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PAGE 22 WEDNpESDAY, AUGUST 19, 198 ,WHITBY FREE PRESS Classifited Ads Sel Call 668-6lIl LOOKUNG FOR A CAREER? - if P.Pfli.~ you are enthuslastlc, ambitious and ajj~i hard worker, you have a lot to offer - and you are Just the type of person 101 Brock St. S. we're Iooking for. If you're interested Whitby 668-8865 ln a lIfe-long career wlth excellent earnlng pQktential cail Mr. Lavîctoire at Màetropoltan Lîfe 728-6224 bet- ween 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. and flnd out what we have to of fer. Report from Q neen 's Park By TE HON. GEORGE ASHE, MPP (PC - Durham West) Onai Minister of Revenue This week I would like to clscuss the Mnustry of Revenue and more speciflcally the area which in- volves the collection of retail sales tax. By defini- tion, one of the responsibiities of the Ministry of Revenue is to administer the province's tax system and it is this role which often makes the ministry rather unpopular with the citizens of Ontario. Although sales tax, as outlined in the Retail Sales Tax Act, must be collected, I would like to draw to your attention methods which might reduce the antount of tax which youare required to pay. This ministry currently publishes the Ontario Sales Tax Guide which lias been designed to assist taxpayers in their understanding of the Retail Sales Tax Act. A review of this guide will famiiarize con- suniers with a variety of purchases which are retail sales tax-exempt. In many ways, this guide illustrates the "other side" of the ministry _ the side which is as con- cerned with educating the consumer in ways of reducing sales tax payments as it is with educating WANTED HOMES IN WHITBY & BROOKLIN FOR PROSPECTIVE PURCHASERS REAL ESTATE FEE CALL 668-0515 ASTON BRUMLEY REAL ESTATE LTD. How the revenue minis try funct ions,, the consumer in the specifications of the Retail Sales Tax Act. I have also had the opportunlty to review a book- let which is being distributed by Deloitte, Haskins and Selis, Chartered Accountants, entitled, "A Shopper's Guide to the Ontario Sales Tax 1981-82". This booklet, reviewed by the Retail Sales Tax Branch of the ministry prior to publication, has also been designed to enable shoppers to get the most from their consumner dollars. Although paying taxes is a fact of life, it is an area in which the educated consumer lias definite advan- tages. Consumers armed with sufficient Informa- tion concerning tax-exernpt items may notice a vendor who is charging sales tax on these pur- chases. Should this occur, the first person with whom the consumer should discuss this matter is the vendor. Most discrepancies are resolved at this level. If you should find that an acceptable arrangement is not reached with the vendor, the next stop would be to contact the Retail Sales Tax District Office. Outline your concern to the staff at the district of- fice and, should there be further information required, a representative of the ministry will visit the vendor to discuss the matter and ensure that correct action is taken. 'I cannot stress too much the importance of becoming aware of your riglits as a consumer. For your convenience, copies of the Ministry of Revenue's "Ontario Sales Tax Guides" and Deloit- te, Haskins and Selis' booklet, "A Shopper's Guide to the Ontario Retail Sales Tax 1981-81" are available at rny constituency office (37 Station Plaza in Ajax, telephone 683-6707). CONSUMER BEAT Co-operative alternatives could solve your housing dilemma Oh, give me a home . .. Sorry, but no one is giving away homneathese days. Soar- ing interest rates and ever- rising prices have made the housing market a lucrative $place indeed for mortgage lenders and house sellers . But for more and more Ontario residents, buyinîg a home is getting harder and harder. Without a hefty downpaymnent and a sizeable, secure income, buying an average house in an urban centre is nearly out of the question. .But there is a way to obtain the housing you want, in an environment -you enjoy and control, at prices you can af- ford. If the own-your-own- home dream is just a nightmare for youP you may want to inves- tigate the alternative of co-- operative housing. But keep in mind that co- ops are an alternative, and are quite different from the tradi- tional methods of obtaining and maintaining housing. Not ail co-operatives exist to make profits. They instead try to supply members with goods or services at the lowest possible cost. As a meruber of a housing co-operative you do not own your own house or unit, but are part of a grc'lp of people commmtted to working toehr who jointly own a property. As an individual, you own a share or number of shares in the co- operative corporation which holds title to the property. (Or, instead of buying a share, you may be required to lend the co-op a speciflc sum of money.) After making this initial (and usually quite modest) cash outlay, you'll pay monthly oc- cupancy charges (equivalent to rent) for the unit you occupy, usually at a rate below what the private housing market would charge. SA bousing co-operative might own an apartment build- ing, row or garden houses, duplexes, detached houses, or any combination of housing types. Some co-ops buy exist- ing housing stock and move in. Others buy and renovate before occupying. Stili others will buy land and build fromn the ground up. Whatever the pro- cedure, all members of the co- op have equal rights and obli- gations. The rule of one vote per member applies at co-op meetings, and it is the members who decide how the property should be operated. WiHl pets be allowed? What equipment must be purchased? Who is responsible for snow removai from walkways? Whatever the issue, the co-op decides to- gether how it will act. In February, 1981 there were 113 housing co-opera- tives operating more than 8,000 units in Ontario - and more are heing planned. If you think co-op housing might be for you, the first thing to do is investigate this small but growing housing sector, where many of the ruices of operation are different. 0 Check your local library for information about co-ppera- tives. In particular, look for the book., Housing You Can Afford, by Alexander Laidlaw (Green Tree Publishing). This book., written by a man active in Canada's co-operative movement from the 1930s until his death last year, will, help give you the knowledge, insight and ideas you'll need should you decide to form or join a co-operative. Ob Read the Act. In Ontario, co-operatives are governed by The Co-operative Corpora- tions Act, 1973. Copies are available by mail from the Publications Services Section, Ontario Ministry of Govern- ment Services, 880 Bay St., Sth Floor, Toronto, Ont. M7A 1N8. Include a cheque for $4 payable to the Treasurer of Ontario. (Toronto area resi- dents can pick up a copy at the Ontario Government Book- store, 880 Bay St., Main Floor.) 0 Approach an existing houa- ing co-op and find out how tbey did it. Some co-opa and co-operative associations also act as resource groups and will give you valuable information. A complete list of these re- gional resource groups is avail- aible from the Co-operative Housing Foundation of Canada, 56 Sparks St., Suite 401, Ot- tawa, Ont. K1P 5A9. The Foundation will also send you, on request, their bookiet entitled Introduction to Co-operative Housing. 0 Investigate goverrniert pro- grams.- Through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Cor- poration (a federal agency) new non-profit housing co-opera- tives may be eligible forup to 100 per cent financing of the project. For the co-op, thia means no downpayment for the purchase of land or build- ings - thus keeping start-up your telephone directory for the C MHC office nearest you. the CMHC office nearest you, and ask for fuil information on their programs. Ontario's Ministry of Hous- ing may also be a source of assistance for housing co-op- eratives under certain condi- tions. Co ntact the m'inistry's Community llousing Division, 101 Bloor St. W., l2th Floor, Toronto, Ont. MS 1P8 (lel. 416/965-9650). When you've completed your investigation of co-opera- tive housing, you may decide that it7s a system you'd like to five with. By then you may also know a number of ike- minded people eager to create a housing co-operative. Two of your first items of business will be to register your co-op's namne and incor- porate the operation through the Ontario Ministry of Con- sumer and Commercial Rela- tions, the government body which administers The Co- operative- Corporations Act. For more information on these niatters, contact the manager, Co-operative Se rvices, Ontario Ministry of Consumer and Commercial Relations, 555 Yonge St., Toronto, Ont. M7A 2H6 (TeL 416/963-0515). Housing co-ops are a proven method of providing housing at competitive monthly rates. With careful planning you may be able to join those who have side-stepped inflation and also provided themselves with the roo>fs they wanted over their heads.