It will never happen under the CPC reign of incompetence

Tax system needs a good cleanup: Goar
Ottawa gives away billions every year in tax credits, shelters and deductions that serve no public policy purpose and meet no real need.

According to the Fraser Institute, which takes a dim view of tax credits, Stephen Harper has created 68 new ones since taking office.
 

According to Employment Minister Jason Kenney, who never met a tax break he didn’t like, the prime minister has doled out $3,400 to the average family in credits, deductions, shelters and exemptions.
 

The auditor general has stopped counting. So have most economists, accountants and policy analysts.

The opposition parties seldom talk about the issue, wary perhaps of being exposed as hypocrites if they dispense tax credits in office.
 

But it is worth talking about. Canadians pay a steep price for their government’s myriad of tax preferences covering everything from kids’ piano lessons to long-haul truckers’ lunches. They cost approximately $150 billion a year in foregone revenue. That is money that could have been used to maintain public services, shore up the health-care system, improve aging infrastructure or balance the budget.
 

The Conservatives have repeatedly promised to close tax loopholes — and repeatedly failed to deliver. What they’ve done instead is hatch more. They announced two pre-budget tax breaks last October: a doubling of the children’s fitness tax credit and a scheme allowing parents to reduce their tax bills by splitting their income. They hope to bring in two more — an adult fitness tax credit and an expansion of tax-free savings accounts — before this fall’s election.

READ MORE: http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2015/01/24/tax-system-needs-a-good-cleanup-goar.html