The Liberal government want to close unfair tax loopholes that let that 1% shelter their wealth and avoid paying their fair share of tax — but the Conservatives and business lobby are orchestrating a deceptive public relations campaign to trick the public and Liberal MPs into opposing it.

They’re using farmers, doctors, and small business owners as cover for what’s really an attempt by the wealthiest Canadians to avoid paying their fair share of tax.

It’s working: Finance Minister Morneau has already started to water down several parts of his tax fairness bill -- and there’s a chance he could buckle entirely unless thousands of people start speaking up in support of tax fairness.

Across the country, farmers, doctors, lawyers and small business owners support closing these loopholes as a first step towards building a fairer tax system. Join them by signing the open letter to Minister Morneau. If enough of us sign, it will give Morneau the confidence to keep pushing ahead.

People who use these loopholes are not tax abusers or tax cheats. This is about a bad taxation system is being used for purposes that were never intended. Finance Minister Bill Morneau and his team didn't do a very good job at communicating why these tax reforms are important, or responding to the conservative's spin. Four things to know about about the loopholes:

1. Most small businesses will not be affected by the changes because their income is not high enough. To benefit from the loopholes, you’d need to make at least $150,000 -- well above the average income of the small business owner.

2. The reforms will affect the wealthiest Canadians most. 80% of people making over $2.3 million a year have found clever ways to use these loopholes to lower their taxes - which was never the intention of the loopholes, and why they’re being closed.

3. The reforms won't kill the family farm. According to the National Farmers Union, closing these loopholes would be completely irrelevant for 75% of Canadian farms. Of the remaining 25%, only a very small portion of farmers will be affected.  

4. Doctors agree: Governments need revenue to fund programs like affordable housing, pharmacare, and the healthcare system, which have direct impacts on the health and well-being of Canadians. Closing these loopholes could save us over $1 billion for these kinds of programs.

Sources

[1] The Globe and Mail, “Tax changes are about levelling the playing field”
[4] Vice, The rich are set to go to war over trudeau’s tax changes,
[2] The National Farmers Union, Farmers need more light, less heat on tax reform
[2] Canadians for Tax Fairness, Factsheet: Dispelling the Myths on the Private Corporations Tax Loophole.
[3] Open letter from 490 physicians and medical students 
[4] Toronto Star, Doctors say tax us: Canada is worth it
[5] Toronto Star, At least Bill Morneau tried tax reform
[5] CBC, Andrew Scheer picks fight with academic
[6] Globe and Mail, “The sky is falling on small businesses – or is it?”, and Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Study Out of the Shadows”
[10] Statistics Canada in “Most Canadian Small Business Owners Earn Less Than $73K Per Year.”
[11] CBC, Money talks lobbying tax reform This tax reform showdown is just the latest proof