School Board Trustee calls for elimination of GST on schools Toronto District School Board Trustee Bruce Davis is calling on Finance Minister Jim Flaherty to amend the Excise Tax Act to rebate 100% of the GST paid by school boards across Canada. He is also writing today to every Member of Parliament to support the elimination of the GST for schools. “Last year the public school board in Toronto paid more than $8-million in GST to the federal government,” Davis said. “Schools across Canada pay GST on pencils, paper, art supplies, computers, musical instruments, sports equipment, utilities, office supplies, office equipment, plus much more. All of these are essential for our schools and yet we are taxed on these items. Next year the TDSB is facing an $85-million shortfall and the feds are awash in cash. This is just wrong.” “We also pay tax on school renovations and new school construction,” Davis said. “The rebuilding of one high school alone will cost more than $1-million in GST after rebates.” In Canada school boards are required to pay GST on goods and services and then are rebated 68% of the tax paid as claims are submitted. Only textbooks and food are exempt from GST. In 2004 Canadian municipalities and their agencies like library boards and transit commissions were granted a 100% rebate on all GST paid. “This weekend’s reduction of the GST from 7% to 6% will help school boards,” said Davis, first elected as a trustee in 2000, “but I question why we have to pay this at all. This is a tax on children, a tax on education. This makes no sense at all.” - 30 - How to help:
If you are interested in giving Trustee Bruce Davis a hand on the GST campaign, please send an email to
bruce.davis@tdsb.on.ca. He will be setting up a GST website soon (there will be a link to it on this page) and will be looking for school board trustees, parents, educators and taxpayers across the country who might might be interested in helping to lobby the federal government on this important issue. For more information, please visit: http://brucedavisonline.blogspot.com/
The TDSB, which paid almost six million dollars (net) in Goods and Services Tax (GST) to the Federal Government last year, has launched a public campaign calling on federal election candidates to exempt schools from taxation. Prime Minister Paul Martin recently exempted all Canadian municipalities from GST payments. Both schools and municipal services are funded through property taxes. The TDSB campaign will include letters to all Liberal, Conservative, New Democratic and Green Party candidates, signs at all TDSB schools and outreach to parents, teachers and education groups across the country. The Toronto
District School Board (TDSB) was created on January 1, 1998 following
the merger of seven individual school boards. Serving almost
1.6 million electors of the City of Toronto, it is the largest
school board in Canada and among the largest in North America. |
