Taxation in Canada

Off-topic posts, quotes of the day and anything else you just would like to vent to the world. PG-13 or below PLEASE!
User avatar
4onthefloor
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 1360
Joined: Fri Feb 15, 2008 10:21 pm
Cars: '17 WRX, '07 Impreza
Location: London, ON for now

Taxation in Canada

Post by 4onthefloor »

Canadian politics are a joke. It's that simple. The politicians don't even attempt to hide their ineptitude. It's almost as if they embrace it, and when they are kicked out of one political party because of a scandal, they immediately go to another. They don't care about the country, only sweet, sweet money. Comedians make fun of them left, right and centre and all they do is laugh at themselves.

There are politicians blatantly pocketing tax money, and using more tax money on private jets, and their own personal bar tabs. We have like 2 elections a year, costing millions of dollars, and the outcome is always the same. Nothing ever changes.

As if that weren't enough, we Canadians get an ass raping when it comes to taxes. We lose 40% of our pay checks to income tax, then when we buy anything we get charged 13% sales tax (down from 15% :roll: )

But now they are changing the taxes............for the worse. Before we payed 5% Federal (GST) and 8% provincial (PST), with many things being exempt from the PST. But now they've got rid of those taxes in Ontario and brought in HST. HST is 13% and covers EVERYTHING now, so we are now going to pay full tax on things that weren't taxed before.

We also pay ridiculous taxes on gas and liquor (the ministry of finance just raised the minimum legal price of a case of beer from $24 to $25.60, as if that's going to curb drinking) and they've been debating whether or not to introduce a Toronto tax.

All of this would be more tolerable if the taxes were going somewhere. We're losing our health care bit by bit, and the infrastructure is atrocious.

/Rant

What are taxes where you live? I love shopping in the states because of the significantly lower tax.
Two pedals, two feet, too easy.

Car: 2007 Impreza 2.5i Special Edition
http://www.standardshift.com/forum/view ... 32&t=13230
Caramel
Senior Standardshifter
Posts: 548
Joined: Fri Sep 26, 2008 2:37 am
Cars: [1999 Volvo S70]

Re: Taxation in Canada

Post by Caramel »

Canada Politics is a joke. for one thing every party on an ideological standpoint is pretty much the same, and the taxes go wasted away.

I just with that our tax dollars would go towards something, like it does in Sweden and other european countries. May be a little socialist, but come on, our taxation rates are pretty much socialist so why doesn't the policy follow?
Image
ra64t
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 1057
Joined: Sat May 20, 2006 9:14 pm
Location: VA, USA
Contact:

Re: Taxation in Canada

Post by ra64t »

I just looked up income taxes in canada and the rates are acutally a bit lower then the US. On top of the federal income tax, in my state there is also a 2-5% or so income tax on top of that. I'm not sure what additional deductions there are from your paycheck in canada but it must be a lot if you lose 40% of your paycheck. In the US there are further deductions for social secuity, medicare, and I have a nice chunk deducted for my health insurance. I probably bank about 70% of my paycheck.

In my state there's also 5% sales tax on pretty much everything.
My racing blog: aracingdream.com
Caramel
Senior Standardshifter
Posts: 548
Joined: Fri Sep 26, 2008 2:37 am
Cars: [1999 Volvo S70]

Re: Taxation in Canada

Post by Caramel »

Image
User avatar
4onthefloor
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 1360
Joined: Fri Feb 15, 2008 10:21 pm
Cars: '17 WRX, '07 Impreza
Location: London, ON for now

Re: Taxation in Canada

Post by 4onthefloor »

We also lose a portion of our income to employment insurance, CPP, RSPs, etc.
paul34 wrote: I think I'd move if I had to pay $26 for a case of beer! That has to be a cardinal sin.
That's the cheap stuff! The good stuff can cost $45+ for a two-four.
Two pedals, two feet, too easy.

Car: 2007 Impreza 2.5i Special Edition
http://www.standardshift.com/forum/view ... 32&t=13230
watkins
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 15880
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2007 12:42 am
Cars: '08 Saab 9-5 Aero wagon
Location: Salem, MA

Re: Taxation in Canada

Post by watkins »

Live in Massachusetts, shop in New Hampshire. Doesnt get much better.

Also, Rhode Island makes Canadian politicians look tame.
User avatar
theholycow
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 16021
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2008 1:36 pm
Cars: '80 Buick LeSabre 4.1 5MT
Location: Glocester, RI
Contact:

Re: Taxation in Canada

Post by theholycow »

I'm not sure about the "live in Massachusetts" part...
1980 Buick LeSabre 4.1L 5MT

Put your car in your sig!

Learn to launch/FAQs/lugging/misused terms: meta-sig
watkins wrote:Humans have rear-biased AWD. Cows have 4WD
User avatar
mad_finn
Senior Standardshifter
Posts: 452
Joined: Thu May 07, 2009 4:42 pm
Cars: Cevrolet Caprice STW (at)
Location: Vantaa Finland

Re: Taxation in Canada

Post by mad_finn »

income tax is different here in Finland, its rated to how much you earn... if you earn much, you pay lot of taxes if you earn barely enough to eat, you pay only small amount of taxes
I earn around 2000€ / month -> after taxes 1400€ / month my tax rate is 30%

But then we pay lot's of different taxes out of that...

fuel price... 75% tax for example
most things you need daily/weekly basis 8%-22% out of price is tax
alcohols...
beer 26%
and stronger alcoholics end up on 40%
sronger alcohol / higer tax

etc...
13litre engine, 18 speed manual, total weight 36tons.11 years on the road,700k.miles driven
User avatar
theholycow
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 16021
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2008 1:36 pm
Cars: '80 Buick LeSabre 4.1 5MT
Location: Glocester, RI
Contact:

Re: Taxation in Canada

Post by theholycow »

In the US it's similar but lower than that. We pay income tax to the federal government, and in most states we pay income tax to the state government. We have "tax brackets" that specify what percentage you pay based on how much you make.

Then there's various other bits of money that get taken out of our income. They're not called income taxes but the government gets a cut of our income for the purpose of funding government programs...same thing if you ask me.

There's state taxes on purchases, which vary from state to state (and some states have none). Most states do not tax essential food. There's "sin taxes" (that exceed normal sales tax) just like you describe for alcohol, cigarettes, etc. There's additional taxes on prepared foods (restaurants or just hot food at the grocery store), hotel/motel stays, and plenty of other things. There's fuel taxes.

Then there's property tax. If you own land or a vehicle, you pay tax on it every year. This varies from state to state, county to county, and city/town to city/town. All three of those levels of government can charge property tax, as well as whatever random taxes they want (for example, taxes to cover the local fire department).

Few items are taxed at or higher than Finland's beer rate of 26%...but man, they sure do take a cut of every transaction, sometimes on both ends of the transaction - they charge a tax to the person who buys something AND the person who receives money in the sale.

If you earn just barely enough to eat, you may receive money from the government even without being on welfare. The "Earned Income Credit" sometimes gives a tax refund to people who did not have to pay any income tax.

If you earn a lot, you are punished almost as bad as it sounds like happens in Finland.
1980 Buick LeSabre 4.1L 5MT

Put your car in your sig!

Learn to launch/FAQs/lugging/misused terms: meta-sig
watkins wrote:Humans have rear-biased AWD. Cows have 4WD
User avatar
Tups
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 2229
Joined: Sun May 03, 2009 4:37 am
Location: Suomi Finland Perkele

Re: Taxation in Canada

Post by Tups »

State income tax is progressive, from 7% to 30.5%. Communal tax on income is 16.50-21% depending on where you live. Church tax, if you belong to one, is 1-2%. Soft drinks are taxed 4.5 cents per litre. Car tax is 12.2-48.8% of the taxable value of the car depending on CO2 emissions. Dog tax is 50 euros per year. Gasoline tax is 57.24+4.78+0.68 cents per liter. The list goes on and on and on...
2007 Ford Focus ST225
1982 Ford Escort Mk3
User avatar
theholycow
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 16021
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2008 1:36 pm
Cars: '80 Buick LeSabre 4.1 5MT
Location: Glocester, RI
Contact:

Re: Taxation in Canada

Post by theholycow »

Church tax? You guys pay a tax to your government for going to church?
1980 Buick LeSabre 4.1L 5MT

Put your car in your sig!

Learn to launch/FAQs/lugging/misused terms: meta-sig
watkins wrote:Humans have rear-biased AWD. Cows have 4WD
User avatar
Tups
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 2229
Joined: Sun May 03, 2009 4:37 am
Location: Suomi Finland Perkele

Re: Taxation in Canada

Post by Tups »

theholycow wrote:Church tax? You guys pay a tax to your government for going to church?
The national churches of Finland, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and the Finnish Orthodox Church, finance themselves by collecting taxes from their members. It's one of the major reasons why so many people have resigned from the church in recent years.
2007 Ford Focus ST225
1982 Ford Escort Mk3
User avatar
Tups
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 2229
Joined: Sun May 03, 2009 4:37 am
Location: Suomi Finland Perkele

Re: Taxation in Canada

Post by Tups »

Actually the church tax has been here since 1923. Resigning was just made easier couple of years ago with websites like this - you no longer have to tell the priest face-to-face why you want to resign.

You could call it a premium membership fee. It's not required, but as a member you get some benefits such as being able to get married in a church.
2007 Ford Focus ST225
1982 Ford Escort Mk3
User avatar
theholycow
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 16021
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2008 1:36 pm
Cars: '80 Buick LeSabre 4.1 5MT
Location: Glocester, RI
Contact:

Re: Taxation in Canada

Post by theholycow »

Tups wrote:websites like this
:shock: Please don't take this the wrong way, as I don't intend any offense, but while reading that and considering the assumptions it makes I have just significantly increased my appreciation for the religious freedom for which the US was (partially) founded. I guess that reading in a textbook about the way that other countries' governments deal with religion never really struck home with me the way reading that wiki did.
1980 Buick LeSabre 4.1L 5MT

Put your car in your sig!

Learn to launch/FAQs/lugging/misused terms: meta-sig
watkins wrote:Humans have rear-biased AWD. Cows have 4WD
User avatar
Tups
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 2229
Joined: Sun May 03, 2009 4:37 am
Location: Suomi Finland Perkele

Re: Taxation in Canada

Post by Tups »

Could you elaborate a little? I didn't really get your point.

There's a bit more about religion in Finland in the Wikipedia if you're interested. I didn't know that we've had freedom of religion only since 1923. 71,9% of the population belong to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, but I guess that's only because nearly all children are baptised as infants even if the parents are not particulary religious. It's a tradition and something I don't really agree.
2007 Ford Focus ST225
1982 Ford Escort Mk3
Post Reply