Are My Taxes Fair?

We ask Toby Sanger, executive director of Canadians for Tax Fairness.

- Bryan Borzykowski

Are average Canadians getting a raw deal on taxes?

Yeah, and it’s gotten worse over time. There are so many loopholes, and they’re particularly beneficial for top income earners.

What kind of loopholes are we talking about here?

It could be putting money into a private family trust or into a corporation, which has a lower tax rate than individuals pay. It could then be expensing things through that corporation, like entertainment. Corporations can write o some of the cost of a private box at a hockey game, for instance, so the government is basically subsidizing that.

I’ve read that $3 billion in taxes are evaded every year because profits are put into offshore accounts—legally. Why is this allowed to happen?