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Rocky Mountain Goat Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Your best source for weekly news and views in the Robson Valley
Volume 1 Issue 2
HST advertising black-out nears its end Frustrated business owners may finally get tax details from the province Laura Keil lkeil@therockymountaingoat.com Caught in the limbo of the loomThe problem stems from an advertising HST and a province-wide petition ing ban that has prevented the provinagainst it, some business owners are cial government from distributing instill wondering how some items and formation directly about the tax. That services will be taxed. rule will be lifted come July — after Scheduled for July 1st, the HST is the tax comes into effect. Elections BC supposed to save the province and prevented the province from dissemibusinesses money by combining the nating details because of the anti-HST PST and GST into one federally-run petition. There are strict rules about tax. Some small business owners say, advertising during such an initiative, however, they have been blind sided by says Prince George-Valemount MLA poor communication about the tax. Shirley Bond. The provincial governJean Dennis, who runs a ment did not register to besupply store with her huscome part of the initiative, “Guys like me are only band Terry in Valemount, which means they cannot the collectors. The unsays the government has advertize on the HST while paid (tax) collectors. not made it clear what the initiative lasts. So we’re bearing the is taxable and what isn’t Bond says the government brunt of it.” under the new rules. “It’s recognizes the lost opporBob Balcaen, Mcsupposed to happen on tunity. The finance minister the first and we don’t have Bride business owner. wanted to send out an inforany information, really, mation package that would other than ‘It’s coming.’” have explained the rules of the tax, but “Your customers ask you a question it went against the Recall and Initiative and you don’t know the answer any Act, which requires advertisers to regbetter than they do.” ister and limits their spending. The HST should save small businesses “I can understand why people are first between $2,000 and $46,000 each year, of all confused, and secondly, angry, depending on the business, according because we did a very poor job of this,” to government estimates, . she says. “As an MLA, I can tell you, But Dennis says she has had a hard it is complicated. I have spent a lot of time figuring out what money will go time trying to figure out what’s on the where. The four information leaflets list, what’s not on the list and I still rely she got in the mail from the Canada on advice from an expert.” Revenue Agency referred her to a webOnce the initiative period ends in July, site. When she got to the website, she the government will then be free to exfound only limited lists of what items plain the HST in more detail. and services fall under the HST rules. “The challenge there is we’re already “It’s really great at frustrating you,” transitioned to the HST so we’re alshe says. “It’s like saying ‘It’s over there,’ ready behind the eight ball,” Bond says. waving at a wall of 40 boxes.”
“HST” cont’ A3
Laura Keil In Valemount, Viviana Zeas from Ecuador (right) and Yuki Tominaga from Japan watch Brazil play North Korea in the World Cup Series, which runs until July 11. See p. 8 & 9
Rescued mare Belle led the parade during McBride`s Adventure Weekend. Belle was rehabilitated after she was abandoned on a mountainside two years ago. For more, see P. 11
More Inside: McBride Adventure Weekend
Iconic raven totem leaves Jasper