Christie's New HST

[inquisitive]

Beware!
She denied strongly that she had any thoughts about re-instituting such a tax but she admitted talking about a Value Added Tax with the movers and shakers who can make this happen again. Recall the last show down. This general BC Election could be another referendum on the hated HST. Make it a referendum on HST.

[NotNorthAnymore]

Had the HST stayed in place our taxes would be 10% not 12% and the adjustments would have been made.

Only Conspiracy Theorists think that the HST is a bad thing.

IMO you are way off base and have no actual knowledge of how business works.

[Btfsplck]

A value added tax is a better way to go over the present PST we have, both for consumers (tax credits and rebates as well as a overall tax rate of 10% compared to the 12% now paid), the poor (they get back more than they pay, by a wide margin), and for business' (streamlined tax rules and regs), but don't let the facts get in the way of a good misunderstanding of economics.

[inquisitive]

Adding to my own thread, but listen up!
Christie is apparently so arrogant that she thinks she can get away with what proved to be Gordon Campbell's downfall -that of telling the electors during his final campaign that he would not introduce the HST, and then blatantly bringing the new (hated) tax in immediately after coming into power. We can nip Christie's outspoken thoughts in the bud rather than take a chance with yet another far-reaching tax being imposed upon us.

[inquisitive]

Remember Dix's last minute outspoken thought that cost the NDP the election? Here we go again, I hope - Christie and her VAT

[Jonrox]

We'd all be saving money now if a bunch of idiots who knew nothing about economics and tax policy hadn't been given the chance to vote down the HST. We all pay more for stuff now because they decided to "send a message". Thanks for that.

[NotNorthAnymore]

We'd all be saving money now if a bunch of idiots who knew nothing about economics and tax policy hadn't been given the chance to vote down the HST. We all pay more for stuff now because they decided to "send a message". Thanks for that.

Jonrox you are exactly correct - way too many idiots out there.

Had Bill Vanderslam and his cohorts had any intelligence, and not got in the way, we would have a lower tax rate at this time.
Those that voted against the HST knew nothing about how taxes actually work.

IF we had kept the HST we would have:
Less government employees and buildings and costs.
Therefore lower costs of running BC.

inquisitive - IMO you are dead wrong in wanting to keep the PST/GST separate.
We still have the HST - it is just collected by 2 different factions and we pay a higher price for it.

[Jlabute]

The HST was a good move, although it wasn't done in a good way perhaps.
Hard to remember now.

http://www.taxtips.ca/gst/bchst/whyhstisgood.htm

[jamapple]

Adding to my own thread, but listen up!
Christie is apparently so arrogant that she thinks she can get away with what proved to be Gordon Campbell's downfall -that of telling the electors during his final campaign that he would not introduce the HST, and then blatantly bringing the new (hated) tax in immediately after coming into power. We can nip Christie's outspoken thoughts in the bud rather than take a chance with yet another far-reaching tax being imposed upon us.

........AND GO WITH WHAT? Horgan saying he doesn't know how he will pay for all the shenanigans he plans on doing?
No thank you!

[jamapple]

The HST was a good move, although it wasn't done in a good way perhaps.
Hard to remember now.

http://www.taxtips.ca/gst/bchst/whyhstisgood.htm

You're right. It was just a hated tax, primarily because people weren't telling the truth about it being in the radar, so,they did what Alberta did recently, and what the US just did. It's called the big FU vote, and feels good to send that message, but in the long run, things aren't better, they're worse!

[OldIslander]

How to tax us is the most pressing, difficult job a Premier or PM faces. After all, we are already taxed on everything -- often double and even triple taxed -- taxes are often taxed. Seriously, try to think of something that you own or do, that is not taxed -- even the air we breath, has a hefty carbon tax imposed on it.

Carbon taxes when they first appeared in the 90's were brilliant -- an ingenious way to inflict a whole new layer of taxes on the entire citizenry and big business. It started in the states, but soon Canadian politicians were cheerfully passing them in our country, too. The NDP have promised to increase our carbon tax to $50/ton which will raise gas prices by approx. 4 cents per litre. The Greens are even more aggressive (knowing full well they'll never be elected) to I believe $70/ton (correct me if I'm wrong). That would raise gas prices another 6 cents per litre.

The HST was also brilliant in that it combined two taxes into one, making it seem like less. But it was now applied to everything. Even items previously tax exempt -- food and so forth -- would now be charged additional HST (or VAT in Europe).

So consider the plight of the poor suffering politicians and government financiers who must lay awake at night, trying to dream up new ways to make taxes seem a bit more palatable, and yet extract even more of our hard earned dollars.

[Jlabute]

Even after all this time to reflect on the HST, the poll still shows the majority of people are against it. There's a lot of HST deniers. lol.

[maryjane48]

lose the imcome tax then bring in a vat canada wide

[hobbyguy]

Only the most regressive thinkers would ever go for a VAT system. Think it through for once.

Let's imagine a 25% VAT.

A family making $60,000 per year. Probably spends 80% of their income on necessities. So with a 25% VAT, that jumps to 100% of their income on necessities.

A family making $260,000 per year probably spends the same on true necessities (we won't count steaks instead of hamburger etc.). So they would spend $60,000 - or 23% of their income on true necessities.

In other words, VAT systems are true "flat tax" that heavily favors the wealthiest.

But this whole discussion is just another bogus manufactured attempt to smear our premier and the BC Liberals by the NDP - who have nothing to offer.

[maryjane48]

premier ? you mean mob boss with all the corruption . and we did see the bclibs try get a vet through so the only ones offering nothing is bclibs and their corrupt supporters .