he magic number of $42,500 has been popping up all over Vancouver Island, thanks to the representatives of Canada’s Reno Rebate Inc. They’ve been spreading the word about government rebates for newhome purchases, owner-built homes and substantial renovations to existing homes during the tenure of the HST, and $42,500 is the upper limit a homeowner can receive for a project. Together with the Ontario-based company Rebate4U, Canada’s Reno Rebate Inc. has already helped homeowners apply for rebates totaling $8 million at time of printing. Many clients hesitate on their way out of Canada’s Reno Rebate principal Sean Leitenberg’s Fairfield office, where they have just handed over a sheaf of paperwork and receipts for a major home renovation. “Is this for real?” they ask Sean. That’s the most common question Sean gets, and his answer is a firm, “Yes, this is real.” Sean understands the skepticism, though. He asked the same thing when his brother-in-law in Ontario called him and said, “You might be entitled to a rebate on the HST you paid when you did your reno.” This rebate has been available for the last three years and it’s about to disappear. It must be claimed within two years of the purchase of a new house or condo or completion of an owner-built home or a major renovation. Even if you have sold your home, you are entitled to a rebate if your intention for the build or renovation was to keep the home. “There is a misconception that if your home is worth more than $450,000, you are not entitled to any government rebates, but this is just not true,” says Sean. Canada’s Reno Rebate has teamed up with builders, trades, designers and
Realtors to share the good news about the potential rebate with their qualifying clients. “We know several contractors and Realtors who are going through their files and calling everyone they helped to fix up or buy a house between July 1, 2010 and March 31, 2013 when the HST was repealed,” he says. It comes down to this: if you built or purchased a new home or did a substantial renovation to an existing home for yourself or for rental during that period, you are entitled to a rebate for a portion of the provincial sales tax embedded within the HST. Canada’s Reno Rebate Inc. handles all the paperwork and follows through with the government until you receive your cheque. Because Sean and his staff know the forms, the processes, and who to call, they efficiently and quickly collect the information and submit exactly what the government agencies need. The company charges no upfront fee and if you don’t receive a rebate, the application costs you nothing. Because all the required paperwork can be done via email and fax, “clients are
visit renorebate.ca
coming to us from all over this great province,” says Sean. If you know someone who might qualify, you can pick up a postcard at Glen Lake Liquor & More or the Commons Liquor & More store in Duncan and pass it to your friend; if your friend receives a rebate through Canada’s Reno Rebate Inc., you’ll both receive a $50 gift certificate to help celebrate! “Handing people cheques for thousands of dollars that they had no idea they were entitled to is our goal,” Sean says. “We are happy to answer any questions that potential clients have, so give us a call. What have you got to lose?”