Americans are reminded that they could be eligible for a rebate of up to 50% of the Canadian GST/HST paid on eligible tour packages to non-resident/tourists visiting Canada for the 2010 Olympic Games. This rebate is also available to non-resident businesses or organizations that buy eligible tour packages for the use of non-resident employees or clients. In addition, this rebate is available to non-resident non-registered tour operators that buy, and then resell, eligible tour packages.
Americans and other non-residents that are not registered and that are not tour operators, for example, businesses or organizations, can claim a rebate of up to 50% of the GST/HST paid on an eligible tour package if all the conditions listed below are met (unless the registrant supplier has already paid or credited the rebate amount to the tour operator).
• The non-resident is not purchasing the eligible tour package for resale in the ordinary course of a business of selling tour packages.
• The accommodation included in the eligible tour package is made available to a non-resident individual.
• The person claiming the rebate is a non-resident of Canada at the time the rebate claim is filed.
• The non-resident submits the rebate claim to the CRA within one year after the last day any GST/HST included in the claim became payable. Generally, the day the tax becomes payable is the day the amount is paid or the date of the invoice, whichever comes first.
• The non-resident includes all required supporting documents with its rebate claim.
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Non-residents can receive a rebate for eligible tour packages by:
• filing a rebate claim with the CRA; or
• being paid or credited the rebate amount by a registrant supplier, such as a Canadian tour operator, at the point of sale if certain conditions are met.
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If the registrant supplier does not pay or credit the rebate amount at the point of sale, the non-resident can file form GST115, GST/HST Rebate Application for Tour Packages with the Canada Revenue Agency.
This form is found at http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pbg/gf/gst176/gst176-07e.pdf. Non-residents must file the rebate claim within one year after the last day on which any tax included in the claim became payable, and must include the required supporting documents to prove that they qualify for the rebate.
Edward Palonek from FoundMoney.com says, “these refunds could amount to hundreds of dollars for each tourist to the Olympics. If Americans do not send in a claim form, it will amount to quite a bit on money that will simply become unclaimed cash”.
Mr. Palonek, is the founder of Foundmoney.com, a company that helps reunite people with their lost or forgotten money. Found Money was started in 1994 and specializes in unclaimed money and has reunited thousands of people with their lost and forgotten money.
Upon returning home from the Olympics, “Many folks could use some extra cash to pay of those credit card bills, so why leave that extra unclaimed cash behind” says Palonek.
To search for your name visit foundmoney.com’s website and you could find that unexpected gift full of cash.
Contact
Foundmoney at www.foundmoney.com
Edward Palonek at www.edwardpalonek.org
