Tax fraud is the real reason for Richmond’s poverty stats

Re: B.C.’s poor unable to bridge income gap, Sept. 14

Iglika Ivanova’s explanation of why Richmond has the highest percentage of the population that falls below the poverty line in Metro Vancouver, significantly higher than the B.C. average and way above the percentage for Canada as a whole, shows either a lack of depth in researching the problem or a left-wing bias that comes from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

Homes in Richmond are some of the most expensive in the province. Drive around some of the “low-income” census areas and the number of expensive homes and luxury cars in the driveways makes nonsense of her arguments. The reason Richmond has the highest percentage of population in B.C. falling below the poverty line is that Statistics Canada bases its figures on income reported through the Canada Revenue Agency. Under-reporting of family income by residents of Richmond is a fact of life understood by anyone living in our city.

The travesty is that the CRA, other government departments and politicians allow the fraud to continue instead of enforcing the rules or introducing new regulations that will stop previously undiscovered tax avoidance schemes. The same residents who under-report their incomes utilize our health care and education systems costing those programs money while at the same time not contributing to health and education budgets.

If everyone paid their fair share of taxes perhaps our federal and provincial governments would have the money necessary to fund appropriate poverty-reduction programs.