As noted by customers on Reddit and Twitter, and on the blog iPhone in Canada, Apple has begun charging sales tax on the purchases of TV shows, movies, music, and audiobooks in iTunes and Apple Music subscriptions in Canada.

itunes affiliates
The change went into effect January 1, 2019, with GST, HST, PST, and/or QST collected depending on the province or territory.

In a statement issued to MacRumors, Apple said the tax collection is due to "recent changes in Canadian legislation" and the growth of Apple's business around the world, including Canada, where it has operated for nearly four decades:

As the world's largest taxpayer, we respect the important role taxes play in society. Due to recent changes in Canadian legislation and the growth of our business, sales tax will now be charged on purchases of TV, movies, music and audiobooks. Apple has been operating in Canada for 38 years and we are proud to deliver the best products and services in the world to our customers here.

Apple was already charging sales tax on the purchase of apps and select other digital items in Canada prior to January 1.

Tags: iTunes, Canada
Related Forum: Mac Apps

Top Rated Comments

adamski23 Avatar
72 months ago
It’s always like that in my country there’s always someone complaining when we don’t pay taxes.:mad: The province of Quebec is one of the most taxes places in the world. :( I’m proud to be Canadian but it’s a expensive place to live.:(
But the quality of life is amazing!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
profets Avatar
72 months ago
Was hoping for News or Pay Cash to launch in Canada this year, but I guess we’ll have to settle with getting HST on digital purchases instead.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DakotaGuy Avatar
72 months ago
Confirmed. Just paid 60¢ tax on a $4.99 movie rental.
60 cents on $5? Ouch. That's a pretty steep sales tax.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dotnet Avatar
72 months ago
Bastards. Steve Jobs would have never allowed Canada to pass laws like that...
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BuddyRich Avatar
72 months ago
Im wondering why they are applying it to all of Canada. The law changed on January 1st for Quebec residents only. Other provinces and the federal government do not require tax be levied on digital goods.

They have the ability to bill by province as each province (like states) have different rates.

Alberta has no PST so is GST only charged there?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sirozha Avatar
72 months ago
60 cents on $5? Ouch. That's a pretty steep sales tax.
15% (HST: federal + provincial).

Welcome to Canada. This partly pays for the universal healthcare.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Rumored to Use Same Rear Chassis as iPhone 16

Friday July 19, 2024 7:16 am PDT by
Apple will adopt the same rear chassis manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 that it is using for the upcoming standard iPhone 16, claims a new rumor coming out of China. According to the Weibo-based leaker "Fixed Focus Digital," the backplate manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 is "exactly the same" as the standard model in Apple's upcoming iPhone 16 lineup, which is expected to...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Just Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Monday July 15, 2024 4:44 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
bsod

Crowdstrike Says Global IT Outage Impacting Windows PCs, But Mac and Linux Hosts Not Affected

Friday July 19, 2024 3:12 am PDT by
A widespread system failure is currently affecting numerous Windows devices globally, causing critical boot failures across various industries, including banks, rail networks, airlines, retailers, broadcasters, healthcare, and many more sectors. The issue, manifesting as a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), is preventing computers from starting up properly and forcing them into continuous recovery...
iphone 14 lineup

Cellebrite Unable to Unlock iPhones on iOS 17.4 or Later, Leak Reveals

Thursday July 18, 2024 4:18 am PDT by
Israel-based mobile forensics company Cellebrite is unable to unlock iPhones running iOS 17.4 or later, according to leaked documents verified by 404 Media. The documents provide a rare glimpse into the capabilities of the company's mobile forensics tools and highlight the ongoing security improvements in Apple's latest devices. The leaked "Cellebrite iOS Support Matrix" obtained by 404 Media...
Apple Watch Series 9

2024 Apple Watch Lineup: Key Changes We're Expecting

Tuesday July 16, 2024 7:59 am PDT by
Apple is seemingly planning a rework of the Apple Watch lineup for 2024, according to a range of reports from over the past year. Here's everything we know so far. Apple is expected to continue to offer three different Apple Watch models in five casing sizes, but the various display sizes will allegedly grow by up to 12% and the casings will get taller. Based on all of the latest rumors,...
tinypod apple watch

TinyPod Turns Your Apple Watch Into an iPod

Wednesday July 17, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
If you have an old Apple Watch and you're not sure what to do with it, a new product called TinyPod might be the answer. Priced at $79, the TinyPod is a silicone case with a built-in scroll wheel that houses the Apple Watch chassis. When an Apple Watch is placed inside the TinyPod, the click wheel on the case is able to be used to scroll through the Apple Watch interface. The feature works...