|
Tax deduction for transit
|
View this Thread in Original format
| walkindude |
Finally, a good idea!.....
Tax deduction for transit? Maybe
Ontario considers Conservative bill to give tax credit for public transit fares
CANADIAN PRESS
The Ontario legislature gave approval in principle today to a private member's bill that would give commuters a tax deduction for public transit fares, with members of all three parties calling it a good idea.
"I ask the members of the House to look at this as a non-partisan initiative to make public transit affordable for their constituents," said Conservative John O'Toole as he kicked off second reading debate on his legislation.
"This bill here is an opportunity for the government to ease the tax burden in Ontario, while addressing the issues of gridlock and quality of life."
O'Toole wants to amend the province's Income Tax Act to give public transit riders a 50-per-cent deduction for the cost of bus, train and subway fares.
He said getting more people to use public transit would mean fewer cars and trucks on the roads, resulting in better air quality, fewer pollution-related health problems, and shorter commute times for everyone.
"It's not a bad way of dealing with the end-users so that they're not put in a position where it becomes very expensive to get to work," New Democrat Gilles Bisson told the legislature.
"I think we need to find ways of being innovative."
"We do need to improve public transit, and I think an initiative like this points in that direction," said Liberal Jennifer Mossop.
"It's a good idea."
Liberal Jean-Marc Lalonde was the only one to speak against the idea today, saying the bill would benefit only big-city commuters because it covers only public transit systems owned by the province, a municipality or a transit commission.
Lalonde said the tax credit wouldn't help the many rural communities in Ontario that are served by private bus companies.
"This wouldn't be fair for those people," he told the legislature.
Private member's bills rarely become law, but O'Toole said he was encouraged by the support his legislation received during second reading debate.
"I was very, very impressed that there was more or less unanimous support for the bill," he said.
O'Toole said it costs him about $100 a week to commute from his home in Oshawa, east of Toronto, to his downtown office at the legislature, and he believes many more people would leave their cars at home if they had a better financial incentive to take public transit.
"The bottom line is that is sounds like a good idea," said Danna O'Brien, spokeswoman for Transportation Minister Harinder Takhar.
"But you've got to weigh the costs and the benefits."
O'Brien said Ontario was already working with the federal government to secure a tax exemption for employer-provided transit passes, something the Liberals promised in the 2003 election campaign.
O'Toole's bill will be sent to the legislature's finance committee, where he hopes it will spur the Liberals to adopt it as their own legislation, and "allow for the government to initiate a whole new era of funding public transit." |
|
|
| Jayx1 |
Ive got a better idea. LOWER THE FARES!!
Saves all the paperwork and added expense to government accountants. Why must the government always make things more difficult than they should be? |
|
|
| DigiNut |
| quote: | Originally posted by Jayx1
Ive got a better idea. LOWER THE FARES!!
Saves all the paperwork and added expense to government accountants. Why must the government always make things more difficult than they should be? |
You're missing the far more obvious peculiarity of a tax-paid service being tax-deductible. I can't think of any way to get that to make sense. Tax-run businesses are the LEAST logical to let people write off. |
|
|
| MarkT |
| quote: | Originally posted by Jayx1
Ive got a better idea. LOWER THE FARES!!
Saves all the paperwork and added expense to government accountants. Why must the government always make things more difficult than they should be? |
no kidding...why implement tax breaks when you can just lower the freakin' fares in the first place?!?
unless someone can show otherwise, I think it just sounds good on paper from a political perspective...every gov't does it...they also know that not everyone will take advantage of the tax break (eg. forget to claim it come tax time).
just take those "tax breaks" and add that to the gov't funding the TTC receives! |
|
|
| walkindude |
| quote: | Originally posted by MarkT
no kidding...why implement tax breaks when you can just lower the freakin' fares in the first place?!?
unless someone can show otherwise, I think it just sounds good on paper from a political perspective...every gov't does it...they also know that not everyone will take advantage of the tax break (eg. forget to claim it come tax time).
just take those "tax breaks" and add that to the gov't funding the TTC receives! |
It makes sense to me, I spend at least $1000 of my after tax money on TTC every year…if I can get a $500 tax credit on that Im happy..Do you think TTC is going to cut the fares in half...Never! By doing this, The rider ship will increase, the guv funding will decrease, people will have to get monthly passes cuz you will not get receipts for buying tokens…. |
|
|
| TDG |
| quote: | Originally posted by walkindude
....people will have to get monthly passes cuz you will not get receipts for buying tokens…. |
That would suck for those who rely on transit but don't take it every other day. They're offered a tax break, but no way to claim it.
I guess the idea is, keep the fares to pay for the TTC, then the tax breaks come from some other cash pot.
...mmm, pot.......
 |
|
|
| arek |
| so what exactly is this? |
|
|
| DigiNut |
| quote: | Originally posted by walkindude
It makes sense to me, I spend at least $1000 of my after tax money on TTC every year…if I can get a $500 tax credit on that Im happy.. |
So because it makes you happy, it therefore makes sense from a policy perspective? That's a shameful way to think. How about we institute a policy wherein I get a government check for $500,000 a year - that would make me happy, so it makes sense to me.
| quote: | | By doing this, The rider ship will increase, the guv funding will decrease, people will have to get monthly passes cuz you will not get receipts for buying tokens…. |
Care to explain/support this assertion? |
|
|
| dEsidEL |
if there's no chance that fares will be lowered, then might as well give us the tax break
|
|
|
| RobbyG. |
Its REALLY is the better way;)
Don't worry though...nobody got hurt |
|
|
| RobbyG. |
The new ORION VII....$750,000 each :eyespop:
OR
The old GM style bus that is WAY cheaper to maintain, way more reliable & can go forever BUT has NO A/C,not handycap friendly and looks "old"...
If the Old GM meant lower fares would you go for that OR pay what you are now to get the newest buses with all the "toys" that come with it??? |
|
|
| Pettiscool |
the old ghettos are never late
the handi bus takes its sweet ass mo fo time |
|
|
|
|
