Gail Shea’s CRA cuts – just the facts

While National Revenue Minister Gail Shea claims Conservatives are getting tough on tax cheats on one hand, the other hand is gutting the programs that investigate and enforce our tax laws.

When Conservatives tabled the 2013-14 Report on Plans and Priorities at the closing of a Parliamentary sitting they clearly were trying to hide these cuts from the public.

The Canada Revenue Agency’s Reports on Plans and Priorities – signed and tabled by the Minister of National Revenue herself on March 28th – says exactly the opposite of what the Conservatives are claiming.

Below is a list of cuts to programs designed to investigate and catch tax cheats:

Program 2 - Assessment of returns

Activities includes ‘third-party data matching and information validation’

PLANNED PROGRAM CUT OF $66.5 million and 707 full-time employees- Page 16

Program 3 - Returns compliance

Activities include ‘enforcing compliance with Canada's tax laws. The activities of this program support the prevention, detection, and early resolution of non-compliance’

PLANNED PROGRAM CUT OF $68 million – Page 19

Program 4 - Reporting compliance

Activities include ‘verifying information; detecting non-compliance through risk assessment, audit and investigation’

PLANNED PROGRAM CUT OF $119.7 million and 254 full-time employees – Page 23

Instead of misleading Canadians, Conservatives should start cracking down on tax cheats and investing in the tools necessary to collect the billions being stolen each year from Canadians.

Canadians deserve better.