Here's a list of items that will be GST/HST-free over the holidays

A customer shops in a new "small format" No Frills grocery store that the grocery chain is testing, in Toronto, May 30, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

Canadians won’t have to pay GST or HST on a selection of items this holiday season.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the news in a press conference Nov. 21, promising relief to Canadians still dealing with cost-of-living concerns.

Here is a full list of items which will be included in the tax break:

Food and beverages

Kids’ stuff and games

A full list is available from the federal government.

Literature and trees

What is GST?

GST, which stands for goods and services tax, is a federal tax that applies to most, but not all, goods and services in Canada.

In New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario and P.E.I., the GST has been blended with the provincial sales tax and is called the harmonized sales tax (HST). The GST/HST rates are between five and 15 per cent, depending on the province you live in.

The tax does not apply to what the government calls “basic groceries,” which includes fresh, frozen, canned and sealed fruits and vegetables, cereals, most milk products, fresh meat, poultry, fish, eggs and coffee. Sweetening agents and other basic ingredients are also exempt from the tax.

With files from CTV National News correspondent Rachel Aiello