E-Newsletter December 2024

We’re thrilled to share some exciting news for businesses across Canada! The Government of Canada has announced an HST Holiday, creating a fantastic opportunity to attract more customers and drive sales during the busy holiday season.

From December 14, 2024, to February 15, 2025, the GST/HST on groceries and essential holiday items will be fully relieved. This temporary relief is designed to provide financial assistance to Canadians, especially those grappling with the rising costs of living. Here’s how your business can make the most of this opportunity:

Tips for Leveraging the HST Holiday:

• Highlight the HST savings in your promotions to entice customers.

• Share the news through your marketing channels to drive traffic to your store or online shop.

• Update your point-of-sale (POS) systems to reflect the GST/HST relief accurately.

What You Need to Know About the HST Holiday:

How It Works:

• Businesses must remove the GST/HST on qualifying goods at checkout for the relief period.

• The GST/HST relief applies to qualifying goods delivered to and paid for by the purchaser during the two-month period.

• Goods imported during this timeframe also qualify for the relief.

What Goods Qualify?

Temporary GST/HST relief applies to the following items:

1. Children’s Clothing

   • Garments designed for babies and children, such as baby bibs, bunting blankets, receiving blankets, and clothing up to girls’ size 16 or boys’ size 20.

2. Children’s Footwear

   • Footwear designed for babies or children with an insole length of 24.25 cm or less (excludes footwear for sports or recreational activities).

3. Children’s Diapers

   • Includes diapers, diaper inserts, liners, training pants, and rubber pants.

4. Children’s Car Seats

   • Restraint systems or booster seats conforming to Canadian safety standards.

5. Print Newspapers and Printed Books

   • Newspapers containing news, editorials, and feature stories, as well as printed books or updates to such books.

6. Christmas Trees

   • Both natural and artificial trees.

7. Food or Beverages

   • Items for human consumption, including certain alcoholic beverages, candies, chips, granola products, ice cream, prepared salads, and prepared meals. This includes food and beverages sold at restaurants, pubs, and coffee shops.

   • Examples:

     • Beer and malt beverages (canned or bottled beer, pitchers of beer)

     • Wine, cider, and sake (22.9% ABV or less)

     • Spirit coolers and premixed alcoholic beverages (7% ABV or less)

8. Select Children’s Toys

   • Products designed for children under 14, including board games, card games, dolls, plush toys, and construction toys.

9. Jigsaw Puzzles

10. Video-Game Consoles, Controllers, and Physical Game Media

Contributed by: 

Ari A. Ariaran, CPA

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