Payment Mechanism

You’ll find the best online slots here, you have time to get it! The local electricity distribution company (“LDC”) will pay for the electricity produced on behalf of the Ontario Power Authority (“OPA”) according to the client’s regular billing schedule (normally either monthly, bimonthly, or quarterly). This payment is based on total energy produced with the client still responsible for paying for all the electricity consumed by a home or business on the premises (no change from previous arrangement).

Sales Taxes

GST on the sale of electricity

Generally, the sale of electricity constitutes a “taxable supply” and is subject to GST at 5%. Under the “small supplier” exemption, the sale of electricity would not be subject to GST so long as the contract value of the electricity sold to the OPA (together with any other “taxable supplies” made) in any 12 month consecutive period is less than $30,000 and the vendor is not GST registered.

GST on the purchase of solar PV equipment

Generally, the purchase of solar panels, inverters, other hardware and costs of installation are subject to GST. However, if the person who acquires solar panels, equipment and installation services is registered for GST purposes, such person can claim an input tax credit against the GST that such person collects on the sale of electricity. An individual not registered for GST purposes is not able to claim an input tax credit.

PST on the sale of electricity

There is an exemption from PST on the sale of “electricity for all purposes”, so the owner would not charge PST on the sale of electricity to OPA.

PST on the purchase of solar PV equipment

Solar panels, inverters and other related equipment can be purchased by a property owner on a PST-exempt basis using the exemption for “manufacturing and processing equipment”. However, manufacturers or producers of electricity (other than utilities) are excluded from being eligible for the “manufacturing and processing equipment” PST exemption. There is, however, an exception for certain “small” manufacturers and producers of electricity who may be able to purchase such equipment on a PST-exempt basis if the total fair value of tangible personal property (e.g electricity) sold by such person in a fiscal year is less than $5,000 or where the fair value of tangible personal property manufactured for such person’s own use is less than $50,000 in a fiscal year.

Where the solar panels, invertors and other equipment become fixtures when installed on a person’s real property and where such equipment is acquired from a contractor who installs such equipment as a fixture, it is the contractor who is subject to and who would pay PST on the equipment, not the customer. Presumably the PST incurred by the contractor on acquiring such equipment would be priced into and passed along to the property owner as part of the total contract price for the equipment and installation.

HST

Commencing July 1, 2010, PST will be eliminated and instead will be “harmonized” with the GST as part of a combined federal/Ontario sales tax at the rate of 13% (i.e. 5% GST, plus 8% Ontario sales tax). It is expected that the HST consequences will be the same as the analysis above concerning GST except that the rate will be 13% instead of 5%.