When will a Bill on tax averaging for artists become law?
To Follow
On May 31st, MP Tyrone Benskin (NDP, Jeanne– Le Ber) tabled Bill C-427 which seeks to modify the Income Tax Act so that artists can average their income over a maximum of five years. The CCA is supporting this Bill and we invite our members to do the same by contacting the government and the parliamentarians at the opportune moment.
This request for tax averaging is not new. For years, the CCA and a number of its member organizations have been calling for this measure that better reflects the economic realities of artists. This Bill is not the first to address the social security safety net of artists: similar initiatives have always been Private Members’ Bills.
Hundreds of private members’ Bills are tabled each term. Just to give you an idea, between 1993 and 2002 1,148 private members’ Bills were tabled and only 18 were adopted. In 102 years, since May 4th 1910 to today, a grand total of 235 Private Member’s Bills have been adopted.
We have the opportunity again with Bill C-427, in the hopes that will be the 236th to pass the numerous steps making it into law.