THE RAINBOW WITH..

AT THE END OF THE RAINBOW
Is there really a pot of gold?
A Speculative Commentary based on the attention paid to the SDL/JDS Tax Remission Order
At the March 12 2008 meeting of the Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance FINA
By Victor Drummond ©
April 2008

According to the transcript of the FINA meeting -- held on Monday March 12 2008 –
a major focus was the Tax Remission Order, (TRO), granted to some 30+ former employee’s of the now defunct SDL/JDSU Corporation Plant in Saanich – Gulf Islands riding of Conservative Member of Parliament, i.e. The Honourable Gary Lunn.

The Honourable Gordon O’Connor, National Minister of Revenue, was on the hot-seat while politely questioned on the reasons why any Canadian taxpayers – victimized by the insidious taxable benefit legislation – were granted any form of tax remission?

Within the verbal tap-dancing of Mr. O’Connor’s reply was the excuse that it was within his mandate to approve tax remission orders when circumstances justified such action.
Among the situations that would be considered justification for approving a TRO would be undue financial hardship imposed on a taxpayer as a consequence to paying the tax levied.

When Liberal MP Garth Turner began his questioning he wanted to know if the SDL/JDSU former employee -- who had a tax levy of about $28.00 revoked and another employee who had something like $3.50 revoked – would be facing undue financial hardship as a result?

A rather universal concern was expressed concerning the favouritism aspect of a TRO with such a restricted number of beneficiaries when there are claims of thousands of similar victimized taxpayers. Many with genuine undue financial hardship.

When asked how many other taxpayers had been issued tax relief by Mr. O’Connor he replied about 5.

When asked if he was aware of any other taxpayers in similar tax distress situations – he answered “No”.

There are many more than 5 victimized taxpayers right here in Ottawa that are suffering undue financial hardship – as a result of this unjustified tax -- and have appealed their case to the government frequently. There must be a severe glitch in the government internal communications system.

The fact that this TRO -- and an awareness of the tremendous harm done to hundreds, possibly many thousands, of honest hard-working Canadians by taxing people on money never seen –
has been aired at a FINA meeting is like a ray of sunshine following a seven year rainstorm.

Will this ray of hope produce a rainbow? Possibly a rainbow with a pot of gold at its end?

There is a real possibility that this can happen. Especially now that the Americans have recognized a similar miscarriage of justice in the Adjusted Minimum Tax, (AMT), legislation.

Is has been rumored that two Americans, victimized by their defective legislation, have committed suicide as a result. As far as we know – nothing like that has happened in Canada.

And if corrective action is taken promptly -- to correct our defective legislation – there is no reason it ever will.

If the corrective action includes compensation for taxpayers -- above cancelling the outstanding deferred taxable benefit taxes – then there really is a pot of gold at the end of this rainbow.

It is a bit early to begin counting the rewards, however, so keep reminding your Member of Parliament – declare your support for the Canadians for Fair and Equalized Taxation”, (CFET), objective, or look somewhere else for my support.

Victor Drummond ©