FACT CHECK: Help for small business or more corporate tax giveaways?

This morning, Stephen Harper promised to increase the amount of corporate profits eligible for the preferential small-business tax rate from $400,000 to $500,000.

This plan is not targeted to small businesses, but will apply to the first half-million dollars of profit collected by any “Canadian-controlled private corporation”. This includes multibillion-dollar companies such as McCain Foods, The Jim Pattison Group and Giant Tiger Stores, and James Richardson.

Indeed, only businesses with annual profits exceeding $400,000 will gain from the increased threshold. Smaller businesses with less profit will receive no benefit.