On November 21, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced two measures to help Americans struggle with rising prices ahead of the holiday season. One is the tax exemption measure called “GST/HST Holiday”. The 5% GST (Good & Service Tax) or HST (Harmonized Sales Tax: a tax system that combines federal and provincial consumption taxes, with tax rates differing by province) is exempt for certain products only. This is limited to the period from December 14th to February 15th of next year. The items covered are as follows: Prepared foods: vegetable trays, salads, sandwiches, etc.
Restaurant menu: Dine-in, take-out, and delivery are all included
Confectionery: chips, candy, etc.
Alcoholic drinks: beer, wine, cider, etc.
Children’s clothing, shoes, car seats, diapers
Children’s toys
Books, newspapers (paper), puzzles
Christmas Tree This means that all food in Canada will be GST-free. According to government estimates, this will result in a savings of about $100 for every $2,000 spent on eligible products. The government expects to make $16 billion from the GST/HST holiday.
The other is a $250 subsidy called the “Working Canadians Rebate.” It is for Canadians who earn less than $150,000 in 2023 and is expected to be received by about 18.7 million people around spring 2025. The “rebate” is estimated to be worth $4.68 billion.