Significant GST/HST Changes for the Digital Economy

  • January 17, 2021
  • Paul Casuccio and Devon LaBuik

Overview

On November 30, 2020, the Government released its Fall Economic Statement 2020 titled: Supporting Canadians and Fighting COVID-19. The Statement includes proposals that will impose significant obligations on e-commerce businesses and businesses that import goods into Canada. This includes: (i) non-resident vendors of apps in online marketplaces; (ii) sellers of goods stored in Canadian fulfilment warehouses; and (iii) online rental/accommodation platforms. The rules will generally come into effect on July 1, 2021.

The following elaborates on the new changes and provides an overview of the new GST/HST rules relating to the digital economy: