#stoptaxingmytherapy
When the Province of Ontario decided to start collecting HST, I was one of the people who wrote a letter to the government, complaining that it was making therapy less accessible by taxing it even more. That was over 10 years ago. This is not only in Ontario. This is across Canada.
Since then the province has set up a College of Registered Psychotherapists, that we are required to join in order to practice. This, unfortunately hasn’t stopped them taxing us, while not taxing Psychiatrists, Medical Doctors, Social Workers, Psychologists, and several others that are allowed to provide this service. Not only does this increase the cost of therapy, it also increases the costs for bookkeeping and accounting, usually quarterly.
Registered Psychotherapists are the only registered professionals who provide this service that have to charge and remit GST/HST to the government, so part of the cost that you pay for your psychotherapy is GST/HST. We don’t think that’s fair.
GST/HST-removal campaign: #stoptaxingmytherapy
Initiated by the Ontario Society of Registered Psychotherapists (OSRP), in collaboration with members and external RPs, the GST/HST Task Force worked hard to develop a campaign to remove the GST/HST. Named #stoptaxingmytherapy, the campaign was officially launched on August 26 and has already received over 1400 signatures on the petition alone! But more than that, that’s how many letters have gone to Chrystia Feedland’s office! See below for everything the GST/HST Task Force has been doing.
The #stoptaxingmytherapy campaign includes the following:
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A Leadnow petition (sign here if you have not yet signed it) with an opportunity to send an email directly to the Finance Minister (the petition already has over 1,400 signatories!)
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A letter to Chrystia Freedland that goes with every petition
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A template letter to your MP and MPP for you to send
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The hashtag #stoptaxingmytherapy for you to use on your social media spaces
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A poster to distribute to interested parties, as appropriate, found on the resource page of the website
The GST/HST Task Force effort will continue as they connect with other associations, government officials and stakeholders. But to make the HST exemption a reality, the #stoptaxingmytherapy campaign needs your support in the form of people signing the petition. Feel free to share this with anyone you know, who might be interested.