Taxman must treat us all fairly

From the St. John’s Telegram:

The Canadian Revenue Agency says it doesn’t play favourites — there isn’t a different standard of treatment for wealthy Canadians and ordinary Canadians when it comes to paying taxes. But you’d be forgiven for doubting that.

Anecdotally, at least, the hunt for wealthy tax cheats seems to move at glacial speed, while ordinary citizens feel the weight of the CRA’s powers more quickly.

Here’s a thought: Doesn’t having a crumbling system of public services for Canadians — as outlined by the federal auditor general in a new report — disproportionately hurt Canadians at the lower end of the income spectrum?

Who is more likely to be calling the CRA? Ordinary Canadians with questions and concerns, or Canadians wealthy enough to have accounting firms actively involved in finding their clients offshore tax havens?

A CRA spokesperson told the CBC the agency doesn’t target ordinary Canadians while ignoring the bigger fish: “The agency is focusing its efforts on cracking down on complex individual and corporate cases … The minister of national revenue is wholeheartedly committed to ensuring that Canadians receive the credits to which they are entitled.”

That may all be the case — but functionally, there’s little difference between actively deciding to treat people unfairly and withholding the tools and information that would let taxpayers understand and work within the rules.

We should all pay our fair share — and, at the same time, we should all be treated fairly.