And this is the problem! You and probably most of the anti HST'ers are upset with Campbell for one reason or another and you are using the new HST to vent. No problem with being upset with Campbell but why use the HST campaign?
The whole anti HST campaign loses credibility when it's real motive is to complain about Campbell. There are many more positives than negatives about the HST. 7 out of 10 provinces are incorporating it! Only Manitoba, Saskatchewan and PEI are currently holding out. Manitoba is probably the next province to incorporate HST and they have an NDP government.
The help for small business has been simplification of their tax collecting duties. Now they only need to collect one tax not 2 taxes. I've owned a business in Ontario and that is huge!!! The HST will benefit the consumer over the long run because many products we buy and pay PST and GST on have PST incorporated in the price. This is because our current system doesn't allow the business to claim back the PST it pays before it sells a product to you or I. In a competitive market that will knock between 3-5% off many products. Although all taxes suck, simpler is better when it comes to taxes.
Save your Campbell frustrations for the next election and express them there.... where they can actually make a difference!
Well, I think there is alot of propagnada being spewed, half truths.... blahblahblah.
But heres the thing, been involved in business operations for a good 20 yrs now, and SUPRIZE!!! There is a thing called a PST number that most, if not all businesses (manufacturers) use. NO ONE pays PST, its called an exemption number. Only certain things are not exempt from PST under the current laws. So there is very little PST being included in manufactured goods (other than certain consumables) for sale in BC already. If you buy... say...10 tons of steel for a project, the company you buy it from doesnt charge you PST, because you're exempt (remember that thing called the PST number). Under the current regs, a company pays GST, but then later submits it for refund, usually on a quarterly basis, now imagine you have say $100,000 or $200,000 in payables on a monthly basis,
your company has to hold over 3 months, the cost of the GST (5%) they are charged to buy raw materials for production. So if you have, for simplicity sake, to hold $15,000 over 3 months (remember quarterly) before your rebate is refunded to your business, but under the HST, you will now have to hold $36,000, how is this allowing a manufacturer to save money, 1) They already dont pay PST, and 2) they will now have to pay out even more before seeing it returned to their working capital (cashflow).
As far as retailers and streamlining etc, big deal, there is business software out there most if not all businesses use to calculate the end user taxes they are expected to submit to the govt, with a push of a button, a savings of at least a whole 5 minutes...BIG DEAL, no folks, no matter the propaganda you hear spewed from the mouths of the fiberals, take this to the bank...this is a cash grab PERIOD, there will be no savings to pass on, and the reason provinces are going this route? 1) Federal incentives 2) More money into general revenue from you and me from more taxes.