With the upcoming harmonized sales tax referendum, the issue of taxes is a hot topic around the water cooler. While I am a huge fan of water cooler talk, I have avoided this topic like the plague.
I have never been very good at wrapping my head around taxes. It can be argued our tax system is complicated, as most tax systems are, but one ought to know the very basics.
I will admit I barely knew the basics.
When the HST was introduced in 2010, I didn't think much of it. So the former GST and PST were rolled into one. No big deal. I've lived most of my life with the train of thought that yes, I pay taxes, and in return I get to live in a beautiful and clean area of the world, have easy access to health care, and normally get a few hundred dollars back on my tax return every year. I do not have kids, don't own a business or property, so any tax change probably wouldn't affect me.
I never thought twice about the tax on my grocery bill or what kind of tax was applied when dining out and, I'm now ashamed to admit, didn't really care.
Then I moved to the Sunshine Coast and my way of thinking changed dramatically.
The purchase of a car meant putting gas in the tank. While filling up at the pump one day, I looked at my total. Rather than my regular routine of giving little to no attention while paying for something, I was flabbergasted by the amount it cost to fill my tank, staring at the numbers on the pump as if they had somehow victimized me.
Travelling on the ferry was another financial eye opener. The first time I paid to travel with a vehicle, my jaw nearly dropped when I gave the attendant three $20 bills and received a few measly coins back in change.
Staring at my empty wallet, I thought, where is my money going?
For the first time in my life, I started to question my purchases, how items are priced, and why certain things are taxed while others are not. Do items like gas and ferry tickets have tax? What about car insurance? Does the HST help or hinder goods and services and how much of an impact would it have on me?
I had absolutely no idea.
For someone who follows government news regularly, I was ashamed of my ignorance of the HST, especially with the issues' prominence in the media.
With the government announcing a referendum, which many people are referring to as an historical event, I realized it was time to get informed. After all, it was only a while ago I wrote a column urging people to make an informed vote in the federal election. I figured I had better take my own advice.
I started by reading the referendum voters' guide recently mailed out across the province. From there, I checked out numerous websites with information on both sides of the issue. I also got to cover former premier Bill Vander Zalm's visit to Sechelt and hear him discuss why he is against the HST. I may not agree with Vander Zalm on most issues, but he made some good points that evening, which got me researching more.
The HST in B.C website was extremely informative and gave me most of the information I needed to form my decision. Dare I say I even found the information interesting and not the boring, complicated tax talk I anticipated.
While I am no expert on all aspects of the HST, I am happy to say I am informed and have a better handle on what is (and isn't) taxed. I learned the HST does affect me, and my referendum vote will make a difference. Not only will I now engage in HST related chat, I will share my knowledge and feel good about it.
Maybe one day I'll be able to say I feel good about fuel prices and ferry fares, too.
