Visitor Tax Refund

• If you are not a resident of Canada, you may be eligible for a refund of the tax you paid on your some of your accommodations and purchases in BC.
• In July 2010, BC adopted a new "harmonized" sales tax of 12%. It replaces the old GST and PST. For many businesses, it doesn't make a big difference. For the travel business, however, it makes a difference since many travel services iincluded only the 5% GST. With the new HST, the tax rate is 12% across the board - and even for those from across the board-er.
• For more information about this complicated issue, see the following government document.