Municipal Regional District Tax (MRDT) Program – IMPORTANT UPDATE Effective October 1, 2018

In Budget 2018 the BC Government made several announcements that effect current program guidelines and requirements for the Municipal Regional District Tax (MRDT).

Effective October 1, 2018 all short-term accommodation in BC will be required to register to collect the provincial sales tax (8% PST) and (2% MRDT). This includes lodging provided in residential dwellings with three rooms or less, such as boarding/rooming houses; bed and breakfast establishments; lodging houses; condos; mobile homes and trailers.

Online accommodation booking platforms located both within and outside of BC (i.e. Airbnb) are required to register to collect PST and MRDT on behalf of accommodations sold using their platform. The additional MRDT revenues are now eligible to be used towards affordable housing initiatives.

The decision was made as part of the Province’s mandate to address the issue of affordable housing, which has been an ongoing problem province-wide, and includes staff housing shortages in the tourism industry.

For detailed information on the MRDT program and the upcoming changes please visit the Destination BC  website and read the BC Government's PST bulletin: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/taxes/sales-taxes/publications/notice-2018-004-pst-mrdt-accommodaton-providers.pdf

Questions? Further Information Online: gov.bc.ca/pst
Toll free: 1 877 388-4440
Email: CTBTaxQuestions@gov.bc.ca

In case you missed your last newsletter.....

Extend Your Tourism
Season Into Fall

Co-operative Marketing Opportunities
& Our Fall Campaign

Here at Sunshine Coast Tourism, we're excited about the launch of our fall campaign, ensuring visitors visitors know that the Sunshine Coast is stunning all year round, and well worth the visit through September, October and November, giving our shoulder season that much needed boost.  

Our Fall Campaign

A new fall themed "travel inspiration" video is at the hub of our campaign this year (watch it above!), with timely content being strategically released over the next two months including 4 new videos, dynamic blog content and one-of-a-kind travel itineraries highlighting our 3 major fall themes - arts & festivals, relax & retreat, hike & bike.  Market research shows us these themes are our greatest potential in attracting high-value travellers to the Sunshine Coast during the fall season. 

Co-Operative Marketing Opportunities

As we are all about working collaboratively, this is where you come in! Get your message out there with subsidized co-op marketing opportunities to help extend your fall season. With our new content to inspire travellers, we are confident that our message will connect our audience with local businesses throughout the entire Sunshine Coast. Keep reading for more details!   

Join in Sunshine Coast Tourism's fall promotions in the Georgia Straight.  We've booked a full page ad and are selling subsidized ads within our branded page for our members.  

• October 11 issue: Fall Food & Drink/Fall Books
  • Booking deadline: Thurs, Oct 4
  • Artwork deadline: Friday, Oct 5

• Small Square ads:  $275 + GST each
  • Dimensions = 2.87” wide X 3.12” high, colour
• Banner ad along the bottom: $475 + GST
  • Dimensions = 9.8” wide X 2” high, colour