TFSAs: Cutting Taxes for the Affluent
The latest issue of the Canadian Tax Journal has a number of articles on Tax-Free Savings Accounts. Among the papers of interest: Kevin Milligan projects the potential tax impact of…
taxation
Liars believe their own lies
Corporation That Paid Nothing In Taxes For Four Years Tells Congress It Pays Too Much In Taxes, Think Progress, July 20, 2012 “Over a four years period from 2008 to…
Opposing Supply Management & Economic Principles
While supply management is bad for our economy, the discussion around it has at least managed to supply how the majority who oppose it are intellectually dishonest. For the Conservatives,…
Freedom from government services day
Well well, another misinformed tax freedom day has come and gone on June 12th. To mark the occasion this year I wanted to skip over the very serious methodological flaws…
Canada’s Self-Imposed Crisis in Post-Secondary Education
On June 7, I gave a keynote address to the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees Education Sector Conference. My PowerPoint presentation (with full references) can be found at this link.…
Conrad Black: Our Warren Buffet?
Freed from the US prison system Conrad Black is challenging Harper, Canada, and Americans on their failed policies. Particularly around prison reform. A businessman with good arguing skills, the chops…
Nick Hanauer identifies the cart and the horse…
In his video that the TED series wouldn’t air as being ‘too political’, the venture capitalist Nick Hanauer points out the fallacy in the argument that the wealthy are ‘job…
Mining in the NWT: Who Gets What?
In a recent blog post at Northern Public Affairs, Stephanie Irlbacher-Fox looks at the issue of ‘who gets what?’ when a mine is developed in the Northwest Territories (NWT). Here…
Mostly, it’s the schlemiels paying tax
Many working stiffs watch a third or more of every extra dollar earned disappear as income tax. Then, we’re hammered again with user fees and consumption taxes when we spend…
Myself, I’m downgrading Moody’s
That’s right internets. I’m rating them ‘negative’. I am earnestly and sincerely advising my friends family and blog readers to not buy their shares, not apply for jobs there and…
Bib 183, riding the Cruise
I just got my confirmation for the Rideau Lakes Cycle Tour today – in the email. Bravo, Ottawa Bicycle Club. You’ve made it to the age of email. As snarky…
Morton’s Fork, Alberta
In the politics of Alberta, Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg vision has been bastardized to become “government of business, by business, for business.” In the April 23 election, voters can re-elect a…
Neil Reynolds’ Fuzzy Tax Math
If you need help with your tax return, don’t ask Neil Reynolds. His latest attack on the New Democrat proposal to collect modestly more tax from Ontario’s super-rich stated that…
A Bank for the Taxpayer’s Buck?
Hi all, I interrupt your regular blog viewing to bring you one of my infrequent posts, this time by a guest contributor — Alan Milner — who for reasons of…
Niceying up the wealthy so we feel bad for them when we want to tax them more
There’s this refreshing counter-melody threading in and out of the deafening cacophony of rhetoric around cutting our way to greatness and the great quest for lower wages and cheaper stuff.…
Down this road, no taxes for business
While getting refunds of every cent they pay, business people enthusiastically support you and I paying HST. They aim to relieve themselves of income taxes too. While working people, even…
SK Budget: Where’s the Inter-governmental Love?
A hallmark of Brad Wall’s premiership has been cosy relations with municipal governments and the two westernmost provincial governments. Since taking office, the Sask. Party has been throwing money at…
Taxing Ontario’s Richest
Ontario’s NDP was out today with a Robin Hood proposal to collect more provincial tax from personal incomes in excess of half a million dollars. The approximately $570 million of…
Taxing High Incomes in Ontario
It is notable that the scale of Ontario’s ostensibly dire fiscal position did not prompt any notable response on the tax side, beyond postponing planned reductions to the corporate tax…