it will lead to $47 billion worth of more investment," said Wilkinson. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]But;[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats disagrees; "The greedy HST tax grab is going to take even more money out of the pockets of Ontario families."[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I don't know of any politician who actually went through all the way with their promises, but I'll keep an open mind to the fact that HST amount to little more than "a greedy tax grab".[/FONT]

Read more; http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/lo...adline-approaches-100606/20100606?hub=Toronto

 

[Tokyo Heights]

Amen.

Sub -Ameen! That is why I also quoted that now Only Lord can save our souls in Ontario, it's a total Tax Grab, by the Provincial Government of Ontario!

 

[landscaper]

the BC tax did go into efffect but the people submitted a petition with teh required number of signatures prior to the tax taking effect. The tax should now come under a review and possibly a recall, it will depend on a vote in parliment.

 

[johnny]

I didnt read all thsi thread but here is my take. the HST , blended sales tax is probably better for business and the economy, it will make ontario more business friendly and strengthen the economy...but here is the thing. all i know, is i am going to be paying more tax and my salary stays the same.....therefore my standard of living goes down slightly because of this tax.
any time i have to pay more tax for anything i think its bullshit. so screw the HST. the only problem with fighting this is, that the federal Conservatives in ottawa are in favor, the provincial liberals obviously are in favor. doesnt matter what party was in power they woudl bring it in.

 

[rhuarc29]

Just curious. What happened in B.C., where there seemed to be more of a grass roots campaign against the HST than there was in Ontario? Did they have any success in delaying/modifying/killing the HST?

They got gas to be HST exempt, meaning the 5% GST they used to pay is no longer there. Yes, their gas actually got cheaper.

 

[dirk076]

What these government pukes don't seem to get is that there is not a never ending stream of money. We can't afford any more taxes! I am fucking tired of paying over 40% of my income to various levels of government even before these consumption taxes! People need to wake the fuck up and toss these pricks out. We need someone to dig deep into the government waste, i.e.; the health care system, OLG, eHealth. Find the money in the waste not in our ever shallower pockets.

 

[enyceman]

What these government pukes don't seem to get is that there is not a never ending stream of money. We can't afford any more taxes! I am fucking tired of paying over 40% of my income to various levels of government even before these consumption taxes! People need to wake the fuck up and toss these pricks out. We need someone to dig deep into the government waste, i.e.; the health care system, OLG, eHealth. Find the money in the waste not in our ever shallower pockets.

I agree 100%...

 

[johnny]

people are stupid....government tells you that a tax that will cost you more is actually good for you and some believe it....