Election: Canadian Party of Quebec would cut sales tax
Posted September 8, 2022 5:46 pm.
Last Updated September 8, 2022 6:20 pm.
The Canadian Party of Quebec unveiled its economic platform on Thursday at a press conference in downtown Montreal – saying the province should reduce its sales tax and transfer income-tax-collecting responsibilities to the federal government.
“Repealing Bills 96, 21 and 40 are the primary ways in which we would bolster the Quebec economy: by knocking down the artificial impediments based on identity and language which have crippled all Quebecers for a generation,” said party leader Colin Standish.
“We do recognize that Quebecers need help now, especially when it comes to housing, gas, food and transportation costs. We are proposing tangible policies to ensure life is more affordable for the middle-class and working families today.”
The party said “an effective and arguably aggressive method of providing direct assistance to vulnerable Quebecers would be an immediate cut to the Quebec Sales Tax from 9.975 per cent currently to 8 per cent, starting January 1, 2023.”
As for tax collecting, the party said the Canada Revenue Agency should take over.
It cited a 2015 study that said “the shift to a single tax collection agency system would result in savings via the elimination of duplication of approximately $392 million per year in 2015 dollars for Quebec (over $476 million dollars today).”
The Canadian Party is also calling for the creation of two new income tax brackets for high income earners, suggesting that would “encourage fairness.”
