British Columbia sales tax referendum, 2011
Encyclopedia
A postal referendum on sales tax
was held in British Columbia
from June 13 to August 5, 2011, though Canada Post
workers were locked out until June 27. Voters were asked whether the Harmonized Sales Tax
should be retained or split back to the original Provincial Sales Tax (PST) and Goods & Services Tax
(GST). If the majority of voters vote "Yes" to extinguish the HST, 7% PST would be reinstated and the combined tax rate would remain at 12%. If the majority of voters vote "No", the BC government would reduce the HST rate to 11% in 2012 and 10% in 2014.
The yes side passed with 54.73%.
Sales tax
A sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....
was held in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
from June 13 to August 5, 2011, though Canada Post
Canada Post
Canada Post Corporation, known more simply as Canada Post , is the Canadian crown corporation which functions as the country's primary postal operator...
workers were locked out until June 27. Voters were asked whether the Harmonized Sales Tax
Harmonized Sales Tax
The Harmonized Sales Tax is the name used in Canada to describe the combination of the federal Goods and Services Tax and the regional Provincial Sales Tax into a single value added sales tax in five of the ten Canadian provinces: Ontario, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, British...
should be retained or split back to the original Provincial Sales Tax (PST) and Goods & Services Tax
Goods and Services Tax (Canada)
The Goods and Services Tax is a multi-level value added tax introduced in Canada on January 1, 1991, by then Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and his finance minister Michael Wilson. The GST replaced a hidden 13.5% Manufacturers' Sales Tax ; Mulroney claimed the GST was implemented because the MST...
(GST). If the majority of voters vote "Yes" to extinguish the HST, 7% PST would be reinstated and the combined tax rate would remain at 12%. If the majority of voters vote "No", the BC government would reduce the HST rate to 11% in 2012 and 10% in 2014.
The yes side passed with 54.73%.
Question
Results
| British Columbia sales tax referendum, 2011 British Columbia sales tax referendum, 2011 A postal referendum on sales tax was held in British Columbia from June 13 to August 5, 2011, though Canada Post workers were locked out until June 27. Voters were asked whether the Harmonized Sales Tax should be retained or split back to the original Provincial Sales Tax and Goods & Services Tax... |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Side | Votes | % | |
| Yes | 881,198 | 54.73% | |
| No | 728,927 | 45.27% | |