Many businesses will soon have to consider current changes to the GST/HST to fulfill upcoming tax compliance deadlines such as filing returns, making elections, and remitting indirect taxes though those give taxable profits or pension plans to their employees. Several sections made important changes in 2013 to their HST, PST, or Quebec sales tax (QST) rules, and Canada’s federal government declared changes to some GST/HST pension plan rules. Businesses may want to check some of these indirect tax changes if they:

  • have a registered pension plan for employees;
  • have more than $1 million in financial revenues;
  • give taxable benefits to employees;
  • are financial institutions with activities, employees or members in Quebec;
  • import taxable goods or services into Manitoba, where the rate was raised upto 8% (from 7%) and effective 1 July 2013; or
  • recently use the 5% simplified method for large businesses, employee expense reports and for QST purposes.