BROSSARD, QC, Nov. 24,
2024 /CNW/ - The past few years have been
challenging. It feels like the price of everything has gone up. And
while inflation is back to the two percent target and interest
rates have been cut four times this year, we know that Canadians
aren't feeling that yet in their household budgets.
Our government can't set prices at the checkout, but we can give
Canadians more money in their pockets—to help them afford the
things they need and save for the things they want.
Today in Brossard, the
Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate
Change, along with Alexandra Mendès, Member of Parliament for
Brossard–Saint-Lambert, met with children's retailers and
families to share the Government's work to put more money in your
pocket.
As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
announced on November 21, starting on
December 14, we're giving a tax break
to all Canadians. With a GST/HST exemption across the country,
Canadians will be able to buy essentials like groceries, snacks,
children's clothing, and gifts—all tax-free.
This new tax break will apply to:
- Children's clothing and footwear, car seats, and diapers
- Children's toys, such as board games, dolls, and video game
consoles
- Prepared foods, including vegetable trays, pre-made meals and
salads, and sandwiches
- Restaurant meals, whether dine-in, takeout, or delivery
- Snacks, including chips, candy, and granola bars
- Beer, wine, cider, and pre-mixed alcoholic beverages below
seven percent ABV
- Books, print newspapers, and puzzles for all ages
- Christmas trees
This tax break is projected to last until February 15, 2025. This will deliver meaningful
savings for Canadians by essentially making all food GST/HST free,
providing real relief at the cash register.
Working Canadians will also get some cash back. We're doing this
by providing a new Working Canadians Rebate. That means Canadians
who worked in 2023 with net earnings up to $150,000 will see a $250 cheque in their bank account or mailbox,
starting early spring. With the Working Canadians Rebate, we are
putting money directly into the pockets of the middle-class—those
who have worked so hard to beat inflation. This will give 18.7
million Canadians that extra help to buy what they need.
We encourage Parliament and all parties to get this legislation
passed quickly and unanimously, so workers and working families get
more money in their pockets. Families will be spending quality time
together over the coming weeks. Some will light Christmas trees for
Santa to put gifts underneath. Some will share meals with family
and friends. Some might just make hot chocolate, order some
take-out, and stay in for a movie night. With these announcements,
we're making the holidays easier and helping Canadians start the
new year with a little more in their pockets.
Quotes
"The holiday season is when expenses are highest for many
Canadians and their families—even with inflation back down to two
percent and interest rates being cut four times this year. With
next tax relief on groceries and holiday essentials, plus a
$250 rebate for working Canadians, we
are reducing costs when they are highest for Canadians. This means
you can focus more on celebrating with family and friends and start
the new year off with a little extra money in your bank
account."
– The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of
Environment and Climate Change
Quick facts
- The GST/HST would be fully relieved on the supply or
importation of qualifying goods for a period beginning on
December 14, 2024, and ending on
February 15, 2025. Further details on
the qualifying goods are available here.
- A family spending $2,000 on
qualifying goods, such as children's clothing and shoes, toys,
diapers, books, snacks for the house, or restaurant meals would pay
$100 less GST over the two-month
period.
- Canadians who have claimed tax credits for Canada Pension
Plan/Quebec Pension Plan contributions or for Employment Insurance
(EI) or Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP) premiums, and those
who reported income from EI or QPIP benefits with individual net
income below $150,000 in 2023, would
be eligible for the Working Canadians Rebate. Eligible Canadians
would begin receiving the payments starting in spring 2025. More
information on the rebate is available here.
- The government is focused on making life more affordable for
Canadians, with actions that are already saving families and
individuals thousands of dollars a year, including:
- A new National School Food Program, with $1 billion over five years to provide meals for
up to 400,000 more kids each year, ensuring all children have the
food they need to have the best start in life, regardless of their
family circumstances. The Program is expected to save the average
participating family with two children $800 per year in grocery costs, with lower-income
families benefitting the most.
- More money through the Canada Child Benefit to help with the
costs of raising children and make a real difference in the lives
of children in Canada. The Canada
Child Benefit, which is providing up to nearly $8,000 per child in 2024–2025, is indexed
annually to keep up with the cost of living and has helped lift
hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty since its launch
in 2016.
- Saving families up to $14,300 per
child, per year, with the Canada-wide $10-a-day child care system, which has already
cut fees for regulated child care to an average of $10-a-day or less in over half of all provinces
and territories and by 50 percent or more in all others.
- Saving families about $730 per
year with the Canadian Dental Care Plan, which is already available
for children under 18 with family incomes under $90,000, because no one should have to choose
between taking care of their kids' teeth and putting food on the
table.
Related products
- Backgrounder: A Tax Break for All Canadians
- Backgrounder: The Working Canadians Rebate
Associated links
- News Release: More Money in Your Pocket—A Tax Break for All
Canadians and the Working Canadians Rebate
Environment and Climate Change Canada's X page
Environment and Climate Change Canada's Facebook page
Environment and Natural Resources in Canada's Facebook page
Environment and Climate Change Canada's LinkedIn page
Environment and Climate Change Canada's Instagram page
SOURCE Environment and Climate Change Canada
