Goods and Services Tax (Canada) - Current Situation

Current Situation

An argument can be made that the switch towards heavier consumption taxes, as seen in the European model, has helped the Canadian economy become more efficient and competitive with lower-priced goods for the international market. However, the effects of the GST in this realm are quite modest, and are regularly swamped by large changes in the exchange rate. It can also be claimed that the transparent nature of the GST has kept Canadians acutely aware of their taxation.

On July 1, 2006, the Conservative Party reduced the tax by 1% (to 6%), a 2005 election promise. They again lowered it to 5%, effective January 1, 2008. This reduction was included in the Final 2007 Budget Implementation Bill (Bill C-28), which received Royal Assent on December 14, 2007. This change has been estimated to have decreased government revenues by approximately $6 billion. Opponents of these tax decreases cited that sales taxes target those who spend more and therefore such reductions disproportionately benefit Canadians giving those who have the most and spend the most the largest tax decrease.

Much of the reason for the notoriety of the GST in Canada is for reasons of an obscure Constitutional provision. Other countries with a Value Added Tax legislate that posted prices include the tax; thus, consumers are vaguely aware of it but "what they see is what they pay". Canada cannot do this because jurisdiction over most advertising and price-posting is in the domain of the provinces under the Constitution Act, 1867. The provinces have chosen not to require prices to include the GST, similar to their provincial sales taxes. As a result, virtually all prices (except for fuel pump prices, taxi meters and a few other things) are shown "pre-GST", at the merchant's choice.