The Quebec election campaign.

Election promises.

August 23, 2018 | 8 min. 50 sec. | La croisée (Ici Radio-Canada) Interview (in French) with Kevin Brookes, Public Policy Analyst […]

Should the Government Pre-Fill Your Tax Return?

Should the Government Pre-Fill Your Tax Return?

August 21, 2018 | 15 min. 29 sec. | Ségal-Lavoie le midi (FM93) Interview (in French) with Kevin Brookes, Public Policy Analyst […]

The collection of income tax involves substantial administrative costs, especially in Quebec, which is the only province that requires a separate tax return. In 2011, these costs amounted to $627 million for Revenue Quebec and $4.6 billion for the Canada Revenue Agency. To simplify procedures, some propose that the government pre-fill tax returns instead of taxpayers, a system that is in place in several industrialized countries.

The idea of making higher education “free” in Quebec is hardly new, but recently, some politicians have revived the debate by promising to implement such a policy if elected. While this idea may seem attractive at first glance, it would be costly for Quebec taxpayers, would not necessarily lead to more students graduating, and would also be unfair.

The impact of the bipartisan effort to reduce Canada’s corporate tax rate.

In December 2017, President Donald Trump cut corporate tax rates from 35% to 21%, effective immediately. While certain critics quickly lamented this policy decision, the President is currently mulling a second round of tax cuts. In this context, the Canadian experience with corporate tax reduction provides a useful comparison.