Who buys Christmas trees after Dec. 14? And other concerns about Trudeau's sales-tax break

The changes — which have yet to be implemented by legislation — have sparked many questions amongst businesses who are getting ready for the busy holiday season

OTTAWA — The Trudeau government took provinces, businesses and other Canadians by surprise Thursday by announcing a two-month GST/HST holiday to start before Christmas, to be followed by a $250 cheque to qualified Canadians next spring. The estimated cost: $6.28 billion.

If it’s passed by Parliament in time (more on that later), the sales-tax holiday is supposed to last from Dec. 14 to Feb. 15 and will apply to Christmas trees, alcohol, prepared food, children’s clothing, diapers, toys, books, snacks and sweets. But the plan has retailers asking a lot of questions as they’re already well into the holiday season. So are provinces, who find themselves on different sides of the sales-tax break.