Ontario premier admits families will take a hit with the HST -- and so will their subscriptions

It turns out that critics of the HST haven't been crying wolf; in fact, the average family earning between $70,000 and $80,000 a year will pay $722 more a year, according to a story in the Ottawa Citizen. It was based on data commissioned and released by the Ontario New Democratic Party. 

The analysis, based on Statscan data, shows that the added burden of the new value-added tax will be between

HST is not a new tax? Ask your subscribers

It's curious, that Tony Wanless, a blogger for BC Business magazine's website, takes a poke at opponents of the HST and suggests that they're too thick to understand that it's not a new tax, but rather a simple blending of the old provincial retail tax and the goods and services tax that most people pay anyway. The reason it's curious is that, in BC (and Ontario) it IS a new tax on some goods --

What HST means to your magazine in ON and BC

Masthead magazine has published a succinct and useful Q & A summary of the looming impact, come July 1, of the imposition of the harmonized sales tax (HST)on magazines in B.C. and Ontario (where 2/3 of Canada's titles are published.)

Newspapers, but not magazines exempted from Ontario HST

[This post has been updated] The announcement by the government of Ontario on Thursday that it would now exempt newspaper subscriptions from the new 13% harmonized sales tax (HST) means that magazines are alone among print publications will face an effective 8% increase in taxation come June 2010. Or, to put it another way, magazine buyers will pay 13% tax (5% GST + 8% PST, combined) while

Ontario HST on magazines goes ahead, but subs prepaid before July 1, 2010 are exempt

Ontario has released information on the transitional rules concerning the new harmonized sales tax and, as expected (or feared), there is no exemption for magazines. As of July 1, 2010, the cost to consumers of single copies and subscriptions will go to 13% as the new tax blends the provincial retail sales tax (PST) of 8% and the federal goods and services tax (GST) of 5%. That's the bad news.

"Harmonization" of Ontario sales tax will wallop magazines

[This post has been updated]Today's likely announcement in the Ontario budget of "harmonization" of its provincial sales tax (8%) with the federal goods and services tax (5%), will have a major impact on magazines sold in the province. It means that the provincial sales tax portion, never before paid on magazinesmagazine subscriptions, will now apply.In effect, the decision will automatically