Federal government’s two-month GST holiday begins

A two-month break from the federal GST takes effect today.

The federal government announced the plan to temporarily waive the five per cent goods and services tax in a bid to help ease affordability concerns during the holiday season.

Provinces with a harmonized provincial and federal sales tax will see the full HST waived.

The tax break is set to run until Feb. 15, 2025.

It applies to dozens of items including restaurant meals, children’s clothing, wine and beer, children’s toys and Christmas trees.

A more in-depth list of items can be found on the Government of Canada website.

However, product categories eligible for GST relief have plenty of exemptions, with items like food and drinks from vending machines, magazines, clothing for sports activities, and some collectibles and toys not making the cut.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 14, 2024.