GST Holiday to Begin Saturday as Senate Passes Bill

A customer shops at a grocery store in Sharon, Ontario, on Nov. 21, 2024. A government bill aimed at waiving GST/HST on essential goods such as groceries, children's clothing, Christmas trees, and restaurant meals between Dec. 14, 2024, and Feb. 15, 2025, passed the Senate on Thursday. The Canadian Press/Chris Young

The federal government’s GST break will be in effect starting on Dec. 14 as the bill cleared the Senate on Dec. 12 and received royal assent to become law.

The tax break, running until Feb. 15, 2025, exempts a wide range of everyday essentials from the 5 percent goods and services tax, such as dining out, groceries, holiday items, books, and a variety of children’s products.