ST. JOHN’S, NL – Newfoundland and Labrador's controversial tax on books is officially no more.
The tax, introduced in 2015 by then finance minister Cathy Bennett to much public scorn, was removed as of Jan. 1.
Finance Minister Tom Osborne announced last August notice would be given to the federal government to remove the 10 per cent provincial portion of the HST on book sales. A resolution in the House of Assembly in December confirmed the change.
RELATED: N.L. government to kill the book tax
The federal government administers the tax for the province under the Comprehensive Integrated Tax Co-ordination Agreement (CITCA).
“As we continue our balanced approach to fiscal management, we will continue to look for opportunities to lessen the tax burden in Newfoundland and Labrador,” Osborne said in a news release on Tuesday, Jan. 2.