Ontario Hairstylists Campaign To Stop The Trades Tax

250 hairstylists from 37 First Choice Haircutters locations across Ontario join campaign

OSHAWA, ON, Sept. 30, 2013 /CNW/ - Ontario hairstylists have joined the campaign to protest the Ontario government's new trades tax. The trades tax took effect on April 8^th and costs tradespeople, like hairstylists, electricians and construction workers, between $60 and $120 per year, plus HST.

"The Ontario government unilaterally decided to levy this new tax on hairstylists with no explanation," says Lynda Murphy, President of 37 First Choice Haircutters locations across Eastern Ontario. "This is a 600 per cent tax increase for hairstylists to pay for a new Bay Street bureaucracy called the Ontario College of Trades. It's a needless hit to the pocket of hardworking Ontarians, which is why we're standing up today to protest this tax."

Over 250 stylists are employed at the 37 First Choice Haircutters salons that are joining the campaign. The salons are located in Durham Region, Clarington, York Region, Quinte Region, Kingston, Linsday, Port Hope, Cobourg, Leeds and Rideau Region of Brockville, Smiths Falls, Perth and Carleton Place.

The Trades Tax will make the cost of doing business for the trades more expensive, which will ultimately increase the cost of consumer services.

"This tax is a real hit for our industry. Hairstyling school alone costs $10,000 plus the certification. We're seeing more and more hairstylists drop out because they can't afford to enter the trade. Now we have this tax that is costing us jobs and making it harder for young people to find work," added Murphy, whose company is incorporated as 587887 Ontario Limited and 587886 Ontario Limited DBA First Choice Haircutters.

But not only is the trades tax paying for Bay Street office space for the College, it's also paying for a new fleet of trades cops, or enforcement officers. Bewilderingly, these trades cops do the same job as the enforcement officers in the Ministry of Labour, creating more red tape and bureaucracy to wade through for small businesses and tradespeople.

"It makes no sense to force hardworking tradespeople to pay a new trades tax to support a new bureaucracy that provides no value to tradespeople," says Karen Renkema, Chair of the Stop the Trades Tax campaign. "The government has spent years encouraging people to enter the trades and now they are handing them a bill as a thanks."

The Stop The Trades Tax campaign was launched in 2011 to stop the Ontario government from imposing a new, multi-million dollar trades tax on tradespeople and employers. The campaign has grown to 32 organizations, whose members represent over 130,000 skilled tradespeople and over 8,000 businesses across Ontario. The campaign has also launched a petition to Stop The Trades Tax, to date it has over 9,000 signatures.

To learn more about the Stop The Trades Tax campaign visit: www.stopthetradestax.ca

SOURCE: Stop the Trades Tax

Jessica Georgakopoulos, [email protected], 416-994-7901

Karen Renkema, Stop The Trades Tax Campaign chair, [email protected], 416-768-4848

Lynda Murphy, President of 587887 Ontario Limited DBA First Choice Haircutters [email protected].