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Results: 1 - 59 of 59
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Yes. We can hear you very well.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
I can tell my colleague that, at Revenue Canada, we are very proud of the work that we have done, whether it is on the issue of tax evasion or in terms of customer service. This is also National Public Service Week. We have arranged for 8.5 million people to be able to receive the CERB.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Chair, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I have the honour to table in both official languages the 2019-2020 annual report of the Office of the Taxpayers' Ombudsman, entitled “Transformation through Disruption”.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Chair, the Canada Revenue Agency's priority is to ensure that emergency response payments are transferred quickly and efficiently to eligible Canadians.
The agency has safeguards in place to ensure that payments are issued appropriately. As with all other benefits administered by the agency, we may undertake audit activities at future dates. If we find that payments were made in error—
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Chair, we consider this to be a difficult situation for Canadians, and our government will do everything it can to support them.
I can confirm that the CRA is still processing paper returns, but because of the reduced staff on site and the physical distancing, Canadians can expect delays. We regret the inconvenience this causes for those who file their returns on paper—
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Chair, I thank my colleague for that important question.
I can tell you that CRA employees have to deal with questions put to them. It is not up to MPs' offices to deal with specific questions about individual files.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Chair, I must thank the officials who have done excellent work during this historic COVID-19 period.
I must tell you that CRA call centres are an essential service and the agency is able to answer calls quickly. The employees are answering calls from their homes.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Chair, I thank my colleague for that important question.
At the CRA, we continue to process paper returns and to do the work that we usually do.
I repeat, I must highlight the exceptional work that the agency employees are doing.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Chair, I can confirm that the Canada Revenue Agency continues to process paper returns. Because of COVID-19, we have had to implement distancing measures to protect the employees.
We must ensure that employees are safe, but we continue to process paper returns.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Chair, as we have said, one of our government's priorities was to invest almost $1 billion to establish a system intended to fight tax evasion. That was not at all a priority under the Conservatives.
We continue to do that important work for taxpayers; everyone must pay their fair share.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Chair, the fight against tax evasion is a priority for our government. We will continue to target companies that use tax evasion schemes.
Let me be clear: in everything we do, we will target companies and not innocent workers. Employees are employees, no matter who they work for.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Chair, our government considers these to be very difficult times for Canadians. We're going to do everything we can to support them by helping them pay for their housing and their groceries.
I'm very proud of the public servants who work at the Canada Revenue Agency. Nearly seven million—
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
I'll finish my response, which was interrupted: Nearly 7.8 million Canadians have applied for the Canada emergency response benefit. The priority is for Canadians to be able to pay for their groceries and their housing.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
As I mentioned, we believe that Canadians are going through a very difficult time, and we need to support them. We need to help people pay for their groceries and their housing. That's what our government is committed to, and that's what we'll continue to do.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Good afternoon, Mr. Chair.
Thank you for this invitation to tell you about the work of the Canada Revenue Agency in supporting Canadians during this unprecedented time. The work you are undertaking on government measures to support Canadians in response to the COVID-19 pandemic is very important.
I am pleased to be accompanied today by the commissioner of the Canada Revenue Agency, Bob Hamilton, and three members of the agency's senior management: Frank Vermaeten, assistant commissioner, assessment, benefit and service branch; Geoff Trueman, assistant commissioner, legislative policy and regulatory affairs branch; and Ted Gallivan, assistant commissioner, compliance programs branch.
Since 2015, I have focused on improving the service delivery that is offered to Canadians. This means the agency and I place Canadians at the centre of all our priorities. We recently launched our People First philosophy and it is the pillar of our new service model. This philosophy is a key element in the agency's response to implementing the emergency economic measures.
Driven by the People First philosophy, agency employees have been working hard to support Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to taking part in an impressive mobilization of human resources in the field, we are also seeing a significant increase in the technology being used every day to serve Canadians in an even more accessible, efficient and rapid manner.
Allow me to give you an overview of the CRA's work over the past eight weeks. The agency started by realigning its efforts in order to be more efficient during this crisis. Then, on March 18, it announced it was pushing back the tax filing deadline for individuals, corporations and trusts, thereby relieving Canadians of that burden.
In the same spirit, the agency also announced the temporary suspension of the vast majority of audits. The agency then worked quickly to implement the government's various economic measures. First and foremost: the Canada emergency response benefit.
As I am sure you know, the agency is responsible for a significant part of administering the CERB, and the CRA is fully responsible for administering the Canada emergency wage subsidy, CEWS, as well as the Canada emergency student benefit, the CESB.
Regarding the CERB and the CEWS, I am especially proud of how quick and easy the application process is for Canadians. And I must emphasize that the amounts are paid promptly. In fact, most people receive their payment by direct deposit within three business days—sometimes even two days.
We have also demonstrated significant technological capacity, which is very impressive when you consider the online services were set up in just a few weeks. When the CERB was launched, the agency's system registered 30,000 applications in 12 minutes. Since April 6, the agency has reviewed and processed nearly 7.5 million CERB applications, for more than 4.45 million individuals.
I am very proud of the agency's incredible work under these circumstances. In fact, the media described the technological implementation of the CERB as a “small miracle.” This miracle would have been impossible without the exceptional cooperation between the agency's public servants and those from Employment and Social Development Canada.
On April 27, the agency deployed a new economic measure, namely, the Canada emergency wage subsidy. Again, everyone pitched in to make this application process a success. To date, the agency has received over 128,000 applications for the wage subsidy.
Finally, the agency will soon be able to launch the Canada emergency student benefit, the CESB. Students will soon be able to submit their application through the agency portal and the My Account service.
The CRA was able to mobilize a lot of people in the blink of an eye, starting with the agents at its call centres. To keep up the pace, the agency also reassigned many employees to new duties. A total of 7,500 employees answered a call to lend a hand to the call centres. Of course, while all this work took place, the CRA also made sure that appropriate compliance measures were put in place for all applications for emergency financial assistance.
Ensuring compliance is an essential part of the agency's mission. We are committed to preserving the integrity of our Canadian tax system. In this regard, the agency developed strict auditing measures—electronic and manual—and several safeguards for claimant eligibility, refund terms, and even tax loopholes. You can rest assured that offenders will face severe consequences, up to and including imprisonment.
Mr. Chair, this pandemic continues to have a terrible impact on many of our fellow citizens—not only on their health, but also on their economic well-being. However, I am proud of the efficiency with which the entire government has mobilized in recent weeks to support Canadians. As the saying goes, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” I can proudly tell you that agency employees have shown that they are, indeed, very tough.
I am now ready to take your questions. Thank you.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Thank you for your question, Mr. Morantz.
The Canada Revenue Agency's priority was to ensure that Canada emergency benefit payments would be delivered quickly and efficiently to eligible Canadians. As with all other benefits administered by the agency, we may undertake audit activities at a later date.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
I'm sorry, Mr. Morantz, I didn't quite understand your question.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
We are currently experiencing a historical situation like we haven't seen since the Second World War. As I was saying, the important thing for the Canada Revenue Agency was to ensure that Canadians receive benefits to help them get through the current crisis. I can assure you that the agency has mechanisms in place to recover the money that will need to be recovered.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Our government understands that Canadians are going through a very difficult time. We are here to support them. That is why we have announced a series of measures, including extending the deadline for filing income tax returns to June 1, 2020. We continue to monitor the situation and developments very closely and are currently working on solutions that will be communicated to you shortly.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Chair, all of the agency's teams are mobilized to give effect to the emergency measures that need to be made available to Canadians. As I mentioned, the agency reached nearly 7.5 million Canadians.
We continue to process tax returns, whether paper or electronic, so that people receive their benefits and the money they are owed as quickly as possible.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
As I mentioned, we know this is a very difficult time for Canadian companies and their employees. Our government is doing everything it can to support Canadians.
The application process was launched two weeks ago. We have received over 127,000 applications since the launch. The majority of the companies are small and medium-sized enterprises.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
I would like to say to my colleague that the companies that apply find the process simple. Indeed, the objective of our programs was to have simple and fast processes to be able to support all our companies.
If you'd like a little more technical detail, I could let the officials respond, either Mr. Gallivan or Mr. Vermaeten.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
You're absolutely right when you say that the agency employees did an incredible job.
In order to be able to deliver benefits to people, whether the Canada emergency response benefit or the Canada emergency wage subsidy, all employees had to focus on the emergency measures we had to implement for Canadians. In addition, we need to ensure the safety of our employees. So many of our employees are working from home. We had to organize telephone services at home, while at the same time maintaining data privacy for all Canadians. That's why we're saying that they did an incredible job.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
I can tell you that these investigations are ongoing. When we talk about audits, we're talking about the regular work that is done on a daily basis. It's part of the agency's work.
With regard to the audits, if you want more technical details, one of the officials in charge could answer your question.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Thank you. Initially, the money invested was also used for organization, to put in place and consolidate the tools our public servants use. This made it possible to hire auditors and rebuild an expertise that had been taken away from us by the previous government, for which this was not a priority.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Investigations are ongoing and cases will be litigated. Requests have been made in this regard, as per regulations. Mr. Gallivan, who really is the expert on tax evasion, will be able to answer you very well.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
I would say that your question is too complex to be answered with a yes or no answer. What I can say, though, is that all the programs we put in place really serve to protect the workers and employees of companies, regardless of who their employer is. I can assure you that we continue to fight against companies that use these stratagems.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
I'm sorry, Mr. Chair.
As I was telling you, Mr. Green, this type of case is complex because people use very sophisticated schemes. We will continue to protect employees, no matter who they work for. My goal is really to make sure that Canadians have money to pay for their groceries and their housing. Companies that use schemes will be prosecuted and held accountable. That could go as far as jail time.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Among other measures we've taken in recent years, we have been working with the OECD. We assess four countries a year and exchange information. Our goal remains the same: to have everyone pays their fair share.
The Agency is only responsible for administering the programs. With respect to the creation of the programs and their eligibility criteria, Minister Morneau will be in a much better position to answer you. We have listened to the concerns of our colleagues and Canadians and we will continue to work to find solutions.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
As I was saying to my colleague, my job as minister is to manage the programs. If my colleague wants more information on the criteria, I suggest he addresses his question to the Minister of Finance.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
I thank my colleague for the question.
The Government of Canada is indeed working very hard. We are experiencing the most severe crisis we have had since the Second World War. A lot of money...
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
As I was saying, the agency has verification mechanisms. Right now, we are focusing all our energies on putting money back into the taxpayers' pockets. When the crisis is over, we will use our usual verification mechanisms.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
We recognize that there is a problem with the high volume of applications for all the new programs we have put in place. For this reason, we strongly encourage people to use the online services. I am very proud of the fact that we have been able to reach close to 7.5 million Canadians. There is more work to be done. It's not perfect, but we look for solutions on an ongoing basis.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
As I mentioned earlier, given the exceptional global situation—on this we agree—our government's priority is to ensure that people receive the Canada Emergency Benefit and the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy. So we've put all of our energies into getting money back to Canadians. We continue to process tax returns so that people receive their money as quickly as possible.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
These programs were put in place to ensure that people were able to pay for their groceries and housing, despite the high number of applications. When we talk about the 7.5 million people who have applied for the CERB, we can see that there was an urgent need to reach out to Canadians. We have put these programs in place and counted on the good faith of Canadians, trusting that people will only apply for them if they really need them.
As I was saying, there are mechanisms in place. Mr. Vermaeten is responsible for this area. He could tell you what kind of auditing could be done with the taxpayers.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
I can tell you that we have a process in place for reviewing research and development applications. We have equipped staff to prepare them to resume service to Canadian companies.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
I thank my colleague for his question. As I mentioned, the Agency put in place a simple and quick program to respond without delay to Canadians who were in great need. We also know that people may have inadvertently made mistakes. I would not want to assume that people are dishonest. As Mr. Vermaeten mentioned earlier, audits will begin next year. In any event, it is part of the agency's mandate to conduct audits. We are going to make sure that people who owe money to the agency turn that money over.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
I think the answer is very simple: this is a historic situation. Canadians were experiencing great hardship and losing their jobs. The fact that 7.5 million people applied shows how important this program was to our population.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
When the audits are done, we will be able to recover the money, but my primary objective was really to ensure that families, single mothers, people in our community, workers who had lost their jobs and seniors who were in financial difficulty because of COVID-19 received money to help them get through this crisis.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
When we have responded to the population's plight, when we have fed our people, when we have made sure that people's housing is paid for and that our families and our people are safe, we will be happy to do the checks and give that information to my colleague.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
I thank my colleague for his important question. Indeed, when we made the request to the agency's employees, we knew that we would need additional call centre staff. Seven thousand five hundred Canada Revenue Agency members offered to help.
For the much more technical details, I'll direct you to Commissioner Hamilton.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
I know this is a very important issue for you. I'm going to turn it over to Mr. Ted Gallivan, who can answer you about the very technical aspects. It's a lot more complex than you think.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
I recognize that some Canadians have not been able to access the usual services, such as the community volunteer income tax program. That is because of the current situation. We have received your letter and those of other members of Parliament, and we will take your comments and recommendations into consideration.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
We are working to make sure that anyone who tries to circumvent the rules faces serious consequences.
We are asking businesses to designate a representative to attest their claims. Any employer receiving the subsidy who is deemed ineligible will have to repay the full amount. Anyone who abuses the program could face fines of up to 225% of the subsidy amount as well as five years in prison.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
We will keep going after companies that engage in tax evasion.
I want to be clear. We will target those who are responsible, not innocent workers. An employee is an employee, regardless of who they work for.
The wage subsidy program does not hand a blank cheque over to employers. It is meant to help Canadians pay their bills, keep their jobs and get through the crisis.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Chair, as soon as we took office, in 2015, our government made cracking down on tax evaders in Canada and abroad a priority. That's precisely why we put nearly a billion dollars towards that effort. I realize that my fellow member is impatient, but he has to understand that this is a very complex issue.
Under our leadership, in three years, the Canada Revenue Agency has undertaken twice as many audits related to offshore tax evasion as it did in the 10 years the Conservatives were in power.
As we speak, the agency is conducting more than 50 criminal investigations tied to international tax evasion. I repeat, this is a top priority for our government.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Chair, our government is taking unprecedented steps through the Canada emergency wage subsidy measure to support businesses and workers affected by COVID-19. This is largely a trust-based program, and we will not tolerate abuse. Anyone who tries to bypass the rules will face serious consequences.
Applicants have to designate an individual to attest to the truth of their claim. What's more, any employer receiving the subsidy who is deemed ineligible will have to repay the full amount. Anyone who abuses the program could face a fine of up to 225% of the wage subsidy amount and up to five years in prison. The Canada Revenue Agency also has a myriad of tools at its disposal to detect a fraudulent claim.
As I mentioned, cracking down on tax evasion is a priority for our government.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Chair, thanks to a historic billion-dollar investment, our government has given the agency the resources it needs to do the job, and we are starting to see results.
I set up an expert advisory committee to provide us with guidance and recommendations. We tightened the rules for the voluntary disclosures program. We signed tax information exchange agreements with a number of countries. We audit four jurisdictions a year. We also work closely with the OECD.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
This is a tough time for Canadians, and our government is doing everything it can to support them. More than 7 million Canadians have applied for the Canada emergency response benefit, which the Canada Revenue Agency and Service Canada administer.
I want to say how proud I am of the work the agency is doing; staff worked tirelessly to get the program up and running in record time. Minister Qualtrough is responsible for developing the eligibility criteria and processing the claims.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Madam Chair, as soon as our government took office in 2015, we made it a priority to crack down on tax cheats. Our government's historic investments of almost $1 billion have ensured that the agency can access the necessary resources for its work. We're already starting to see the results.
As I was saying, I established an expert advisory committee to advise us. We've also been working on tightening the rules of the voluntary disclosures program. We've entered into country-by-country agreements that make it possible to share information. We're auditing four countries a year. We're working with the OECD. Currently, over 50 criminal investigations are related to international tax evasion.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Madam Chair, I completely understand my colleague's impatience. However, she must understand that this type of issue is very complex. Under the former Conservative government, the issue wasn't a priority at all. Regarding tax evasion abroad, our leadership made it possible for the agency to conduct twice as many audits in three years as it conducted in 10 years under the Conservatives. Over 50 criminal investigations related to international tax evasion are ongoing.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Chair, good afternoon.
I want to take the time to answer my colleague properly because his question is really important.
Our government has invested unprecedented amounts of money—nearly $1 billion—to fight tax evasion. Over the past few years, we have worked on tightening the rules, including through the voluntary disclosures program. We have worked in tandem with the OECD. Every year, we have ensured to conclude agreements with every country to exchange information. Our government's priority is to continue to work on everyone paying their fair share.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Chair, as I was explaining to my colleague, at my request, an expert panel has been created at the Canada Revenue Agency to advise us on the measures to take to avoid people getting involved in tax evasion or in abusive tax avoidance.
As I was saying, this is a key issue for us and for taxpayers. Our government has invested the most money—nearly $1 billion—to give the agency the tools to fight tax avoidance and tax evasion. We will continue to do everything we possibly can for everyone to pay their fair share.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I want to thank my colleague for her important question.
I want to reiterate that the fight against tax evasion in Canada and abroad is a priority for our government. With respect to tax evasion abroad, under our leadership, the agency has conducted twice as many audits in three years as it conducted in 10 years under the Conservatives. The agency is currently conducting over 50 criminal investigations related to international tax evasion. As we said, we've made unprecedented investments of almost $1 billion. We've given the agency the tools that it needs to fight tax evasion and tax avoidance.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to answer my colleague's important question.
We expect to receive almost one million applications from businesses for the Canada emergency wage subsidy. Of that number, 100,000 businesses generate annual revenues of over $5 million. Each application from these 100,000 businesses will be checked manually by auditors.
We'll take all the necessary measures to maintain the integrity of the tax system and to ensure that everyone pays their fair share of taxes. It should also be noted that the wage subsidy implemented by our government is really designed to protect employees, not businesses.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'll give a straightforward answer to my colleague so that he understands the response. Tax evasion and tax avoidance are really a priority for our government. Since 2015, we've invested almost $1 billion to fight these issues.
With respect to tax evasion abroad, as a result of our leadership, the agency has conducted twice as many audits in three years as it conducted in 10 years under the Conservative government.
Currently, there are over 50 criminal investigations related to international tax evasion. We've given the agency the tools that it needs to do its job effectively. We'll continue to work to maintain the integrity of the tax system, Mr. Chair.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
As we said, tax evasion and tax avoidance are a priority for our government. We made historic investments of $1 billion to fight these issues. We have agreements with countries and we conduct country-by-country audits each year. We tightened the rules of the voluntary disclosures program and we're working with the OECD. We're implementing measures. We've given the agency the tools that it needs to fight tax evasion. We'll continue working along exactly the same lines, Mr. Chair.
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View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Yes, Mr. Chair.
The fight against tax evasion is a priority for our government.
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