The provincial Ontario budget is usually a sleepy affair, except in the odd years when new taxes are introduced. 2009 appears to be one such year. Major newspapers are reporting that Ontario is planning to harmonize the province’s 8 percent sales tax with the Federal GST. Ontarians can expect to pay extra taxes under harmonization for:
- New homes over $500,000 (partial HST rebate applicable on new homes between $400K and $500K).
- Mutual fund management fees
- Natural gas
- Heating oil
- Hydro
BooksChildren’s clothes and shoes- Meals under $4
Diapers & feminine hygiene products- Accountant fees, lawyer fees, consulting fees etc.
- Television, phone and Internet services
- Auto, life and health insurance premiums
- Footwear selling for $30 or less
- Taxi, train and airplane fares
- Services such as hair cuts, gym memberships, drycleaning
Updated from The Ottawa Citizen:
Feel free to add to the list in the comments. Canadians in other provinces will be affected by this move as well because mutual funds will now pay extra taxes on their MER. If a mutual fund charges a MER of 2 percent, harmonization will add 0.15 percent in extra taxes. I’m not sure if mutual funds passed along the 2% cut in the GST to clients but you can be sure that they will pass on this extra tax to investors.
[Update: The original post listed “Used cars purchased privately” but as Al points out in the comments private car sales attract the PST; not the GST.]
