The aggravating, HST is a tax hike, not the combination of PST and GST. Everything that had one tax now has both, just a blanket overall hike. Impossible to separate, why not charge five per cent on items that had one tax.
After all, it was suppose to be beneficial, but written in stone, would not wander from the 12 per cent. Well almost everything, when HST came into affect, five per cent GST was added to fuel, as if previously missed.
Any established tax exemption, was well thought out and justified, now taken away without any consideration.
Remember children's wear was tax exempt, not now, it's a real effort to outfit students for school, on top of everything else. Politicians who earn too much, are out of touch, rule against the average person.
Remember when the federal tax was a manufacture tax, only paid once, was part of the manufactures price. Federal tax was hidden in the new car price. If you bought a used vehicle you paid the PST only, every time the used car changed hands.
Before the HST, that was exactly the case when you brought a used car privately, you paid the PST only. The dealer charged both PST and GST, but I was given to understand the dealer had creative accounting. When the dealer took in a used car, claimed a GST rebate on the price, as if the price included a GST tax.
I didn't think there was tax on tax. I just paid HST on the tire levee!
My wife and I didn't seem to mind eating out, with a bottle of wine, and leave about a 10 per cent tip. Never really paid attention to the tax, but when the tax got to be more than I was tipping, I noticed that jump.
Tax changed our eating out habit, slowed us down. Now, I hear a will to reduce, roll that meal tax back by seven per cent.
We are creatures of habit. Habits changed, forcing myself and others to think twice before we care free spend.
Tax grab is in. I don't believe the governments have a will to roll back, to exactly the way it was, anyway. I also assume the tax jobs have left and are leaving this province.
HST is the hot conversation province wide, now no-matter the tax name, I think increases will be remembered for a long time.
Harry Ulch
Prince George
