GST/HST Holiday Now Active
The GST/HST Holiday is now active up to February 15th, 2025 on multiple products, including selected imported items. And although music recordings are not exempt from GST/HST during this period, printed biographies, audio books on compact disc, printed books on music education (music theory/instruction) and printed books on home recording and the music industry are exempt.
For example, “Music Production 2024+ Edition: Everything You Need To Know About Producing, Studio Recording, Mixing, Mastering and Songwriting in 2024 & Beyond” is available on Amazon Canada and Indigo Canada, tax free, as is the “The History of Canadian Rock ‘N’ Roll“, “Is This Live?: Inside the Wild Early Years of MuchMusic: The Nation’s Music Station” and the Martin Short autobiography “I Must Say: My Life As A Humble Comedian“.
Amazon Canada has just created a site on which tax free items are listed, including some children’s toys, video games and video game consoles.
eBay Purchases Subject to Taxes
Canadian eBay buyers should note that their Canadian purchases and purchases of digital downloads will be subject to taxes as of July 1st, 2022.
Purchases from Canadian retailers on eBay were already subject to the HST or GST and provincial sales taxes but taxes will be now extended to any purchase shipped from a Canadian address and digital product sales.
Unfortunately, First Nations buyers and businesses that have resale and/or provincial exemptions will be required to submit requests to the Canadian Revenue Service and/or provincial tax office for rebates and/or refunds.
Imports will be subject to the usual taxes, custom fees and exemptions.
Changes in Retail Sales Taxes in BC and PEI
Effective today, residents of Prince Edward Island will be subject to a Harmonized Sales Tax of 14% on most services and products whilst British Columbia Residents will be subject to a Goods and Services Tax of 5%, which will be replacing the Harmonized Sales Tax of 12% in BC.
In British Columbia there will be a decrease in taxes on books (audio, electronic, bound and printed), basic cable services, concert tickets, music lessons and movie tickets but a combined tax of 12% (5% GST + 7% PST) will remain on most products and services. Individually purchased magazines will be subject to less taxes in this province.
In Prince Edward Island there will be decreases in retail sales taxes on CDs, DVDs, Blu-Rays, MP3 players, DVD and Blu-Ray players, radios, stereos, televisions, movie tickets, basic cable subscriptions and individual magazine purchases. Audio Books and Books will still be subject to the GST at 5% in this province whilst music lessons will be exempt.
For additional information please consult the following documents :
- For Residents of British Columbia
- What’s Taxable and What’s Not ? (pdf)
- Fact sheet: Changes to the sales tax in British Columbia
- Elimination of the HST in British Columbia in 2013 – Questions and Answers
- For Residents of Prince Edward Island
- What’s Taxable and What’s Not ?
- Fact sheet: Harmonized sales tax in Prince Edward Island
- GST/HST – General information HST – Transitional rules for Prince Edward Island for transactions that straddle April 1, 2013