An Urgent Invitation to Gym Owners and Fitness Professionals In Ontario
Come to Queen’s Park, Toronto on May 19th and tell the Government of Ontario to Stop the HST Fitness Tax
A Tax On Fitness Is A Tax On Good Health!
On July 1, 2010, the Ontario Government will harmonize the Provincial Sales Tax with the federal GST to form a new Harmonized Sales Tax (HST). Under the new HST system, fitness related services will no longer be exempt from charging Provincial Sales Tax in Ontario. This will raise the cost of services to your members by 8%. This includes gym memberships and other fitness activities including hockey, swimming and other sports programs for adults and children.
A fitness exemption from the HST would benefit all Ontarians who participate in organized sports and fitness programs including those who play hockey, soccer, or go to gyms.
Taxing Fitness Is Wrong.
Help us Stop the HST Fitness Tax.
We are urging all of you to spread the word to your employees, instructors, members and friends to come join us on May 19th, 2010 from 11:30am - 12:30pm for a "No Fitness Tax Rally" on the front lawn of the Ontario Legislative Building at Queen’s Park, Toronto.
We will be asking the Government of Ontario to exempt the HST for Fitness, or institute a provincial fitness tax credit to offset the negative impact.
The Ontario Government needs to exempt organized fitness activities from the planned HST.
A fit Ontarian is a productive Ontarian.
The event will have an array of speakers delivering our message to the media and politicians, and it will include a live Group Exercise class on the lawn of Queen’s Park with the Vice President of Operations for Goodlife.
Our supporting sponsor for the event is Conservative MPP Lisa Macleod from the Nepean-Carleton riding. The Ontario government should be removing financial barriers to a healthy lifestyle not building barriers.
A fit and healthier Ontarian will need less health care and miss less work due to illness.
Please also see our No Fitness Tax website where you can sign the Fitness Tax Petition Form to tell the government that taxing fitness is wrong.
www.nofitnesstax.ca/ont-resident
We need to be encouraging Canadians to live an active healthy lifestyle. Please come show your support on May 19th and tell the Ontario government "Stop the HST Fitness Tax".
Please post this invite to your members both in your club and through your e-newsletters as well as encourage your members to wear their club t-shirts and to create their own home made signs and banners.
Thank you & See you there!
Research consistently shows that a physically active person is more likely to have better health outcomes than a non-active person.
The Fitness Industry Council of Canada and Fitness Business Canada magazine would like to encourage you, your staff and your members to attend this rally. It is perhaps our last attempt to help save the Ontario Fitness Industry from an additional 8% increase in operating costs.
Event Date: Wednesday, May 19th 11:30am - 12:30pm
Location: Front Lawn, Ontario Legislative Building
Queen’s Park, Toronto
If you are planning to attend please drop us an email at fbc@fitnet.ca or call our office at 888-920-6537 so we will be able to tailor the message on the 19th to the size of the crowd. A Further update regarding the details of this event will be sent out on Friday May 14th 2010.
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