taxes

July 20, 2011 2:00AM

Going back to the PST-GST means higher taxes for all BC families

After two years of heated debate, many British Columbians are still confused about how to vote in the current mail-in referendum on the HST. The choice before them is to either keep the HSTwhich the government has promised to reduce to 10 per cent from 12 per centor restore the old PST/GST system at a total rate of 12 per cent.

To help British Columbians decide, we have calculated the impact of restoring the PST/GST on the tax bill of BC families (with two or more individuals) at various income levels using the Fraser Institutes Canadian Tax Simulator.

Tags:

HST, harmonized sales tax, PST, GST, taxes, tax

June 21, 2011 2:00AM

Prefilled Personal Income Tax Returns

François Vaillancourt

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Prefilled Personal Income Tax Returns, taxes, tax return, prefilled tax return, tax filing, tax auditing, income tax returns, income tax

June 8, 2011 2:00AM

The Tories' high-tax plan

Niels Veldhuis, Charles Lammam

Mondays federal budget was all political spin. Like in March, when the 2011 budget was first introduced, the Conservatives dubiously titled it: A Low-Tax Plan for Jobs and Growth.

But in reality, the Conservatives plan increases the federal tax take, increases government spending, and fails to provide a truly austere plan to balance the budget. It will, therefore, do little to improve economic growth and create jobs.

Tags:

taxes, taxation, federal budget, tax freedom day

June 6, 2011 2:00AM

Tax Freedom Day underscores need for tax relief

Niels Veldhuis, Charles Lammam

Happy Tax Freedom Day! When Canadians return to work on Monday (June 6), they will finally be working for themselves. In other words, if we had to pay all our taxes up front, we would have to pay each and every dollar we earned from January 1 to June 5 to various levels of government.

Coincidentally, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is also scheduled to deliver the federal budget on Tax Freedom Day. All expectations for the budget are that it will look much like the March version, dubiously entitled A Low-Tax Plan for Jobs and Growth.

Tags:

tax freedom day, taxes, total tax bill, income tax

June 3, 2011 2:00AM

Canadians Celebrate Tax Freedom Day on June 6, 2011

Milagros Palacios, Niels Veldhuis

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tax freedom day, taxes, total tax bill, canada, income tax, payroll tax, health tax, property tax, sales tax, fuel tax, vehicle tax, tax burden

June 3, 2011 2:00AM

A vote for the HST is a vote for an earlier Tax Freedom Day

Niels Veldhuis, Milagros Palacios

Happy Tax Freedom Day! Monday, British Columbians start working for themselves. In other words, if we had to pay all our taxes up front, we would have to pay each and every dollar we earned from January 1 to June 5 to various levels of government.

This of course, translates into an awful lot of money. In fact, the average British Columbian family with two or more individuals will hand-over about $36,600 in taxes to their federal, provincial and local governments (42.7% of their income).

Tags:

HST, tax freedom day, harmonized sales tax, taxation, taxes, hst referendum

June 29, 2010 2:00AM