November 03, 2009
Ontario and British Columbia Will Collect an HST in 2010

Collection of a harmonized sales tax (HST) in Ontario and British Columbia will go into effect on July 1, 2010, according to a proposal in the 2009 Ontario Budget and a July 23, 2009 news release issued by the British Columbia (B.C.) Ministry of Finance.  The HST in both provinces will be administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

To aid businesses and consumers in understanding the transitional rules for the proposed HST, the CRA has posted a document, GST/HST Notice 247, on its Web site (see the URL listed at the end of this bulletin).  Of particular interest to importers are pages 6 and 7, which cover property and services brought into Ontario or B.C., imported goods and imported taxable supplies.  A lengthy question and answer section is located at the end of the notice.  Importers are advised to read this material carefully.

GST/HST Notice 247 can be accessed on the CRA Web site at the following URL:
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pub/gi/notice247/notice247-e.pdf

For more information, please contact your local FedEx Trade Networks Transport & Brokerage office. For a complete list of office locations go to http://www.ftn.fedex.com/locations/index.html.