Tax Loopholes For Rich Cost Canada $16 Billion A Year

[Romero]

Closing five tax loopholes that mostly benefit the wealthy would raise nearly $16 billion annually for Canada's federal and provincial governments, according to a study from a prominent economist.



Toby Sanger says these tax loopholes — which have grown more generous since the late 1990s — have increased inequality and led to greater financial instability.



The loopholes have "actually slowed down economic growth," Sanger told HuffPost Canada, because rising inequality depresses consumer demand.



Sanger is an economist with the Canadian Union of Public Employees, and sits on the board of Canadians for Tax Fairness. He says the research is "especially pertinent ... given the new Liberal government's commitment to review and eliminate regressive tax loopholes in their election platform."



The largest tax loophole — costing the feds upwards of $12 billion a year — is the fact that capital gains (profits from investments) are only partially included in income taxes. This means investment gains are taxed at half the rate as wage income, Sanger says.



Sanger estimates 90 per cent of the benefits of this loophole accrue to the top 10 per cent of earners.



Using calculations from earlier research, the study found the use of tax havens costs Canada about $2 billion annually; stock option deductions cost some $800 million a year; and corporate meal and entertainment deductions cost $460 million.



Sanger's study estimates misuse of the small-business tax credit costs the feds $500 million annually.



The small-business tax credit is "widely abused by higher income professionals including doctors, dentists and small business owners," Sanger asserted. Individuals who incorporate themselves pay an 11-per-cent tax rate, compared to a personal income tax rate of up to 33 per cent.



http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/02/24/tax-loopholes-canada-toby-sanger_n_9309578.html">//http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/02/24/tax-loopholes-canada-toby-sanger_n_9309578.html

Like in the US, growing inequality continues to harm the economy and our standard of living. Why should only the already wealthy get all the breaks? Why should the average Canadian be paying for their fancy dinners and hockey tickets?



Have any tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy spurred the economy? Nope! Just the opposite!

[Anonymous]

Pardon the pun Romero, but don't put any "stock" in this. The first one many of my clients use and has to do with when the employee disposes of the stock. Canada didn't tax capital gains at all until January 1972. Number 3 and 4 on their list are used as much by travelling plumbers, carpenters and salespeople as the wealthy. They have a point with number 5, but this is a misleading biased "study" funded by a public sector union.