Feds want to harmonization of taxes

[Topaz]

The Feds want to bring the provinvical and federal taxes together but in most provinces this will lead to paying taxing on gas, kids clothing, law heating oil, lawyers fees etc. The reason the Feds are giving is that it will encourage new capital investment., saying the business would save money and COULD (not would) pass it on to consumers. Yeah right! with gas prices going up and up, I say no. How are the people are fixed incomes ever going to survive?? The Feds raised the lower taxpayers .5% when they came in and now they took that back and so it get the money lost, they are trying to come in the back door with this idea. Sorry but the provinces will keep the backdoor locked to the Feds!

[old_bold&cold]

I do not understand what you are saying here. We already pay gst on gas and such and depending on the province we also pay provincial tax on them. So they are already there and are included into the price you see at the pump.

As for the .5% that the CPC raised the lowest tax bracket, it now has lowered it back by that amount. I do not see where you get it that they are again taking that back. The only issue in harmonizing the PST and GST is that in effect it would be a tax on the tax if done the way it has been in provinces like Quebec. But that has been going on for years now. Ont does not harmonize because of the tax on tax issue. But if the federal government wanted to have al people harmonize the taxes, all they need do is make it so one tax is not added and the the second tax calculated on the new amount. So I am not sure what your point here is. But maybe it is just me.

[Topaz]

I do not understand what you are saying here. We already pay gst on gas and such and depending on the province we also pay provincial tax on them. So they are already there and are included into the price you see at the pump.

As for the .5% that the CPC raised the lowest tax bracket, it now has lowered it back by that amount. I do not see where you get it that they are again taking that back. The only issue in harmonizing the PST and GST is that in effect it would be a tax on the tax if done the way it has been in provinces like Quebec. But that has been going on for years now. Ont does not harmonize because of the tax on tax issue. But if the federal government wanted to have al people harmonize the taxes, all they need do is make it so one tax is not added and the the second tax calculated on the new amount. So I am not sure what your point here is. But maybe it is just me.

No its not you, unless you are Harper. You'll find the article on Yahoo.ca or other news websites. As far as gasoline goes, the article said that gas could jump 6-7 cents alitre, since the PST isn't among the range of taxes that currently apply to fuel. The people who would benefit would be the Feds and the business!

[geoffrey]

Do you actually think we in Alberta would ever accept a sales tax? Hah! PST is a no go here. Not happening.

[Topaz]

Do you actually think we in Alberta would ever accept a sales tax? Hah! PST is a no go here. Not happening.

I agree with you and I don't live in Alberta. This shouldn't be forced on any of the provinces but do you think Harper would really care what he does to the provinces.

[Moxie]

Scream loudly NOOOOOOOOOOooo, when Nova Scotia adapted the HST the feds raked in a cool EXTRA 71 million (plus or minus a million). It's a cash cow for the Federal Government, it's raised the cost of living drastically here. Almost nothing is exempt, including death, yep HST on funeral expenses.

[no queenslave]

Just another step in becoming an autocrat - queen harper

[Michael Bluth]

I agree with you and I don't live in Alberta. This shouldn't be forced on any of the provinces but do you think Harper would really care what he does to the provinces.

The Conservatives hold every Alberta seat in Parliament.

Forcing a PST would kill them here. There is not way they can hope to form any sort of Government without almost all the seats here.

[geoffrey]

What would the advantage be anyways? A collective tax hike to make things equal? If Harper did that, he'd lose the support of anyone with the economic sense of the average 12th grader.

If small disparities between sales taxes are causing grief, then Alberta's must be destroying the whole market. Suprise. It doesn't.

Harmonization of tax is ridiculous. Alberta should have none of it, and I'm not sure the Federal government can constitutionally force it's hand here. Raising the GST to 13% and returning 8% to the provinces could do it, but that would be a direct tax hike specifically on Albertans (nothing new).

I'd have nothing to do with Canada again if that were the case.

Ottawa needs to learn it's role, and that's to get the hell out of the way of the much more effecient and representative provinces.

This smells like a typical Federalist tax grab. Neither Alberta or Quebec will bite here. The CPC can't dream of an election win pissing off either. Having more money flow through Ottawa to be handed back (with strings, as usual) is unacceptable. "You don't get your PST unless you comply with the Canadian Health Act." I can see it now. And I want no part in such a scam.

[no queenslave]

Do you actually think we in Alberta would ever accept a sales tax? Hah! PST is a no go here. Not happening.

People in Alberta have accepted a sales tax; it is called the GST.

[Moxie]

Just another step in becoming an autocrat - queen harper

Wouldn't you be happier in a communist country where the government doles out "State Cheques" once a month. You would be embraced by your like minded comrades, all of society low class poor citizens. It's called Cuba. The fares are cheap in the Winter.

[no queenslave]

Wouldn't you be happier in a communist country where the government doles out "State Cheques" once a month. You would be embraced by your like minded comrades, all of society low class poor citizens. It's called Cuba. The fares are cheap in the Winter.

Wouldn't you be happier if you could make a better post with something that you experienced?. Is that your best you can do?

Edited November 10, 2007 by no queenslave

[no queenslave]

to harmonize the tax in Alberta the Gst would go up to the same amount to equal both the pst and gst in other provinces. So then if the provinces raise the pst to 10 % the federal gst would be less. What are you complaining about? Can you trust your provincial leaders to understand what is being proposed?.

[no queenslave]

IT started with gun control and how the provinces responded.

Now GST andPST what will be next - drivers licenses -- marriage licenses , etc

How about school taxes?

might as well abolish the provincial governments along with the senate.

[geoffrey]

to harmonize the tax in Alberta the Gst would go up to the same amount to equal both the pst and gst in other provinces. So then if the provinces raise the pst to 10 % the federal gst would be less. What are you complaining about? Can you trust your provincial leaders to understand what is being proposed?.

I don't like the GST though. I like Alberta's simple flat tax. And it has worked well for us. Why should we switch our whole tax regime so that other provinces can be harmoniously more expensive places to do business. We have a huge tax advantage out here, we have no motive to give that up.

I don't think the Federal government has any ability to force the Alberta government to implement a consumption tax. I'm confident that our Premier will simply say no.

[msj]

I don't like the GST though. I like Alberta's simple flat tax. And it has worked well for us. Why should we switch our whole tax regime so that other provinces can be harmoniously more expensive places to do business. We have a huge tax advantage out here, we have no motive to give that up.

I don't think the Federal government has any ability to force the Alberta government to implement a consumption tax. I'm confident that our Premier will simply say no.

I don't think the Feds would force AB into a consumption tax either. I don't think it is wise politically and I don't think they would have the legal powers either.

Given that the East Coast has the HST I don't see why BC and other provinces couldn't harmonize with the GST regardless of other provinces.

Your statement that harmonization would make other provinces a more expensive place to do business is wrong.

Currently, in BC for example, business pays 7% PST on equipment, supplies and, in some cases, services.

If our PST was harmonized then most businesses would pay the HST but would have it refunded or credited against the GST that they collect - IOW most businesses would not pay the tax.

It would also simplify the tax system under one set of excise tax rules.

I will take the GST rules, and all their complications, any day over the BC PST (or, rather, Social Services Tax Act) which was set up in the 1940's, iirc, and has been tweaked into a complete and hypocritical mess.

BC businesses would do better under a HST regime but consumers, arguably, would suffer.

Edited November 11, 2007 by msj