Why do so many Canadians keep falling for that old siren call of tax cuts? When it comes to taxes it seem the Trudeau Liberals are playing the same old cheesy game. Free money! Whee! That wouldn’t happen if we didn’t keep falling for it, says veteran columnist Susan Riley.
Justin Trudeau says he is ready to go after tax cheats -- corporate and individual. That's good news. But columnist Murray Dobbin argues tweaking the tax system is not enough. Now that we have a government that says it believes in governing, comprehensive progressive tax reform needs to be front and centre. It could make a $60 billion a year difference.
Canmore businessman Ken Moore shares his story of a visit to a reputable Calgary tax specialist who tried to sell him on a tax evasion scheme. "Is this even legal?" Moore asked. The cynical answer is one more reason why Canada needs to tune up the ethical behaviour of the tax industry.
The first time it happened I was taken aback.
A Canada Revenue Agency employee approached me after I had given a talk to a community group in Charlottetown about tax havens. She shared her frustrations and concerns. Mismanagement and misplaced priorities, she said, were hobbling the capacity of the agency to do a good job on behalf of Canadians. Staff were being forced to throw the book at ordinary taxpayers who had simply made small errors in their tax returns. They were no longer able to exercise discretion or arrange for more flexible payment plans. Meanwhile, big time tax cheats were getting off lightly.
It already seems so long since Stephen Harper lorded over our nation. But before memories fade of this awful ordeal, there are some critical house-cleaning items to take care of. Perhaps the most pressing is the need to uncover whether the Canada Revenue Agency was improperly taking political direction from the Prime Minister’s Office. BC Journalist Mitchell Anderson explains why.
Taxes have been a key issue in this federal election. All the parties have elaborated their tax policies in their platforms. Voters have some very different positions to choose from. Canadians for Tax Fairness has reviewed all of them and offers this analysis:
Alex Himelfarb pokes behind the real meaning and purpose of austerity in the opinion piece. He shows how the word has become code for a cycle of erosion and distrust - a bargain-basement version of citizenship.
Something to think about as we cast our votes for the Canada we want.
Many Canadians say they support raising the contribution ceiling on the Tax Free Savings Account. But it is only a wealthy minority who will actually benefit. Why are Canadians willing to support something that goes against their best interests?
The economy has been a key issue in this campaign. And how – and who pays their taxes is an essential part of that discussion. So it would make sense that it would be a hot issue at Thursday’s leaders’ debate on the economy. But there’s a worrisome development. One of the world’s biggest tax avoiders is getting in on the election action. Google is partnering with the Globe and Mail to host a leaders’ debate on the economy.
If you are on social media you might have noticed a campaign by TD Bank called #TDThanksYou.
It is another example of a popular corporate advertising practice that goes like this:
