We're heading off later today on a mileage run. YVR-MSP (Vancouver to Minneapolis). This is our first time to park at YVR since British Columbia implemented its Harmonized Sales Tax, or HST.
How much do we pay in taxes for our parking spot? Try 35.52%! (While we generally eschew exclamation marks we feel that one is justified in this case - maybe two!!)
Another first for the Wandering Warners: a record enounter in the tax-the-tourist game that governments play so well.
It's another reason that Alaska Airlines will probably attract Canadian customers with its newly-announced non-stop Bellingham-Honolulu flights.
Update from the DEN RCC: While flying from Vancouver to Denver we were reading the Vancouver Sun and spotted a letter to the editor complaining about the very same tax imposed on parking at one of the universities. Apparently it's not just a tax-the-tourist tax but a tax-the-taxpayer tax - time for another couple of exclamation marks!!
Yes, those low fares from Bellingham to Honolulu attracted our attention. We know some nice people who live not far from there who we could visit. We could probably leave our car with them too. Food for thought and yes, many others will head south to take advantage of those fares.
ReplyDeleteAnd, better yet, 35.52% tax on 0 for parking is still 0.
ReplyDelete