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Canada’s Hunt For Taxes Turns on Minimum Wage Earners
The hunt for taxes has turned to employees of companies. Any benefit you give an employee is considered “soft-income” and is to be taxed. In the USA, the maximum value of a gift I can hand an employee is $25. I can’t even give them a decent bottle of champagne for New Years.
In Canada, this same idea of taxing any employee benefit has gone all the way to hunting the minimum wage earners. The politicians have classified any discount an employee gets as tax-avoidance and they want their nickel and dime. A minimum wage store employee who gets a 20% discount on anything the store sells or if a waitress gets a free meal while working is to be taxed. The Income Tax Act of the Canada Revenue Agency is now targeting not the “rich” but minimum wage earners since the rich are leaving. When an employee receives any sort of a discount on merchandise or a free meal because of their employment, the value of the discount is to be included in the employee’s income and taxed.
The hunt for taxes is just going to get worse until the people rise up, as they have always done, and probably start yelling the same words: No Taxation Without Representation!” Politicians are doing the same thing that sparked the French Revolution with their arrogance when taxes reduced the standard of living and people could no longer survive. The response of the government was “let them eat cake” and that did not sit very well even if those words were not really spoken – it was the rumor attached to Marie Antoinette.
Canada Without Poverty charity challenges Harper govt. audits at UN in Geneva
Ottawa anti-poverty charity in Geneva this week arguing before UN that political-activity audits are an abuse
The head of a small Ottawa-based charity is in Geneva this week to complain to a United Nations committee about the Canada Revenue Agency’s program of political-activity audits.
Harriett McLachlan, president of Canada Without Poverty, is pleading her case before the UN Human Rights Committee, arguing that a special audit program launched by the tax agency in 2012 violates Canada’s international commitments on human rights.
The UN Human Rights Committee will hear complaints this week from a small Ottawa charity that the Harper government is violating its rights.
McLachlan says a rule limiting to 10 per cent the resources a charity can devote to political activities effectively silences groups like hers that want to hold the Canadian government accountable.
“If we want to write a petition, or be part of some kind of gathering, a protest, there’s a fear there that we are stepping over the bounds,” she said in an interview with CBC News.
“There’s a potential of a gag being put over my mouth.”
Canada under scrutiny
Canada Without Poverty is among 60 charities being hit with political-activity investigations under a $13.4-million special program by the Canada Revenue Agency. The group has been under continuous audit for three years.
The UN Human Rights Committee each year reviews the human-rights records of a handful of the 168 countries that have signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political rights. Canada’s turn comes up this week.
A panel of 18 independent experts will listen to Canadian groups, such as Kairos and Amnesty International Canada, raising issues of human-rights abuses in Canada, including murdered and missing indigenous women, and the residential school abuse of indigenous children.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
A frank discussion of Canada, the environment and Sierra Club Canada Foundation | Sierra Club Canada
A frank discussion of Canada, the environment and Sierra Club Canada Foundation | Sierra Club Canada.
Reflecting is a good thing this time of year. First, I want to thank you for your support and apologize for being so annoying with my constant demands.
Then, give a big sigh of relief…we got through yet another year without being silenced. It is a real concern – many organizations have audits hanging over their heads and others fear they will be next. It can have a chilling effect, and we have felt the chill, examined our operations and made numerous administrative changes…but we will not be silenced. We will continue to speak out–that is our role.
We were targeted by (un)EthicalOil.org in 2012 and 2013–they wanted the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) to shut us down–but not this year. Perhaps it’s because bullies generally fade away when you stand up to them.
The CRA chill has caused many foundations to turn away from advocacy and invest in other kinds of environmental work. They may fear the government or just believe the chances of stimulating change in today’s Canada are limited. We used to rely on individuals to support our capacity to approach large foundations, and foundations to cover the costs of programs. In today’s world, we must rely on your support and generosity more than ever before. It’s not cliché—it’s the new normal, unfortunately.
Canadian Government: This Reporter’s Question About ALEC ‘Undeserving of Response’ | DeSmog Canada
Canadian Government: This Reporter’s Question About ALEC ‘Undeserving of Response’ | DeSmog Canada.
As some of you may know, I’ll be starting a new rolein January 2015 as an investigative resources correspondent for Reuters.
Getting access to records about government decisions and policies has long played a key role in the work of many journalists around the world. It will also be a key element for me in the weeks, months and years to come.
So to end off 2014, here are a few examples of some of my recent experiences with government efforts to either release or hide information.
Canada’s information watchdog has noted that the Supreme Court of Canadarecognizes access to information as a quasi-constitutional right of all Canadians.
Obtaining access to information is an extension of freedom of expression since it allows the population to be informed and speak about government policies and decisions on how these governments spend public money.
