Newsletter

One Comment About Taxation – Why Are Some Canadians Motivated to Engage in Tax Evasion? Last week, I visited one of my favorite restaurants. The food and service, as usual, were out of this world: something a food delivery service cannot replicate. But the restaurant has a strict “cash only” policy. I always need to remind myself…

One Comment About Taxation – Santa Claus’s Tax Gifts, Tax Lumps of Coal and My Tax Wishes Well, Santa Claus’s arrival is right around the corner! I can barely contain my excitement!  Throughout the year, I wrote monthly letters to Santa to present my wish list of excellent tax policy ideas that I’ve gathered over the…

One Comment About Taxation – The CRA’s 100-Day Plan  Treated Symptoms, Not the Structural Rot   I was chatting with a friend last week who asked me, “Why do you dislike the Canada Revenue Agency so much?”. I was a bit shocked since I really don’t. I actually quite admire and respect the important job that the…

One Comment About Taxation –Tax Reform is Much More Than Tax Rate Reductions or Surgical Fixes   Do you have a 1972 Chevrolet half-ton sitting in your driveway? Or a 1987 Ford Tempo? Or how about a 1999 Toyota Corolla? If you have those vehicles and still drive them regularly, they’re likely not efficient and require a…

One Comment About Taxation –You Can’t Fix Canada’s Fiscal Crisis by Rewriting the Accounting Rules   I finally had a chance to review The 2025 Public Accounts of Canada which was released on November 7, 2025. It reports on the revenues and expenses of the Government of Canada for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025. It’s not…

One Comment About Taxation –We’re Coming Close to the Finish Line! The 85th Day of the CRA’s “100 Day Plan”   Well, it’s been 85 days since one of the most exciting days in Canadian tax history with another 16 days to go until we see the results!! As the Pointer Sisters famously said in their hit song, “I’m so…

One Comment About Taxation –The Parliamentary Budget Officer’s Comments About the 2025 Federal Budget   Do you find common sense discourse refreshing? I do. Unfortunately, it’s not common.    One of my favorite lines from the 1993 movie Philadelphia is “explain this to me like I’m a six-year-old.” I’ve used that line often during my 30+…

One Comment About Taxation –Remembrance Day, The 2025 Federal Budget and the Need For Tax Reform In late May 2024, I had the privilege to visit Juno Beach in Normandy, France with my Mom and sister. For those that need a reminder, that was the site that Canadian soldiers landed on D-Day – June 6, 1944 – during WWII. My visit…

One Comment About Taxation – The Erosion of Budget Secrecy – It’s Time to Build It Back Up Once upon a time, the federal budget contents were a carefully guarded secret until the Finance Minister rose in the House of Commons to announce the budget. Secrecy is not a statutory requirement but, as pointed out by House…

One Comment About Taxation – The Auditor General’s Report About Canada  Revenue Agency Call Centres As you’re reading this, it is day 58 or so of the Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA) “100-Day Plan” to try to improve its call centres.    The development of a plan was announced by Minister Champagne on September 2, 2025…