When does Ontario's HST come into effect?
"It looks like the HST will be in effect in Ontario on July 1st, 2010.   As to whether it will replace GST with HST for all services, it looks like some sectors may get special treatment: Ontario may exempt mutual funds from HST (National Post).  But it doesn't look final yet. However, I would suggest that most service-based businesses in Ontario need to prepare to start charging 13% HST instead of 5% GST.  It will be the law. On the ""goods"" side of the new harmonized tax, it looks like certain goods will still be exempt from the provincial portion.  Here's a quote from the Ontario Budget 2009 News Release: ""Books, diapers, children's clothing   and footwear, children's car seats and   car booster seats, and feminine   hygiene products would be exempt from   the provincial portion of the single   sales tax."" Here's some additional information on the introduction of the HST, from the province: General Transitional Rules for Ontario HST. And finally, another interesting article from the Ottawa Business Journal: Preparing For Ontario Sales Tax Harmonization – It's Not Too Early  UPDATE: I just received an insert from Canada Revenue Agency included with my quarterly GST statement.  Titled ""Harmonization of the Sales Tax in Ontario and British Columbia"", it contains a section titled ""What this means for you"" (as in, you the business owner).  Here's an excerpt: [...] All Ontario and B.C. registrants would need to update their accounting   and point-of-sale systems to   accomodate the change in rate and new   point-of-sale rebates for the   implementation date of July 1, 2010. The harmonization of the sales tax in Ontario and B.C. may affect the   filing requirements of registrants   outside of these two provinces. Registrants will report their HST according to their current GST filing   frequency. As a result of the harmonization, there will be changes to the rebates   for housing and public service bodies. More information will be released as   it becomes available. Visit the CRA   web site often, at   www.cra.gc.ca/harmonization, for   the most up-to-date information on the   harmonization of the sales tax and how   it may affect you. [...] Last, I found some very detailed information on the HST here: NOTICE247 - Harmonized Sales Tax for Ontario and British Columbia - Questions and Answers on General Transitional Rules for Personal Property and Services.  Chances are anything you want to know is in there." In general you must charge HST on and after July 1, 2010. However, in the case of delivered sales, you must charge HST if the transfer of goods will happen on or after July 1,2010. Example:  A person comes into my hypothetical store on June 29, 2010 and buys a couch.  They opt to have it delivered by my truck on July 2, 2010.  I should charge HST on this purchase, not GST/PST. References: (community wiki) Ontario special HST sales tax transition rebate cheques: When and how much? What will happen to quarterly GST cheques when HST starts in Ontario? Ontario HST rebate: When would I qualify? Ontario gas prices & HST: What will happen to prices at the pump on July 1, 2010? How will Ontario’s HST apply to books / textbooks, which were PST exempt before? How can I minimize the impact of the HST? How does the HST affect a condominium purchase? Will I need to pay HST on condo maintenance fees? My Ontario small business collects only PST (beneath GST threshold). How will HST affect me?
"Mutual funds generally make distributions once a year in December with the exact date (and the estimated amount) usually being made public in late October or November. Generally, the estimated amounts can get updated as time goes on, but the date does not change. Some funds (money market, bond funds, GNMA funds etc) distribute dividends on the last business day of each month, and the amounts are rarely made available beforehand. Capital gains are usually distributed once a year as per the general statement above. Some funds (e.g. S&P 500 index funds) distribute dividends towards the end of each quarter or on the last business day of the quarter, and capital gains once a year as per the general statement above. Some funds make semi-annual distributions but not necessarily at six-month intervals. Vanguard's Health Care Fund has distributed dividends and capital gains in March and December for as long as I have held it. VDIGX claims to make semi-annual distributions but made distributions three times in 2014 (March, June, December) and has made/will make two distributions this year already (March is done, June is pending -- the fund has gone ex-dividend with  re-investment today and payment on 22nd). You can, as Chris Rea suggests, call the fund company directly, but in my experience, they are reluctant to divulge the date of the distribution (""The fund manager has not made the date public as yet"") let alone an estimated amount. Even getting a ""Yes, the fund intends to make a distribution later this month"" was difficult to get from my ""Personal Representative"" in early March, and he had to put me on hold to talk to someone at the fund before he was willing to say so." Yes. You must register for GST as well, if you will be making over the threshold (currently $60,000). That's probably a bonus for you, as your home office expenses will mostly include GST, but your income will most likely be zero-rated. Check with an accountant or with the IRD directly. Just be certain to put aside enough money from each payment to cover income tax, GST and ACC. You will get a very large bill in your second year of business. You actually don't need an accountant. They'll be expensive and at this early a stage unnecessary - what you need is a good bookkeeper who can keep track of what comes in and what goes out. You'll need that to know if you're making money or not and to show the government at the end of the year. Get a copy of QuickBooks and pick up Bookkeeping for Dummies to at least get a sense for what's going on.  Have you registered as a sole proprietorship? Make sure you have a vendor's permit so you can legally sell your services in Ontario. You may need to collect HST, in which case you'll need to register for an HST # and submit it on a quarterly basis.   Whatever you do, don't fuck with the government - they can freeze your bank accounts to get money they're owed. You need to keep money on hand to pay for any taxes you might owe on the business, ESPECIALLY if it's a sole proprietorship where you'll be tempted to treat profit as income. You don't want to end up with nothing in the bank at the end of the year and $40k owing to the CRA.  Get a separate bank account - don't mix personal and business, it's messy.  Expense everything you reasonably can. I'm a bot, *bleep*, *bloop*. Someone has linked to this thread from another place on reddit:  - [/r/talkbusiness] [Starting a restaurant in Toronto (Canada)](https://np.reddit.com/r/talkbusiness/comments/789f5l/starting_a_restaurant_in_toronto_canada/)  [](#footer)*^(If you follow any of the above links, please respect the rules of reddit and don't vote in the other threads.) ^\([Info](/r/TotesMessenger) ^/ ^[Contact](/message/compose?to=/r/TotesMessenger))*  [](#bot) The Canada Revenue Agency describes in detail here what information businesses must generally include on their invoices so that GST/HST registrants can claim Input Tax Credits (ITCs) for the expenses. Quote: Sales invoices for GST/HST registrants You have to give customers who are GST/HST registrants specific   information on the invoices, receipts, contracts, or other business   papers that you use when you provide taxable goods and services. This   information lets them support their claims for input tax credits   (ITCs) or rebates for the GST/HST you charged. [...] The page quoted continues with a table describing what, specifically, needs to be on a sales invoice based on the total amount of the invoice; the requirements differ for: total sale under $30, total sale between $30 to $149.99, and total sale $150 or more. For the total sale under $30 category, the only things a sales invoice must contain to support an ITC claim are (1) the provider's business name, (2) the invoice date, and (3) the total amount paid/payable. i.e. When the total sale is under $30, there is no requirement for any GST/HST amount to be indicated separately, nor for a business number to be present on the invoice. Hence, IMHO (and I am neither an accountant nor a lawyer), if your Uber rides are for $30 or less, then you shouldn't expect a GST/HST number anyway, and a simple invoice as described should be enough for you to claim your ITCs. Whether or not the provider is registered in fact for GST/HST is beside the point. For amounts over $30, you need a bit more. While the page above specifies that the provider's business number should be included beginning with the next level of total sales,  there are exceptions to those rules described at another page mentioned, Exceptions to invoice requirements, that specifically apply to the taxi/limousine case. Quote: Exceptions to invoice requirements GST/HST registrants are required to keep the necessary documentation   to support their claim for ITCs and rebates. In certain circumstances   the documentation requirements have been reduced. [...] For taxi or limousine fares your books and records must show: So at a minimum, for fare in excess of $30 total, you should ask the driver to note either (a) the amount of GST/HST charged, or (b) a statement that the fare includes GST/HST. The driver's business number need not be specified. Consequently, if your receipt for a ride in excess of $30 does not contain any such additional information with respect to GST/HST, then I would expect the receipt does not satisfy the CRA's requirements for supporting your ITC claim. i.e. Keep your individual rides under $30 each, or else get a better receipt from the driver when it is above that amount. p.s. It should go without saying, but your rides, of course, must be considered reasonable business expenses in order to qualify for GST/HST ITCs for your business. Receipts for rides of a personal nature are not eligible, so be sure to maintain proper records as to the business purpose and destination for each ride receipt so claimed. I looked at this a little more closely but the answer Victor provided is essentially correct.  The key to look at in the google finance graph is the red labled SMA(###d) would indicate the period units are d=days.  If you change the time axis of the graph it will shift to SMA(###m) for period in minutes or SMA(###w) for period in weeks.  Hope this clears things up! Multistate Impact of the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012  In general, states with rolling conformity will follow this change. States with specific date conformity will continue  to follow the date of conformity currently in effect and will not follow the change. A few states may have their own  QSBS rules and will not conform to or be impacted by this provision of the Act. The chart that follows summarizes  these principles as applied to the enumerated states:  STATE: QSBS Exclusion Conformity:  California statutes refer to the IRC QSBS provisions but modify and limit their  applicability, and would not be impacted by this provision of the Act. However, California’s provisions were ruled unconstitutional in recent litigation and the California Franchise Tax Board has recently taken the position that gain exclusions  and deferrals will be denied for all open tax years. Florida Florida does not impose an income tax on individuals and therefore this provision of  the Act is inapplicable and will have no impact.  Illinois Due to its rolling conformity, Illinois follows this provision of the Act.  Because New York effectively provides for rolling conformity to the IRC, through  reference to federal adjusted gross income as the state starting point, New York  effectively follows this provision of the Act.  Texas does not impose an income tax on individuals "FWIW, I've got a printed Amazon.ca invoice that was included in a shipment of books that I received in July, 2013. In the right-side side panel, at the bottom and in fine print, it reads:  Amazon.com.ca, Inc.   410 Terry Avenue   North Seattle, WA 98109-5210   GST Registration Number/No enregistrement TPS 85730 5932 RT0001   [etc.] If I view the same order online at Amazon.ca, the on-screen version does not have that detail.  Interestingly, at the bottom of the online invoice page it says: ""Please note: This is not a VAT invoice."" That probably should've said ""GST/HST"", for Canada, and not ""VAT"", which is presumably for the United Kingdom.  So, it would appear that Amazon may only print their GST/HST details on the shipped invoice printout. Which made me wonder: Did you purchase something that was fulfilled electronically, i.e. no physical shipment to you? e.g. a Kindle book, an app, or a service like Cloud Drive? If no physical invoice shipped means one doesn't get the required GST details, then there's still a Canadian tax requirement Amazon isn't fulfilling on such invoices, though not as broad an issue as you suspected. On the other hand, if you did get a physical invoice [and your comment confirmed you did], then what you were seeking was most likely printed on that version, just as mine was. At the moment, I'm not sure why Amazon wouldn't also include the GST number on electronic versions of invoices (whether received by email, or viewed on the web site) but if I find out more, I'll update my answer later." In Ontario, common law marriage requires 3 years of cohabitation, and doesn't give rights to property (which remains separate). I'd say in your situation you can still file as single, but I'd suggest asking your tax accountant to be sure. "This is the best tl;dr I could make, [original](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-25/with-economy-almost-home-poloz-treads-carefully-on-rate-path) reduced by 88%. (I'm a bot) ***** &gt; The Canadian economy is almost home, according to the nation&amp;#039;s central bank, but Stephen Poloz is trying to make sure the roof doesn&amp;#039;t cave in.  &gt; The economy is in a &amp;quot;Sweet spot&amp;quot; where it &amp;quot;Could be capable of generating more non-inflationary growth than we are assuming,&amp;quot; Poloz said in a press conference following the rate decision.  &gt; Excess capacity in the labor market suggests little risk of inflation overheating in the near term, said Poloz, who highlighted involuntary part-time workers, subdued work force participation among youths, lower than expected hours worked and softness in wage growth as signs the economy has further room for improvement.   ***** [**Extended Summary**](http://np.reddit.com/r/autotldr/comments/78t6fn/with_economy_almost_home_poloz_is_treading/) | [FAQ](http://np.reddit.com/r/autotldr/comments/31b9fm/faq_autotldr_bot/ ""Version 1.65, ~235204 tl;drs so far."") | [Feedback](http://np.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%23autotldr ""PM's and comments are monitored, constructive feedback is welcome."") | *Top* *keywords*: **growth**^#1 **bank**^#2 **rate**^#3 **economy**^#4 **expects**^#5" It has basically been kicked out of every Canadian city for being illegal while the cities make new regulations for them. Now they have the new regulations and it's pretty decent.  They were definitely illegal though (injunctions issued and everything), but now operate within the laws. This site has the best information I could find, other than a Bloomberg terminal:    Quantumonline.com QUANTUMONLINE.COM SECURITY DESCRIPTION:  SCANA Corp., 2009 Series A, 7.70% Enhanced Junior Subordinated Notes, issued in $25 denominations, redeemable at the issuer's option on or after 1/30/2015 at $25 per share plus accrued and unpaid interest, and maturing 1/30/2065 which may be extended to 1/30/2080. Interest distributions of 7.70% ($1.925) per annum are paid quarterly on 1/30, 4/30, 7/30 & 10/30 to holders of record on the record date which is the business day prior to the payment date (NOTE: the ex-dividend date is at least 2 business days prior to the record date). Distributions paid by these debt securities are interest and as such are NOT eligible for the preferential 15% to 20% tax rate on dividends and are also NOT eligible for the dividend received deduction for corporate holders. Units are expected to trade flat, which means accrued interest will be reflected in the trading price and the purchasers will not pay and the sellers will not receive any accrued and unpaid interest. The Notes are unsecured and subordinated obligations of the company and will rank equally with all existing and future unsecured and subordinated indebtedness of the company. See the IPO prospectus for further information on the debt securities by clicking on the ‘Link to IPO Prospectus’ provided below. I suspect that the payments were originally due near the end of each quarter (March 15, June 15, September 15, and December 15) but then the December payment was extended to January 15 to allow for end-of-year totals to be calculated, and then the March payment was extended to April 15 to coincide with Income Tax Return filing. "Amazon has some major issues with growing out in Seattle, primarily infrastructure and geography. Seattle's infrastructure is stretched, leading to some hilarious activity - ""http://kuow.org/post/seattle-traffic-got-so-bad-guy-started-flying-work"". Also, Seattle is locked between the sea and the mountains, and with a limited supply of land, there isn't anywhere to build economically. NO ROOM TO GROW.  Ontario has a few good things going for it: Healthcare, Immigration, Low corporate taxes, Education...   But there are also some elephants.   Ontario has some of the highest land costs in the world, longest commute times on the planet, and a government which will inevitably need to raise taxes.  If I had to bet, we'll probably see Amazon set up shop in a City with low land costs, ring roads, and a low debt government. A place with room to grow.   Raleigh/Durham Dallas-Fort Worth Denver Minneapolis Salt Lake City Cincinnati" In a word, yes. You can buy very low cost index ETFs, like VTI, VEA, BND, FBND and rebalance in proportion to your age and risk tolerance. Minimal management and low cost.