Likewise, I don’t claim GST as either an expense or liability on my taxes. I don’t have a tax number and don’t run a business and charge clients GST or HST. Businesses can offset the GST they were charged against GST paid on products and services purchased in conjunction with running their own business. I owe business taxes when I don’t own a business?Ĭanadian businesses must collect taxes on products and services they sell and report to Revenue Canada. We were finally able to vote on abolishing the HST and out it went in 2013. Though the former Liberal government tried to force that down our throats a few years ago without a referendum. Some provinces combine the GST (a federal tax) with their own provincial sales tax and it’s called HST.īritish Columbia is not one of those HST provinces. Those are taxes – goods and services tax or the harmonized sales tax.
This particular number belongs to a department that handles GST and HST debts. For those in the states, this is Canada’s version of the IRS. Would you believe this is a legit number? It belongs to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). Today I was curious because that 1-87 number has shown up twice this week, so I Googled it. The caller didn’t leave voice mail either time. The number that’s called me twice this week is 1-87. Usually, I don’t answer the phone at all unless I recognize the caller or I’m waiting for a callback from a business.
It’s usually a telemarketer, a survey, or a scammer.
Generally speaking, I’m suspicious of calls that come from toll free numbers.
This past week I’ve had two phone calls from a number on my call display showing it’s coming from a toll free number.īoth times I was driving and hit the button on my steering wheel to decline the call.