SHT Is Happening at IKEA Canada for Earth Month

To kick off Earth Month, IKEA Canada announces the launch of 'Second-Hand Tax' (SHT): an initiative effective in all IKEA As-is marketplaces across Ontario, in a ground breaking move to promote sustainability and affordability. 

Given the cost-of-living crisis, making life more affordable needs to be a priority. According to the annual IKEA Life at Home report, two thirds of Canadians (67%) are concerned with the general economy and more than half (57%) with household finances. That’s made IKEA Canada take a stand, urging consumers to shop sustainable and affordable second-hand options that are good for our planet and their wallets.

IKEA Canada discovered Canadians have been paying tax on second-hand items, even though the tax was already paid the first time around. Second-hand items may have lost their original look, packaging, and price, but they never lose the tax.

To tackle this issue head-on, IKEA is introducing 'Second-Hand Tax' or SHT: an initiative that saves customers from paying HST twice. It's simple math. 13% (HST) - 13% (SHT) = 0%*.  From April 2-11th, 2024, IKEA stores across Ontario will offer SHT to IKEA Family members looking to shop more sustainably and affordably. Every item purchased in the As-is marketplace in-store will be reduced by 13% to offset the tax burden, making shopping circular even more attractive.

"We believe in doing more with less," says Selwyn Crittendon, IKEA Canada CEO and chief sustainability officer. "With our 'Second-Hand Tax' initiative, we're making sustainable choices, that also save people money, more attractive to average Canadians. It's our little way of making a big difference."

But SHT isn’t a permanent solution. IKEA Canada invites the government and like-minded companies to help them put an end to the double tax on second-hand items, so that all Canadians can shop circular for less. 

To show support for ending the double tax on second-hand items, visit here.