The Federal budget of 2008 promised that autism services would be exempt from GST. The reality thus far has been mixed. Without getting into all the technical details, the bottom line is that some Behaviour Consultants are continuing to charge GST on their invoices.
We have some people in the autism community who have been working with the federal government to resolve this, but the wheels of government turn very slowly.
In the meantime you can apply for a refund of GST paid to Behaviour Consultants during the previous two years. The process is detailed here. The two year window counts back from the time they receive your paperwork at the GST center. Realistically you can’t do it every two years and get all of your money refunded because of the time constraints.
I recommend once a year, gathering your paperwork and sending in for a refund. To me this strikes the best balance between getting your money back and not being overly burdened with paperwork.
We all truly hope this will be a temporary solution and the federal government will live up to it’s commitment in the 2008 budget to exempt autism services from the GST. Standby for further!
Autism Funding in BC 