Proposed Changes to PST on Yarn and Fibre
You may have heard about the BC 2026 Budget proposal to start including PST on yarn and fibre, and other slow clothing/mending items that up to now have progressively been considered an ‘essential service’ in our beautiful province. This would add an extra 7% on most of your purchases at our store, as well a breadth of other local business goods and services such as bookkeeping, clothing repairs, etc that would impact spending considerably.
The proposed change is going to the Legislature beginning April 17th, so there is still time to make your voice heard.
2026 Budget Proposal in full, or excerpt:
- Expanding B.C.’s PST tax base to include professional services such as accounting and bookkeeping, architectural, geoscientist and engineering services, commercial real estate fees and security and private investigation services.
- This change generally aligns B.C. with how other provinces apply sales taxes to these services.
- Removing PST exemptions for some goods and services that were once deemed essential but are not as commonly used anymore, such as clothing repair materials, services related to clothing and footwear, basic cable television and land-line telephone services.
- Expanding the tax to these services is generally consistent with how tax applies to these services in most provinces.
In fact, there are various discussions being had about what the impacts of this will be on the fibre arts industry. It felt quite progressive that our province was one of the few that considered fibre arts, slow fashion and mending as an essential service; and whether or not you even realized that PST wasn’t being charged due to its special status as essential, this change will impact slow fashion be it directly on spending habits or indirectly by diminishing the status of clothing we keep out of the landfills.
I’ll share more as we go, including ways you could share this information if it is important to you; but for now I urge you to consider this:
How would this impact you? Do you believe you have a hand in our democratic process? Let’s discuss.
Many thanks for keeping us in the loop!
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this link will help you find your MLA in Vancouver constituencies
thanks for this, Paula. i had no idea!
i have written an email to my MLA.
Margit
Adding PST is punishing and cruel. With the added PST, I would most likely buy less yarns and materials. This means small businesses will most likely suffer. Also, it doesn’t make sense to add tax onto unfinished materials. If one tries to sell their finished product, then not only do they have to include the 7% PST for the materials, they will also have to add another 7% PST onto the finished item, so that is 14% added plus the GST (x2) or 10% (materials plus finished product). So the tax ends up 24% to the seller and no one will buy the handmade item. It is also a toxic route: cheaper to buy cheap stuff (that ultimately ends up in the dumpster much faster than usual) and the only group that will win are the big boxed companies that don’t care. Seniors that rely on their pensions and love to spend their time crafting will do less and end up rotting on their chairs watching TV as they can no longer afford materials that uses both mental and physical capacities to create art. It is being taxed to death in a literal sense. The rural areas will also suffer greatly as they depend on support from materials and repairs as they are so isolated from the urban areas.
You are preaching to the choir!! Please reach out to your local MLA with this messaging!!
Please exempt PST proposed tax on YARN use. There are few things an elderly can do and that is to knit for family that would otherwise be very expensive. There are few interest past time for a senior but to knit. By addiing a whooping 7% on an elderly with a set income is most inconsiderate to seniors proof there is a small demongrahic to concern about, as there are few knitting stores which means there are not many knitters to make a difference to generate income for taxes. Govrrnment should exempt the 7% on yarn for seniors, or on all yarn sold.
Absolutely! You need to take this messaging to your MLA to have your voice heard!!
Please add your name to this Petition to sign at this link : https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-pst-on-yarn-fabric-and-crafting-supplies-in-bc
Please share with your friends, family & fellow crafters! 😊🧶