TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TAX BREAKS 

MICHAEL WILSON, CANADA'S REVENUE MINISTER RECENTLY ISSUED A WHITE PAPER ON INCOME TAX REFORMS. IT WILL BECOME LAW NEXT YEAR UNLESS THERE IS WIDE-SPREAD OBJECTION TO THE PROPOSED CHANGES IN THE INCOME TAX ACT.

MANY OF THESE CHANGES WILL SERIOUSLY AFFECT THE FASTEST GROWING SEGMENT OF OUR ECONOMY - SMALL BUSINESS. ARE YOU AWARE THAT 62% OF ALL JOBS CREATED IN 1986 (BY STATS CANADA'S OWN RECORDS) WERE CREATED BY COMPANIES WITH FIVE OR LESS EMPLOYEE'S !!

THOSE THAT ARE SELF-EMPLOYED WILL BE EQUALLY HARD HIT. THIS GROUP IS ALSO A FAST GROWTH PORTION OF OUR BUSINESS WORLD. EIGHTEEN PERCENT OF THE WORKFORCE IN B.C. IS SELF-EMPLOYED. IN ALL WESTERN CANADA IT AVERAGES 17%. ACROSS CANADA JUST 10%. DOES THIS SEEM LIKE A FAMILIAR TACTIC? TAKING ACTION THAT AFFECTS WESTERN CANADA SEVERELY, WHILE HARMING A RELATIVELY SMALLER NUMBER OF CITIZENS IN EASTERN CANADA.

WELL TO SURVIVE IN "FUTUREWORLD" ONE HAS TO LEARN SURVIVAL TACTICS: LET ME TELL YOU THE WAYS.

PRINTED ALONGSIDE THIS COLUMN IS A PAGE TAKEN FROM THE TREASURY BOARD'S "ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY MANUAL". IT SETS OUT ALL THE EXPENSES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO FEDERAL CIVIL SERVANTS WHEN THEY GO ON A BUSINESS TRIP. WITHOUT PROVIDING RECEIPTS !!

WHEN I SAY "INFORMATION IS POWER" THIS IS WHAT I MEAN. IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE SUCH INFORMATION YOU PROBABLY WOULDN'T THINK OF DEDUCTING SUCH EXPENSES YOURSELF FOR YOUR "BUSINESS TRIPS". NOW YOU CAN. AFTER ALL, UNDER THE CANADIAN BILL OF RIGHTS THERE IS TO BE NO DISCRIMI- NATION. RIGHT?

THINK OF YOUR MEAL EXPENSES. A CIVIL SERVANT DOESN'T HAVE TO PROVIDE RECEIPTS. THEY JUST JOT DOWN THE NUMBER OF DAYS THEY ARE "ON THE ROAD", MULTIPLY BY $31.35 AND THAT IS THEIR REIMBURSEMENT. ALSO DON'T FORGET TO ADD THE $6.00 ALSO PAID FOR "INCIDENTALS". IF THEIR TRAVELS, OR PART OF THEM WERE IN THE U.S. DON'T FORGET THEY ARE ALLOWED TO CHARGE EVEN HIGHER A RATE. LIKE $39.35 A DAY INCLUDING INCIDENTALS.

CONVERTED AT TODAY'S CURRENT RATES THAT IS ABOUT C$53.18 AGAIN WITHOUT RECEIPTS !

AN EVEN MORE INTERESTING BIT OF INFORMATION IS THAT IF CIVIL SERVANTS ARE KEPT AWAY FROM RETURNING HOME EACH WEEKEND THEY CAN CLAIM ANOTHER $108.70. $161.55 IF IT'S A THREE-DAY WEEK-END. AND, A WHOPPING $ 214.40 FOR A FOUR-DAY WEEK-END!

SURELY, IT WOULD BE GROSS DISCRIMINATION IF THOSE THAT ARE CREATING JOBS AND THE COUNTRY'S WEALTH WERE DENIED THE SAME BASIC "OPPORTUNITIES" GIVEN TO EVERY FEDERAL CIVIL SERVANT.

WONDERING WHAT KIND OF MILEAGE PAYMENT FEDERAL CIVIL SERVANTS GET WHEN THEY DRIVE THEIR OWN CAR AT THE REQUEST OF THEIR EMPLOYER? WELL, FOR THE FIRST 6,500 KM OR 4,000 MILES THEY GET .27 CENTS A KM IF THEY ARE IN B.C. THE REST OF WESTERN CANADA GETS JUST 24.5 CENTS. QUEBEC GETS .28 CENTS. AFTER THE MINIMUM MILEAGE B.C. RESIDENTS GET 22.5 CENTS. IF A CIVIL SERVANTS CAR IS USED "WITHIN THE HQ AREA" THE MINIMUM DAILY ALLOWANCE IS $2.35 WITH NO CLAIM FOR DISTANCE TRAVELLED.

MORAL: IN CALCULATING INCOME TAX, ESPECIALLY UNDER THE NEW RULES MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT OTHERS ARE RECEIVING AS COMPENSATION WITHOUT RECEIPTS. AND DON'T NEGLECT, WHAT UP UNTIL NOW YOU MAY HAVE CONSIDERED "MINOR" MATTERS.

OH YES. WHAT WAS THE SOURCE FOR MY COPY OF THIS "SECRET" INFORMATION? FROM THE PEOPLE'S FRIEND: KENNETH M. DYE, F.C.A., THE AUDITOR GENERAL OF CANADA.

NOT WITHSTANDING ALL OF THE ABOVE AND ON THE ADVICE OF DAVID INGRAM, AUTHOR OF "DAVID INGRAM'S GUIDE TO INCOME TAX IN CANADA" BE SURE TO KEEP ALL OF YOUR RECEIPTS. JUST IN CASE OUR CHARTER OF RIGHTS IS AMENDED TO MAKE A DIFFERENT RULE FOR THE PEOPLE THAN FOR THE MANDARINS. TO CONTACT MAIL: 548 CARDERO ST., VANCOUVER,B.C., CANADA V6G 2W6 PHONES: (604)688-7103 OFF 681-0969 DATA 926-6210 RES. E-MAIL: THE SOURCE - CPA047. COMPU-SERVE - 71545, 1162

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