Close the loopholes, root out those not paying their share

Our tax realities seem very clear: we Québécois and Montréalais are among the highest taxed (if not the highest) in North America; the taxpaying burden essentially falls on the middle class; and the situation is getting ever more desperate.

Yet, I notice more and more luxury cars on the roads and ever-larger châteaustyle houses going up. I find myself wondering whether all of these people are paying their taxes. Not to begrudge the talented hard-workers, owners and managers their due, but there are some, to be sure, who find a way to not pay their fair share in taxes. Tax lawyers and accountants help those who have the means – and most of it undoubtedly is legal. New tax lawyers sometimes work for the government for a few years to learn the loopholes and then head for private practice. One avenue would be for lawmakers to close some of these loopholes.

And then there is the cash economy! It is rare to have work done by a home repair professional without an offer to accept some payment in cash — and no taxes paid. The client “saves” 15 per cent, and the professional amasses cash that will most likely be spent on other cash, no-tax deals. It is also not entirely rare to hear of employees being paid partly and sometimes even entirely under the table.

We can rationalize all we want and use government waste as an excuse, but the bottom line is that we can’t have a fiscally sound town, city, province or country and proper security and services without all citizens paying their fair shares.

Before further bleeding those who already pay 45 per cent to 50 per cent or more of their income in taxes, government agencies should first home in on those with earned money who are not paying what they should.