GST and PST Information for New Sellers

I urge all sellers and would be sellers (located in Ontario) to invest the time to review the Retail Sales Tax Act of Ontario:
http://www.trd.fin.gov.on.ca/userfiles/HTML/cma_3_2491_1.html

Sellers (and would be sellers) residing in other provinces should do the same with their respective provincial government sales tax department websites.

All Canadian sellers (and would be sellers) should also invest the time to learn about the advantage of registering for GST/HST by visiting the GST website:
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tax/business/topics/gsthst/menu-e.html

For more useful tips, please take a look at tax information for small business in Canada:
http://sbinfocanada.about.com/od/gsthst/index_a.htm

Finally, do yourself a favour and read all of it, not bits and pices here and there. Do not select a sentence out-of-context because you like what it states.

To understand the tax system is part of doing business in Canada. If you want to sell on eBay (other than selling personal used goods) you are in fact becoming a small business. To understand the system will save you money and time on the long run.
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GST and PST Information for New Sellers

canuckaloo
Community Member
Boy, Pierre, you must be the life of any party! 😉

Good advice, though. 🙂




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GST and PST Information for New Sellers

sew39racing
Community Member
So if you are selling items that are your personal items you do not have to charge GST? I am also selling donated items to raise money for two disabled children as a trading assistant, am I okay there too?
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GST and PST Information for New Sellers

writingjessamyn
Community Member
Looks like I've got some serious reading to do. Thanks Pierre for posting this here!


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GST and PST Information for New Sellers

hot-hob
Community Member
sew39racing, if you are operating as a business and have a BN(or GST number) for any activities you do under this business you must charge GST(within Canada). The links Pierre gave are very helpful.
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GST and PST Information for New Sellers

" you must charge GST(within Canada)"

Actually, that is incorrect.

GST registered sellers must remit GST or HST on taxable sales within Canada. There is no obligation to charge it. Many sellers either absorb it or it is included in the price.

The obligation, once gain, is to remit the tax (GST or HST) to the federal government, not to charge the buyer.
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GST and PST Information for New Sellers

hot-hob
Community Member
Sorry, I should choose my words more carefully.
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GST and PST Information for New Sellers

beebitha5
Community Member
I just started selling and since I'm from the US originally I'm really confused about this...I sold something to someone in Quebec and didn't charge tax. Is this a big problem?
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GST and PST Information for New Sellers

If you are not registered with GST, you cannot charge tax.
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GST and PST Information for New Sellers

beebitha5
Community Member
Okay. Thank you!
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GST and PST Information for New Sellers

the_catspjamas
Community Member
I don't believe you are required to collect the buyer's province's p.s.t. when selling out of province (within Canada. I believe the buyer is responsible to "self asess" this tax.
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GST and PST Information for New Sellers

...correct except for NS, NB and NL where sellers who are registered with GST must remit 15% HST (includes the provincial portion) on all taxable sales made from anywhere in Canada to NB, NB and NL.
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GST and PST Information for New Sellers

I have a couple questions. If I were to sign up for GST today (or soon) would I be able to be exempt from the tax that I paid on the products that I am selling that I have already bought? So basicly I bought merchandise already and was charged GST. From what I hear, you can get that back? Would it be a problem for me getting the tax back as long as I absorb taxes into any Canadian sales for the year?

Hopefully I make sense.
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GST and PST Information for New Sellers

dowjones_inc
Community Member
Thanks for the info and the links to the sites. Very help full!!
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GST and PST Information for New Sellers

i-cellstuff
Community Member
if you choose the absorb the tax, is it necessary to still include the GST# on the invoice?
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GST and PST Information for New Sellers

"is it necessary to still include the GST# on the invoice? "

YES, because many of your buyers may be GST regististered sellers who need the information.
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GST and PST Information for New Sellers

" would I be able to be exempt from the tax that I paid on the products that I am selling that I have already bought?"

One is not "exempt" from paying the GST, but given Input Tax Credits eq
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GST and PST Information for New Sellers

" would I be able to be exempt from the tax that I paid on the products that I am selling that I have already bought?"

One is not "exempt" from paying the GST, but given Input Tax Credits equivalent to the amount of GST paid.

YES, provisions exist to include inventory on hand at time of registration, but will not include tax on purchases already made and sold prior to GST registration.
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GST and PST Information for New Sellers

happykidsdotca
Community Member
Ok, all this info is good, and everyone is asking the same sort of question over and over again - we are getting nowhere.

So if you have a GST number and are good to go...

How the heck do you actually CHARGE your customer GST? I mean, when you send them an invoice through Ebay, there is no option for GST or tax. This makes me believe maybe there is a setting somewhere that enables GST? I can't find it.

So now my buyer has an invoice without GST, but I did say I would be charging GST in my auction. So when he goes to checkout - he will not be asked for GST. How do I collect it from him now?
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GST and PST Information for New Sellers

jakeeangel
Community Member
Disable eBay's checkout and send them an email with the info and correct amounts owing. If they are paying via PayPal you can send them an invoice. They have a new invoicing tool that allows you to detail the taxes information. You set the percentage. It's a much better form than the regular request money form. I think so anyways. :)




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