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by kazinator 3374 days ago
Yes, in fact that is how it works. If multiple independent contractors work for some firm, they each get their 30,000 exemption (if eligible) as individual sole proprietors of their individual businesses. They have their own business numbers and GST accounts which are considered individually.

Contractors are considered employees in some ways and not in others. This is mainly under labor ("labour", here in Canada) law which is there to protect workers from being exploited by being reclassified as contractors. Like you can't ask people to work in shit conditions just because they are contractors, and such, or deny them a lunch break.
1 comments
graeme 3374 days ago
The firm still collects GST though. It just doesn't need to pay GST to it's contractors. In practice, the firms net finance shouldn't be different regardless of whether they have employees or exempt contractors.

Consumers contract with Uber, and pay Uber. So from what I can see, Uber should be collecting, for itself.

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qeternity 3374 days ago
Fine, so knowing this, Uber collects GST and reduces the fare by the offsetting amount. In one pocket and out of the other. It's purely optics.
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run4yourlives2 3374 days ago
Except for the fact that the GST gets remitted to the government, instead of to Uber. Your suggesting is an 5-17% reduction in margin, dependent on province.

Either way, collecting GST on a sale is the norm in Canada, regardless of what happens on the back end.

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qeternity 3374 days ago
Read the parent:

> So from what I can see, Uber should be collecting, for itself.

My comment is not about remitting, it's about collection. Jesus.

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run4yourlives2 3373 days ago
I don't think you understand how this works. I can charge you $10 for a candy bar with GST included and make $.95, or I can charge $10 + 5 cents gst and make $10.

It's not at all the same thing as you previously suggested.

The entire point of this conversation here is that $10 + 5 cents gst is a price increase if you weren't bothering to charge a tax at all.

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graeme 3374 days ago
It's not purely optics. It's either an increase in Uber's prices, or a decrease in their margins.

By "collecting, for itself" I meant "for itself as the seller" rather than "collecting on behalf of its contractors"

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