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Results: 121 - 180 of 302
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
As I mentioned earlier, our government is really the one that invested in call centres. I did a tour of Canada Revenue Agency offices across the country. I’ve met with employees over the past two years. When the Auditor General tabled his report to the agency, I wasn’t at all surprised to learn what was going on, because staff had already told us about the outdated system and the absence of investment under the Conservatives.
Implementing a telephone system that meets customer demand and providing training to employees will allow us to deliver the quality services Canadians expect.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
The plan was proposed to the Auditor General when he tabled his report. As I mentioned earlier, we are currently working on a telephone system, which should be in place, as I mentioned earlier, in 2018-2019. We’ve hired new employees and training will be provided.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Our government is committed to respecting and renewing our relationship with indigenous peoples, which, in its opinion, is our most important relationship. It is also important that Northerners receive the credits to which they are entitled.
I met with several aboriginal communities in the Northwest Territories. We have adapted our communications products to Northerners and are working in partnership with Service Canada. We also visited 698 aboriginal communities across the country to share information on benefits.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
I asked the agency for more information about what the people of the Northwest Territories had asked my department when I went to meet with them.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
I don’t understand your question.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
As I mentioned, the recommendations in the Auditor General’s report didn’t surprise me. In fact, when I met with the Auditor General, we were already working on an action plan to modernize telephone services, provide staff training and meet the standards that Canadians expect from the agency.
As for the much more technical details, I’ll ask Mr. Vermaeten to answer you.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
I’m happy to give you that.
In 2016-2017, there were 37 convictions, resulting in more than 50 years of prison time and $10 million in court-imposed fines.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
It’s related to tax evasion. If you want more technical information about tax evasion and what that means, Mr. Gallivan can tell you more.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Our government is the one that has invested the most to fight tax evasion and tax avoidance. As I mentioned, it might be interesting for you to have a little more information instead of talking through your hat. So I’m going to ask Mr. Gallivan to explain what tax evasion and tax avoidance really are.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Gallivan will answer your question.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
We’ll give you the right information. Take the time to listen to what Mr. Gallivan has to say.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
I thank my colleague for his question.
The last three budgets have really allowed us to create a whole structure to deal with tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. As I mentioned, tackling aggressive tax avoidance was not at all a Conservative priority. In fact, Mr. Jean-Pierre Blackburn, a former Minister of National Revenue, even said publicly that this was not a priority for the Conservative government.
Our government is really the one that has invested the most in fighting aggressive tax avoidance. I had the opportunity to meet with our OECD partners in Paris during the winter. The OECD commended us for the agency’s exceptional work. In the fall, Canada will even host the second OECD meeting on large businesses.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
I would ask Mr. Gallivan to give you some technical details on that.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
I thank my colleague for his question.
I know full well that living with a disability is very complicated, for the person with the disability, and for the family living with that person. I want to make it clear that the act has not been amended. Exactly the same law applies.
The review we are conducting is drawing to a close. We will submit the data to the committee—I’m talking about the committee you abolished in 2006 and which was reinstated—at its next meeting. Then I’d be happy to provide you with that information.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Committee members will be the first to receive that information from us. We can send it to you after that.
We do this out of respect for the committee members who are involved, who are dedicated to working on this update and who provide us with recommendations on the disability tax credit.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
You’re asking me about the Phoenix system, but with regard to the Revenue Agency...
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Thank you for your question.
I did, in fact, travel to the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut to meet people. I can’t give you any statistics at this time, but I’ve asked the Canada Revenue Agency for more information on this. Indeed, all the people I met during my tour are concerned about this issue. Moreover, I made a public announcement on CBC that I was taking into account what people had told me and that we were going to ask the agency about it.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
I thank my colleague for his question.
As a single mother myself, I know full well what single mothers experience. I’ll say it and say it again: it’s important that people get the services to which they are entitled.
If you have specific cases to submit, you can send them to my team. I’ll make sure that the rules are respected.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
In a previous life, I was a social worker. I’ve always worked for the less fortunate and those who need the services to which they are entitled. As Minister of National Revenue, I can tell you that I’ll be there for the poor and those who need help and support. I’m telling you and I’m telling you again, if you have specific cases to submit, I would like to receive them. I’ll make sure that those people get the credits to which they are entitled.
I’m going to ask Mr. Vermaeten to give you some technical details.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
I’m going to ask Mr. Vermaeten to really explain the process.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
I thank my colleague for her question.
As I mentioned, the Auditor General’s report didn’t surprise me at all. We made a major change at the Canada Revenue Agency to improve services and ensure that employees develop skills in much more specific areas. In 2016, we implemented what we called service renewal. Changes were made at the Canada Revenue Agency. More specialized services have been centralized in various offices. Instead of dealing with generalist staff spread across the country, people will be able to use these specialized services and get much better information.
Agency employees work very hard. I really want to congratulate them on everything they’ve done in terms of service renewal. The agency’s 40,000 employees contributed to this effort. Phenomenal work has been done since 2016.
Mr. Vermaeten may want to add to that.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Chair, I appreciate the opportunity to participate in the committee's study of supplementary estimates (B).
I am joined by Commissioner Bob Hamilton, who will speak to you more about this and other topics following my remarks.
I’d also like to introduce three senior officials from the Canada Revenue Agency: Janique Caron, Acting Assistant Commissioner, Finance and Administration Branch; Ted Gallivan, Assistant Commissioner, International, Large Business and Investigations Branch; and Frank Vermaeten, Assistant Commissioner, Assessment, Benefit and Service Branch.
I would like to start by providing members with an overview of some recent achievements following the second year of my mandate as Minister of National Revenue.
First, the Government is steadfast in its efforts to crack down on tax evasion and combat tax avoidance. We will increasingly identify aggressive tax planning schemes that are not in the spirit of the Income Tax Act.
The Government has invested nearly $1 billion in Budgets 2016 and 2017 to address this complex problem that is taking resources away from the services that improve the standard of living of all Canadians.
The Agency’s auditors now have access to more and better refined information, which helps them to focus on the individuals and corporations that actively seek to avoid paying their fair share of taxes.
Second, we have strengthened our partnerships and cooperation with international governments. The results speak for themselves: The Agency is currently conducting more than 990 audits related to offshore financial structures. It is investigating more than 42 corporations and individuals with offshore accounts. The Agency has also imposed $44 million in penalties on promoters and tax preparers.
Third, regarding our work to improve support for indigenous peoples and people living in remote communities, the Agency is working hard to keep the government's promise. It is increasing its outreach efforts to make these individuals aware of the benefits available to them, and reducing the challenges associated with filing their tax returns.
This past October, in Yellowknife, I announced the Agency’s Northern Consultations Action Plan. This plan outlines actions over the next two years to improve the Agency’s services for northern residents.
My main objective is to improve the client experience for Canadians who access tax services. Canadians communicate with us in good faith. They are important clients, not just taxpayers. They deserve to receive quality services in a timely manner. In order to improve the customer experience, here are some of the latest service improvements from the Agency.
The Agency has introduced enhanced electronic processes for filing tax returns, such as information auto-fill. This secure service allows Canadians to automatically fill in parts of their income tax and benefit returns with information that the CRA has available at the time of filing the return.
Last year, more than 86% of Canadians filed their taxes electronically, almost 750,000 more than the year before.
In 2017, the Agency has taken steps to improve and modernize its call centre services. We have hired more agents and we have increased self-serve options, leaving more time for agents to provide the answers to more complex questions.
The Agency is also in the process of upgrading its call queue technology, and enhancing its training programs to ensure our clients receive the quality service they deserve.
While I am proud of these accomplishments, I fully recognize that there is still work to be done. This week's Auditor General's report was clear, and I accepted all of his recommendations regarding our call centres.
In our first Budget, our government invested $50 million over four years to improve the range of services we provide to the public. Starting this year, our clients will begin seeing the results of these investments.
Rest assured, we are listening to Canadians.
We know we must explain the Agency’s actions as clearly as possible so that its intentions are not misinterpreted.
We are seeking advice from Canadians to ensure that the Government’s programs and services are tailored to fit those who need them. We encourage Canadians to enter into a dialogue with the Agency to share their concerns.
Today, I also announced that we have re-instated the Disability Advisory Committee. This committee will be made up of 12 members with different backgrounds; they will work with the Agency in order to come up with recommendations so that it can administer disability benefits in a more fair, more transparent and more accessible manner.
Outreach and consultation are key, and the Agency will continue to work with Canadians to ensure their views are incorporated into the decisions it makes.
Mr. Chair, I will now yield the floor to Commissioner Hamilton, who will speak to the Supplementary Estimates (B) and other matters of interest to the committee.
I thank you for inviting me to speak with you today.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Thank you for your question. I would also like to thank you for taking the time to meet with me. I know that you are a dedicated advocate for Canadians living with diabetes as well as for your constituents in Brampton South. My English isn't so good, so please accept my apologies, as I will continue in French.
First, I would like to point out that we have met with people from Diabetes Canada, Diabetes Quebec, and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation to find out their concerns and to understand their points of view. After those meetings, I came to the conclusion that the agency clearly needs a mechanism to gather advice on these matters.
That is why, today, I announced the return of the Disability Advisory Committee. A committee of that kind had been established in 2004, but it was abolished by the Conservatives as soon as they came to power in 2006. These are the same Conservatives who now claim to be rushing to the defence of the most vulnerable.
The advisory committee will work collaboratively with the agency and will bring together major stakeholders in the field to make sure that all measures targeting persons with disabilities, including the Disability Tax Credit, are administered fairly under the provisions of the Income Tax Act.
The committee will advise the CRA on the specific needs and expectations of persons living with disabilities, will review and provide feedback on the CRA's administrative practices, in order to provide greater transparency and greater access to credits, and will make recommendations on how the agency can enhance the quality of the services we provide to persons with disabilities.
I understand completely that living with a disability can have consequences for those involved, their families and their surroundings. That is why I am committed to ensuring that the agency will administer measures for those with disabilities in a fair, transparent and accessible manner.
In the last two financial years, the number of those accepted has increased by 20%. We have worked to simplify the forms. We are working with specialized nurse practitioners who are able to fill in the forms for people living in areas where access to a doctor is more difficult. The agency has also hired nurses for the programs for persons with disabilities.
I invite the commissioner to complete my answer.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
The government is determined to renew the nation-to-nation relationship with indigenous peoples, and to ensure that they receive the benefits and the credits to which they are entitled.
I have met with a number of indigenous communities to discuss problems with access to the agency's services, and I will continue to do so. I come from a remote area myself. So I know full well what it means to be a long way from Ottawa. As the proverb says, “out of sight, out of mind”.
The Canada Revenue Agency has published its communication materials in a number of indigenous languages. We are working in partnership with Service Canada. The agency has visited 698 indigenous communities across the country in order to provide them with information about the benefits.
Although the agency has made a lot of progress, there is still work to be done and we are going to do it in collaboration with indigenous communities and with our partners in the regions.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
As I mentioned, I am aware of the Auditor General's report and I accept all the recommendations it contains.
Right from our first budget, we decided to invest $50 million over four years, specifically to work on hiring staff in the call centres.
I can also tell you that, unlike your government, which, when Kerry-Lynne Findlay was the minister, made cuts to the Canada Revenue Agency, we have made investments in it, such as setting up a new telephone platform in order to better meet the needs of the customers who call the Canada Revenue Agency. The telephone system is 20 years old and it is out of date.
The cuts that you made also affected employee training and support. So we are working on training, because it is important to continue to provide training and support, so that Canadians can receive the best information possible.
We must also respond to the standards and needs of Canadians, not establish standards that meet only the needs of the Canada Revenue Agency.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Not at all. I am very pleased to be able to tell you that, in the last two years, I have visited the vast majority of Canada Revenue Agency offices. I went to see the call centres, I met with the employees who work there, and I listened to telephone calls.
Starting last year, we established our action plan so that we could meet the needs of Canadians. In my two years of work in the field, I have come to realize the extent to which the cuts that your government had made had weakened, and dismantled, brick by brick, the services provided to Canadians by the Canada Revenue Agency in the call centres. You should be ashamed of what happened.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
I will let the commissioner answer your question.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
What I can tell you today is that, in my opinion, it is important to let the agency do its job. The Canada Revenue Agency takes all the information about the Paradise Papers seriously.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
The Canada Revenue Agency receives 30 million tax returns per year, from individuals or companies, and I cannot comment on any of them.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
The Canada Revenue Agency will do the job it has to do. I can assure you that, as long as I am in this position, it will be done exactly in that way, meaning that we will not discuss any specific case.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
I work with the officials of the Canada Revenue Agency. What our government has done in the last two years is invest almost $1 billion specifically to combat tax evasion and tax avoidance.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
All taxpayers' files are confidential and will remain confidential. I can assure you that no, repeat no, parliamentarian will have access to the Canada Revenue Agency's files.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
I certainly do not believe that you would like the Minister of National Revenue to be talking about your file, or about the file of any other parliamentarian. That would be completely inconceivable.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Our current telephone system does not allow us to record calls. We have to set up a new platform that will meet the needs of Canadians.
Commissioner Hamilton will be able to give you more details on the three measures that we will soon be implementing.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
The agency has a program that allows people to challenge its decisions. I will invite the Commissioner to talk to you about the unique features of that program.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
In our first two budgets, we have invested $1 billion. As we have repeatedly said, these are unprecedented budgets in which the government gave priority to the fight against tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. This has enabled us to hire 100 auditors. However, the Conservative government eliminated 50 auditor positions assigned to international tax evasion.
As of September 30, 2017, those funds had allowed the agency to conduct more than 990 audits and 42 criminal investigations related to financial structures abroad. Those activities are still ongoing.
That's the work those investments will allow the Canada Revenue Agency to accomplish in the next five years. The first budget, approved in 2016, covered the period ending in 2021. Budget 2017 provided for additional funds. This will help us work on tax evasion until 2022.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Unlike the Conservative government before us, our government decided to look into the tax gap. It was our promise to Canadians, and that's exactly what we are doing. We have taken a fact-based approach. To date, we have demonstrated our commitment to estimating the tax gap. We have actually published three studies since June 2016. We are continuing our efforts on the tax gap. That's what Canadians expect. In the summer of 2018, we will submit another report on the international tax gap.
I invite Commissioner Hamilton to give you more details on the issue.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Let me say to everyone here, around the table, that the Income Tax Act has not changed when it comes to the disability tax credit. No changes have been made to the eligibility criteria for the disability tax credit.
In addition, I can tell you that, at the Canada Revenue Agency, we are currently working to improve our communications with people so that they are much more respectful, much easier to understand—
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
What I am saying is that, at the Canada Revenue Agency, we are working to improve our communications with all Canadians so that they are much more respectful and do a good job of explaining the legislation to Canadians. Whether we decline or accept, we are trying to be much more human in our communications. Humanizing the Canada Revenue Agency's services is part of my mandate letter.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
I can tell you that, between 2015 and 2017, the number of approved tax credit claims has increased by 20%. We have made the tax credit much more accessible. We have simplified the forms. We rehired nurses. We also give people access to specialized nurse practitioners who can answer questions and complete forms.
That's what we are doing at the Canada Revenue Agency so that people receive the tax credits they are entitled to.
I will ask Mr. Hamilton to elaborate on the technical aspects.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
It's ridiculous to say that the Prime Minister will interfere in cases that fall under the Canada Revenue Agency. We will let the revenue agency do its job.
All the information about the Paradise Papers is taken very seriously by the agency. If any charges need to be laid, it will certainly not be up to any parliamentarian to do so.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
I would like to add something about the disability tax credit. By dismantling the important disability advisory committee, your government deprived the disabled, those who protect their rights and professionals in the area of the opportunity to share their opinions in order to better guide the agency's decisions. The disability advisory committee, which we have reinstated, will be a major tool for the agency. We must continue to work with our partners.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Since our government took office, the public has been at the heart of its concerns, a mission that is also part of my mandate letter. This has helped increase the number of people eligible for the disability tax credit.
I also want to point out that our interactions with stakeholders will help us examine the agency's administrative practices and improve the quality of, and accessibility to, the services we provide to people with disabilities.
We checked the numbers with Diabetes Canada. Diabetes Canada is not able to explain where the numbers we were given come from. The Canada Revenue Agency is doing all the checks manually. Anyone who meets the criteria is entitled to the tax credit, period.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Thank you, Mr. Chair, for the opportunity to provide input into the standing committee's study of the main estimates.
I am joined by Mr. Roch Huppé, the agency's chief financial officer and assistant commissioner of the finance and administration branch, and Mr. Ted Gallivan, the assistant commissioner of the international, large business and investigations branch.
First off, I would like to highlight that the agency is seeking $4.2 billion through these main estimates—$3.2 billion of which requires approval by Parliament. This number represents a 1.9% increase from last year’s main estimates. The agency will use these funds to successfully continue its important work.
In November, when I last spoke to this committee, I gave an overview of the Canada Revenue Agency’s efforts to combat aggressive tax planning and tax avoidance, as well as how the agency is improving services for Canadians. I would like to take a few minutes, Mr. Chair, to update the committee on these two fronts and the ways they are being addressed by the agency.
As you know, the Canada Revenue Agency is an increasingly client-focused agency that exists to serve Canadians. As it says in my mandate letter, my overarching goal as Minister of National Revenue is to ensure that the agency is fairer and more helpful, and that its services are easier to use. The agency is currently overhauling its service model so that people who interact with it feel like valued clients, not just taxpayers.
The agency is committed to ensuring that Canadians have access to the information they need about taxes and benefits—on its website, through its call centres, or through written correspondence.
Since my last appearance, the agency has responded to the public’s needs by making it easier to get help over the phone. To make sure that Canadians understand the information they're receiving from the agency, we have simplified the language in 75% of the correspondence we send to Canadians, making it easier to read and understand.
The agency is also ramping up its outreach efforts to ensure that taxpayers understand and meet their tax obligations. These efforts improve tax compliance through a “get it right from the start” approach to educate, inform, and support taxpayers by improving service and encouraging voluntary compliance.
As you are well aware, we have just completed the 2017 filing season. Over 22.8 million T1 returns were received from February 20 to April 30. Close to 90% of returns were filed electronically. Roughly 58% of those returns were filed by tax preparers through EFILE, and 32% were filed by individuals through NETFILE.
New services were launched to help individuals and tax preparers submit their returns electronically for the 2017 tax filing season. The Auto-fill my return service automatically fills in parts of tax returns, making filing online easier. This tax season, additional slips and prior year returns are available for Auto-fill. Tax preparers can also amend their clients' returns electronically by using the new ReFILE service.
I'm pleased to tell this committee that our service improvements that benefit all Canadians will not stop there.
The agency is developing a new service for February 2018 that will fully prepare returns for Canadians with simple tax situations, low or fixed income, and whose financial situations are unchanged from year to year.
In addition, in order to meet our commitment to provide the best possible service to Canadians from coast to coast, the agency’s service renewal plans are well under way. With more Canadians than ever filing their taxes online, the resources needed for the agency to deal with paper returns are decreasing. So, we are reviewing and reorganizing workloads in order to work smarter and more efficiently.
That means we are improving our call centres and creating national verification and collections centres. These changes mean the Canada Revenue Agency will be a more efficient organization and provide better service to Canadians.
Still, we always strive to do better, prioritizing Canadians in everything we do. As our prime minister says, we can always do better.
Since my appointment as Minister of National Revenue, I have been committed to ensuring that Canadians get the benefits to which they're entitled. That's why the agency is proactively contacting Canadians who are not receiving the tax credits or benefits they should, to make sure that the government is supporting the most vulnerable and ensuring Canadian families have the support they need.
The agency is also expanding the community volunteer income tax program; now, more Canadians than ever with low and modest incomes will benefit from free tax preparation clinics.
Mr. Huppé will speak to the details of the main estimates, but before I yield the floor to him, I would like to briefly touch on the agency’s accomplishments on the compliance front and our plans for the way forward.
Most Canadians pay their taxes in full and on time. But some do not pay what they owe. This is not right; this must change. By combatting offshore tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance, as does our government, we are protecting the important public services that Canadians rely on.
Since my last appearance before this committee, the agency has taken concrete and effective steps to crack down on tax cheats. We are currently conducting audits on over 820 taxpayers and criminally investigating over 30 cases of tax evasion specifically linked to offshore tax havens.
Through Budget 2016, the agency increased its information-gathering capabilities and improved the tools at its disposal. The agency now has access to more of the information it needs to fulfill its obligations.
In the last year, the agency has increased the number of auditors reviewing offshore tax schemes, promoters and large multinational corporations. It has started reviewing all taxpayers in certain segments of the population identified as high risk. The agency is using external data and publicly available information to maximize its efforts to identify non-compliance. It has expanded its efforts specifically geared towards intermediaries, making promoters a focus of our criminal investigations, with several under way.
As well, the agency is taking a much harder stance on taxpayers who appear on leaked lists of offshore holdings. For example, with the Panama Papers, the agency has over 122 taxpayer audits under way and is reviewing a treasure trove of data linked to these taxpayers. It has also executed search warrants, and several criminal investigations involving both participants and facilitators are under way.
Audits of the highest-risk taxpayers moving money between Canada and four foreign tax administrations of interest are under way, with more to come. So far, a total of 41,000 transactions have been analyzed, totalling over $12 billion. The Canada Revenue Agency continues to build its capacity to detect and crack down on tax cheats. It is developing a powerful business intelligence infrastructure and risk assessment system to target cases of high-risk Canadian and international tax evasion and abusive tax avoidance.
It is clear, Mr. Chair, that our government is committed to protecting the integrity of the Canadian tax system by combatting offshore tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance on all levels. As Minister of National Revenue, I am committed to ensuring that the agency has all the tools and resources it needs to fulfill its role and meet Canadians' expectations.
Thank you.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
I thank my colleague for his question.
Cracking down on tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance is indeed a priority for our government. Last year, the Department of Finance allocated extraordinary resources to the Canada Revenue Agency for that purpose, in the amount of $444 million. This meant that we were able to hire auditors throughout the year and acquire the tools necessary to combat tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. We are also busy getting rid of tax loopholes that result in tax advantages for some at the expense of others.
I will let Mr. Gallivan provide you with some more technical details.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
I thank my colleague for his question.
I have to tell you that I am particularly sensitive to the whole issue of small and medium-sized businesses, given that I was raised by parents who owned a small business. I come from a rural area where there are a lot of small businesses.
Our government has committed to supporting small businesses. In my view, they create jobs and wealth, and they diversify our economy.
At the Canada Revenue Agency, we have established a service to support small businesses as they are starting up. Last year, we held consultations with small businesses across the country. We wanted to determine how the agency could continue to improve its services and to help small businesses not only as they start up, but also as they continue their activities.
Mr. Gallivan will be able to provide you with additional information on that.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Chair, I thank my colleague for his question and for his interest in small businesses.
As I was saying earlier, small businesses are a priority for me, given that I come from an area where there are a lot of them.
However, I do not entirely agree with what he has just said. We have not changed the tax rules on deductions that apply to small and medium-sized businesses. The same provisions continue to apply.
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