It was quiet in the children’s clothing store where Soukeyna Kane works yesterday afternoon, which won’t be the case today, according to what customers tell her.
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“A lot of people told me that they were waiting for the tax holiday to start to make their purchases,” says the smiling 28-year-old attendant.
On the first floor of the Complexe Desjardins, the Souris Mini boutique that employs him sells everything to dress kids, products that are covered by the GST holiday offered by Ottawa from today until February 15.
“We expect to see a lot of people over the next few days,” predicts Soukeyna Kane.
For the purchase of a snowsuit for $299, the saving is $15, since the GST rate in Quebec is 5%.
Further on at the bookstore, in the basement of the complex, customers I met didn’t see the point in waiting a day to save. Printed books are also part of the list of products exempt from GST.
“I’m not going to change my plans for a few pennies,” joked Christine Martin about the slim savings she would have made today thanks to the GST holiday.
The employee of the main tenant of the premises, Desjardins, finished her Christmas shopping with the purchase of one last book for her grandson. On the $250 worth of books she purchased, she could have saved $12.50 in GST today.
Patience, patience
The Journal already reported last weekend that some traders are having difficulty implementing Justin Trudeau’s measure.
The list of exempt products is specific, but retailers do not receive help in preparing. Some wonder if everyone will be ready.
Patience will be required for consumers. Errors at checkout will occur, which can be resolved with an unknown plan B.
If the supplier or retailer refuses to refund the tax when it is required to do so, a claim can be made using a form entitled General GST/HST Refund Application.
The deadline is two years and the amount of tax involved must be $2 or more.
It is the Canada Revenue Agency that processes the applications, just as it also coordinates everything related to the GST holiday hastily adopted by the House of Commons.
At Souris Mini, at Complexe Desjardins, everything is in place for the TPS holiday. Customers who made their purchases before December 15 can even get a refund to take advantage of the savings.
“We have a procedure for that,” assures Soukeyna Kane.
This is also the case for other SMEs and retailers, who are also imploring the population to be patient with them.
“It will be almost impossible to implement this measure correctly for most retailers,” insists Jasmin Guénette, of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).
Retail clerks and cashiers are not tax experts, the CFIB has been warning since the beginning of the week.
Examples of savings
$15 for a child’s snowsuit at $299
$12.50 for the purchase of $250 of books
$5 off a $99 car seat
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