So, the Harmonized Sales Tax has ruffled a few feathers Pt 2

I wouldn’t even be thinking about the upcoming HST if one of my older sisters had not sent the following (mass) email, a part of her mini-protest against the tax:

“Hello. Next summer (2010) the Ontario Government is set to put into force its new harmonized GST/PST sales tax which will apply a 13% sales tax to everything we purchase.

Things That Were Not Subject To The Current 8% PST Will Be Now Taxed.”

I know the email is supposed to make me feel a certain way (“My gosh. More evil taxes. Will it never end? Did my head just fall off?”) and the second line with all the capital letters is supposed to drive it deep into my skull (“If you’re not sweating bullets BY NOW, you should be!”)


Sorry. What do we expect?

And, won’t Ontarians simply shrink their spending to accommodate the tax as we have done related to the recession? (“Fifty-three per cent of those asked have cut spending on clothes and related items” - from recent consumer confidence survey)

And isn’t that a good thing? After 60 years of more sugary sweet apple pie (in a material sense) than our stretchy jeans can manage, isn’t it a good thing to slow our consumption?

Canadians stand in 3rd place when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions per capita, only behind the USA and Australia.

Here in Ontario, we won’t lower our lifestyle voluntarily, so a consumption tax like the HST may have a very positive outcome.

My sister doesn’t think so, but then, she’s likely not alone.

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Where do you stand on the HST, or taxes in general?

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