The Canadian government has proposed a temporary GST/HST tax break from December 14, 2024, to February 15, 2025. This initiative will impact qualifying products such as certain types of food, beverages, and apparel sold in pro shops or restaurant settings. 

During the tax break period, you may wish to set the tax rate to your provincial sales tax rate (or 0% if your province doesn't charge PST) to exempt qualifying items from GST/HST at the point of sale during this period. 

Learn more about the tax break, and qualifying products from the Canadian government's announcement.

Managing tax relief settings in Lightspeed Golf

Products that qualify for the GST/HST tax exemption period in Lightspeed Golf include extras that represent qualifying products sold in Lightspeed Retail or Restaurant. 

1. Navigate to Settings > Extras.
2. Select an extra that represents a qualifying product.
3. Adjust its tax rate accordingly.
4. Click Save.
5. Revert the changes once the tax break period has passed.

Any qualifying products represented in Lightspeed Golf should also have their tax rate adjusted in Lightspeed Retail or Lightspeed Restaurant. 

Managing tax relief settings in Lightspeed Retail (R-Series)

Lightspeed Retail users may adjust their tax settings to reflect the GST/HST exemption.

1. Back up your data by exporting inventory information to prepare for updating and reverting tax settings after the relief period ends.
2. Create a GST/HST exempt tax class by setting up a new sales tax category.
3. Assign the tax class to all qualifying items using bulk updates or manual entry.
4. Re-import your inventory information to revert to your previous tax settings once the tax break period has passed.

Refer to detailed information for Retail and eCommerce in the R-Series tax relief article.

Managing tax relief settings in Lightspeed Restaurant (L-Series)

Lightspeed Restaurant L-Series users may adjust their tax rates in the Restaurant Manager to apply the GST/HST relief to qualifying products.

1. Assign an updated tax rate to eligible categories.
2. Clear the cache on all POS devices to ensure the new settings are applied.
3. Revert your categories to their original tax rates once the tax break period has passed.

Detailed instructions can be found in the L-Series tax relief article.

Managing tax relief settings in Lightspeed Restaurant (K-Series)

Lightspeed Restaurant K-Series users may configure back-office settings to reflect the GST/HST exemption.

1. Set up a new tax profile with applicable tax rates in the Back Office.
2. Assign the new tax profile to relevant accounting groups to reflect the tax changes.
3. Request a reload on all devices to apply the changes before the relief period starts.

4. Restore your accounting groups to the earlier tax profiles once the tax break period has passed.

Additional instructions can be found in the K-Series tax relief article.

Please note that Lightspeed does not give tax advice. Any photos, images, graphics, written content, audio, video, files, materials, information, or any other data contained in this help document (the “Material”) are intended to be used solely for educational purposes, and Lightspeed makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of the Material for any particular purpose. Lightspeed shall not be liable for any errors or omissions in the Material or for any actions taken by you which are based on or informed by the Material. Review the Department of Finance Canada website for up-to-date GST/HST tax relief information and consult a tax professional for regional rules and regulations.