# Is the HST good policy?



## slacker (Mar 8, 2010)

Is the HST good policy?


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## Potato (Apr 3, 2009)

I think it's a mixed bag. I can see the benefits to simplifying things (no more 10% PST on this, 8% on that, none on some stuff), and just doing one sales tax return.

On the other hand, the province has had several PST-related incentives that they're going to have to structure in different ways now, and IMHO it will lead to increased prices (though I'm not necessarily against consumption taxes, but it's kind of sneaky).


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## HaroldCrump (Jun 10, 2009)

This question cannot be answered in this form.
Yes, HST is a good thing insofar as a single, simple tax is a good thing.
But sneaking in higher taxes under this guise and misleading people is a bad thing.
Increasing taxes while giving themselves thumping raises every year is a bad thing.


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## Rysto (Nov 22, 2010)

Unquestionably yes. We're replacing a poorly implemented, job-killing tax with an efficient one. The PST effectively subsidized imported goods over Ontario goods. You have to try hard to come up with a tax policy that is stupider than protectionism, but the PST accomplished the feat.


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## the-royal-mail (Dec 11, 2009)

Rysto said:


> Unquestionably yes. We're replacing a poorly implemented, job-killing tax with an efficient one. The PST effectively subsidized imported goods over Ontario goods. You have to try hard to come up with a tax policy that is stupider than protectionism, but the PST accomplished the feat.


OK. But that's not why they introduced the HST! It was a money grab, plain and simple.

So was the introduction of the PST and GST back in 1991. I still find that very offensive considering how much friggin' tax they steal from each of my paycheques. 

So to combine the front-end collection of both offensive taxes into one even more offensive tax, isn't on for me. That effectively doubles the tax bill for a lot of stuff that was previously exempt. THAT's why the gov't likes it. It's a tax increase, wrapped up in feel-good rhetoric. No gov't would play that political risk unless it was seriously $ advantageous for them.

I see the Liberal party is alive and well in this thread. Careful. You'll run out of koolaid soon.


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## Rysto (Nov 22, 2010)

the-royal-mail said:


> So was the introduction of the PST and GST back in 1991.


The GST was a part of a revenue-neutral change in sales taxes.


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## Rysto (Nov 22, 2010)

Also, if the HST is just a tax grab, why did the Federal Government give Ontario about a billion dollars in incentives to implement it? The Feds aren't getting any new revenue out of the deal!


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## slacker (Mar 8, 2010)

@royal-mail: I just want to clarify. Do you know what a VAT is? If you know what it is, and disagree with it, then we can agree to disagree. As reasonable people, we have an obligation to be rational, and try to understand the world around us.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

> OK. But that's not why they introduced the HST! It was a money grab, plain and simple.


It would be nice if things were that plain and simple. If the HST was a money grab, you absolutely have to explain why the government, in the same budget, announced billions of dollars in corporate, personal, and capital tax cuts. They did a really bad job of grabbing money!


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## ghostryder (Apr 5, 2009)

the-royal-mail said:


> I see the Liberal party is alive and well in this thread. Careful. You'll run out of koolaid soon.



Strange. Shifting away from income taxes in favor of consumption taxes tends to be a conservative thing.


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## the-royal-mail (Dec 11, 2009)

andrewf said:


> ...you can't analyse the question in a vacuum.


You said it, not me.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

ghostryder said:


> Strange. Shifting away from income taxes in favor of consumption taxes tends to be a conservative thing.


That's an educated conservative thing.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

the-royal-mail said:


> You said it, not me.


I did say it. I've been providing plenty of context. You've been shouting 'tax grab!'


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## warp (Sep 4, 2010)

I HATE all taxes.

That being said..as a civilized ,( hopefully), society, I realize we must all apy taxes.......and we should all carry our fair share.

HOWEVER......All govt's at all levels are like crazed herion addicts, who can never get enough.
No matter what sneaky taxes or "levies" or fees they charge ......it will never be enough.

If this does not stop, soon we will all just send the govt EVERY penny we earn, from every source...and the govt will decide how much we need to live and return us that amount.

The tax code is a complicated mess, incomprehensible to all but some, not all, of the morons who think it up, and a fiscal disaster.

Govts are always talking about generating "new revenue streams"...which is nothing more than new taxes, since govts create or produce NOTHING except waste.

The HST is just that...a way to tax more items we need every day,,,like hydro...and collect more taxes....dream up more govt programs,,,waste more taxpayer dollars....figure out how to raise more revenues again.

The endless circle

It never changes..it never ends.

What we need is a politician who will grab the bull by the horns,,,make the decision to stop and REVERSE spending, and let the taxpayers know that his number one concern is NOT to get re-elected


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