Good news! Thanks to successful advocacy on the part of PIPSC, Bill C-224 was rejected by the House of Commons Finance Committee (FINA) on March 3, 2021. It was then fully defeated in the House of Commons on April 14. Conservative and Bloc MPs voted in favour, but the NDP and Liberal MPs voted against the bill to defeat it.
Our CRA members will continue to administer income tax declarations for Quebecers until further notice.
The bill aimed at transferring tax processing for Quebec residents from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to Revenu Québec. FINA members, however, agreed with our position that having Quebec tax declarations administered at the federal level (as all other provinces do) remains the best way to proceed because:
- It’s the most cost-effective solution for all taxpayers
- It ensures we can build a more progressive tax system
- It enables us to achieve tax fairness at an international level
When this bill was first introduced, PIPSC President Debi Daviau was quick to jump into action by appearing at the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance. Accompanied by AFS Group Quebec Representative Jean Couillard and our UTE colleagues, our message was clear: Bill C-224 is flawed, and the CRA already has the capacity to effectively process Quebec tax declarations.
After our appearance at the committee, PIPSC President Debi Daviau and members of the AFS executive met with a wide range of Members of Parliament from all the major parties including the Minister of Revenue, Diane Labouthilier. At these meetings we took the opportunity to discuss tax fairness and issues facing our members at the CRA.
“We need a strong Canada Revenue Agency that can work across borders to close tax loopholes. If we are looking to reduce paperwork for Quebecers, the government should consolidate their tax processing within the CRA or fulfill its election commitment to introduce automatic tax filing. We’re keen to work with any Members of Parliament who want to collaborate on these proposals,” concluded President Daviau.