HAC News & Events

Today, the Hotel Association of Canada (HAC), joined by the Ottawa Gatineau Hotel Association (OGHA) and the Association hôtellerie Québec (AHQ), is launching its election platform and website VoteFairRules.ca, calling on all federal parties and candidates to modernize Canada’s outdated tax laws and regulations for digital platforms like Airbnb. Commercial short-term rental operators who use digital platforms like Airbnb continue to gro….

End the Tax Holiday for Airbnb: Op-Ed HAC is working on your behalf to get a number of federal institutions – including the Auditor General – to call on the Federal Government for action on the fair taxation of Airbnb and similar platforms. Most recently, HAC consulted tax expert Bob Plamondon and had an Op-Ed published in the well-read Policy Options Magazine, which targets senior officials in Ottawa.  The artic….

Today marks Canada’s Tax Freedom Day, four days later than in 2018. While Canadians have an increased tax burden, foreign digital platforms – like Airbnb – operating in Canada still do not contribute to the Canadian economy.    According to the Fraser Institute, Tax Freedom Day measures the total yearly tax burden imposed on Canadians by all three levels of government. It references the number of days….

Yesterday evening, the City of Kelowna defeated a motion to allow short-term rentals in secondary suites and carriage homes. This decision marks a final legislative step to license and regulate short-term accommodations like Airbnb in the city. Under the new rules, anyone operating a short-term rental must apply for and be issued a business licence by July 1, 2019. Short-term rentals are also limited to principal residences only for perio….

Today, the Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie, the Honourable Mélanie Joly, announced the Creating Middle Class Jobs: A Federal Tourism Growth Strategy. This highly-anticipated strategy will grow tourism, enhance Canada’s competitiveness, and empower communities from coast to coast to coast. The Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) applauds the Minister for the creation of this forward-l….

Auditor General Report: Taxation of E-Commerce The Auditor General of Canada released the 2019 Spring Reports last week, including a report on Taxation of E-Commerce. According to the report, the Canadian sales tax system did not keep pace with the rapidly evolving digital marketplace, with estimated losses of $169 million in sales tax revenues on foreign digital products and services. HAC has known for a long time….