Parents Reminded of Point-of-Sale Rebates for Back to School Shopping

Back to school season has come again, and parents have begun their yearly shopping ritual to prepare for classes.

Parents, as you prepare your children to go back to school, remember that children's clothing and shoes are no longer charged the provincial portion of the HST. So hit the shops expecting a 10 per cent savings on these items.

As part of government's commitment to making life more affordable for Nova Scotia families, the new point-of-sale tax rebate was introduced on July 1. The rebate eliminates the provincial portion of the HST on certain essential items including:

• children's clothing designed for boys and girls up to Canada Standards size 20 and 16. The rebate does not apply to costumes or sports equipment
• children's footwear for boys and girls up to size six, not including sports footwear such as skates, cleats, specialty boots and diving flippers.

The provincial portion of the HST continues to be rebated at the time of purchase for all books.

The point-of-sale rebate also applies to:

• Diapers, including disposable and cloth diapers, liners and training pants. The rebate does not apply to adult-sized diapers purchased for children, or diapers provided by a diaper service.
• Feminine hygiene products such as tampons, sanitary napkins and menstrual cups, not including douches, sprays, deodorants and feminine wipes.

People are encouraged to visit the Department of Finance website at www.gov.ns.ca/finance/en/home/taxation/hstchanges , for more information on the point-of-sale rebates, and other tax credits.