Tax corporate sales rather than profits

Re All must pay their fair share, Editorial Sept. 2 Your editorial outlines the proximate issue with international taxation of corporations, but presents no practical solution.

I propose that rather than negotiate with other countries regarding international tax rules and treaties, Canada should protect its tax base by immediately instituting a tax, say 1 to 3 per cent, on all sales, not profits, on all limited liability corporations. This would generate revenue of at the very least $20 billion per year.

This revenue would reasonably compensate the country for the staggering infrastructure costs that we as citizens pay for upkeep to ports, roads and other infrastructure that companies get to use for practically nothing.

It’s time that corporations paid taxes to sell product in Canada, rather than on the crazy notion that if they sell billions of dollars worth of product in Canada, and show no profits in Canada, they avoid taxation in Canada.

Only an imbecile would consider this to be fair. Taxation based on profits is an anachronism that worked reasonably well when local producers made and sold their products in Canada, and stiff double-digit duties were paid on imports. We have already given most of our manufacturing know-how and jobs to foreigners; let’s at least tax them directly on the product they sell here. Don Buchanan, Etobicoke

A recipe for mediocrity

Re City improving ‘nightmare’ system for rec

programs, Aug. 31 Most businesses are successful because of a commitment to excellence, not diversity. Mayor John Tory’s plan will incentivize companies to be more concerned about how they look not how they perform. If the best company in a particular business is 100 per cent staffed by black males, it won’t meet the criteria, even if it is capable of delivering superior and cost-effective results.

This is a recipe for a mediocre outcome and Toronto taxpayers deserve better decision-making from their mayor. Mark Spurr, Toronto