Like it or not HST is going to increase the sales tax on many goods and services in Ontario. While the ongoing HST debate is often centered on the addition of taxes, the increase is just part of the HST landscape.

The Ontario Ministry of Revenue has claimed that 83% of consumer purchases will not receive an increase in sales tax. That means there will not be a tax increase on most purchases made in Ontario.

PST or provincial sales tax is a sales tax that is active in almost all Canadian provinces. The only provinces in Canada that do not have PST are Alberta, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland.

Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland have already replaced their PST with a harmonized sales tax. A similar HST is coming to Ontario and British Columbia in July 2010.