Goods and Services Tax rebates for visitors to Canada

IMPORTANT NOTICE

VISITOR REBATE
PROGRAM CANCELLATION

We regretfully announce the Government of Canada decision to
cancel the Visitor Rebate Program as of April 1, 2007.

Given this decision, only receipts dated prior to April 1, 2007 are
eligible for rebate. All existing requirements for receipt eligibility
are still in effect.

The Blue Water Bridge Duty Free Shop and other members of
the Canadian tourism industry strongly believe that a tax rebate
program is an important component in attracting visitors to Canada.
We have requested the Canadian Government to reverse its
decision and re-establish the tax rebate program.

We urge all those in support of this initiative to petition
the Canadian Minister of Finance.
Contact information is supplied below.

Hon. James Flaherty
Minister of FInance
Department of Finance Canada
140 O'Connor Street
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada K1A 0G5
click here to send an email

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience.

Most goods and services purchased in Canada are subject to a Goods and Services Tax (GST) or a harmonized sales tax (HST). The GST, at 7%, is charged on goods and services throughout Canada except in the provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland. In these provinces, an HST at 15% is charged. In the province of Quebec, GST is referred to as the taxe sur les produits et services (TPS).

As a non-resident visitor to Canada, you have the privilege of re-claiming the GST/HST that you have paid on eligible goods and accommodation.

You qualify for a tax refund if:

You are not a resident of Canada;

You purchased eligible goods, accommodation or both;

You paid GST/HST on these purchases;

You have original receipts (original receipts for purchases of goods have to be validated within 60 days of their purchase);

Each individual receipt for eligible goods shows a minimum purchase amount (before taxes) of CAN$50.00

Your purchase amounts (before taxes) total at least CAN$200 for eligible goods and accommodation.

You can receive a refund for GST and HST paid on eligible goods purchased in Canada that are being exported out of Canada. Goods which are purchased in Canada but left in Canada are not eligible for a refund. Original purchase receipts must be validated by staff at participating duty-free shops or by Canadian customs officials within 60 days of the purchase date. Please be aware that during the validation process you may be asked to present the goods corresponding to your receipts, in order to ensure that the items are being removed from Canada.

You can claim for taxes paid on accommodation within Canada, provided:

the accommodations were provided on a continuous basis for less than 1 month in a lodging establishment

each receipt shows the number of nights of accommodation provided for each unit in a lodging establishment.

You can only claim for the taxes paid on the ‘lodging’ portion of the accommodation. Other tax charges on items such as room service, parking, recreational services and telephone are non-refundable. Since travel/tour packages usually include lodging and other services combined into one all-inclusive price, you can claim one-half of the full amount of each different tax paid for the tour package (provided that you have not already been credited the tax refund).

if tax was paid on the goods

if the goods were bought to be used outside of Canada

if the goods are removed from Canada within 60 days of purchase

Non-Refundable

Meals and beverages

Wine, liquor, beer, or other alcoholic beverages

Tobacco products

Automotive fuels

Transportation (i.e. tickets, car rentals)

Services (i.e. auto repairs, parking, entertainment)

Rentals of travel trailers and other recreational vehicles

Cruise ship cabins or train berths

Purchases of an interest in a time-share arrangement

Goods consumed or left in Canada

Where can I get my refund?

The Blue Water Bridge Tax and Duty-Free Shop is a participating entity in the Visitor Rebate Program of Revenue Canada. We would be happy to inspect your goods and accommodations receipts to see if they qualify you for the rebate program. If you meet the requirements above, our staff will process your refund quickly and efficiently. There is no charge for processing your claim.