Canada Revenue Agency
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Employee GST/HST rebate
Provincial sales taxes in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Ontario, and British Columbia were harmonized with the goods and services tax (GST) to create the harmonized sales tax (HST).
As an employee, you may have incurred expenses in the course of your employment duties. Some of these expenses you paid may have included GST or HST. If you deducted these expenses from your employment income, you may be able to get a rebate of the GST or HST you paid on these expenses. Complete the GST370, Employee and Partner GST/HST Rebate Application, and claim the rebate on line 457 of your income tax and benefit return.
When you receive a GST/HST rebate for your expenses, you have to include it in your income for the year you received it. Report the amount on line 104 of your income tax and benefit return. For example, if in 2011 you received a GST/HST rebate that you claimed for the 2010 tax year, you have to include it on line 104 of your 2011 income tax and benefit return.
If the GST/HST rebate is for a vehicle or musical instrument you bought, it will affect your claim for capital cost allowance in the year you receive the rebate. If this applies to you, reduce the undepreciated capital cost of your vehicle or musical instrument by the amount of the rebate at the beginning of the year in which you receive the rebate and do not include the rebate on line 104 of your income tax and benefit return. For more information, see the Example.
For more information, see How to complete Form GST370.
It is important for you to keep proper records to support your claim for a GST/HST rebate. For more information, see Keeping records.
Do you qualify for the rebate?
As an employee, you may qualify for a GST/HST rebate if:
- you paid GST or HST on certain employment-related expenses and deducted those expenses on your income tax and benefit return; and
- your employer is a GST/HST registrant.
You do not qualify for a GST/HST rebate if your employer:
- is not a GST/HST registrant; or
- is a listed financial institution as defined in the Excise Tax Act (for example, an entity that was at any time during the year a bank, an investment dealer, a trust company, an insurance company, a credit union, or a corporation whose principal business was lending money).
Note
You should file your Form GST370 with your income tax and benefit return for the year in which you deduct the expenses.
If you do not file your rebate application with your income tax and benefit return, send it along with a letter to your tax centre. Include details such as your social insurance number and the tax year to which the application relates.
If you do not file your rebate application with your income tax and benefit return, you have up to four years from the end of the year to which the expenses relate to file an application. We use the calendar year in which you incur the expense to determine the four-year period for employees.
You can only file one GST370, Employee and Partner GST/HST rebate application for each calendar year. You cannot get a rebate of an amount if:
- we previously refunded, remitted, or credited the tax to you;
- you received or are entitled to receive a rebate, refund, or remission under any other section of the Excise Tax Act or any other act of Parliament for the same expense;
- you received a credit note, or you issued a debit note, for an adjustment, refund, or credit that includes the amount; or
- the deadline for filing the rebate has passed.
If you receive an overpayment of a GST/HST rebate, you have to repay the excess. We charge interest on any balance you owe.
