40% of Canadians don’t pay income taxes, which means someone else is picking up the bill | General financial discussion | Discussion forum

The Federal personal (income exemption) amount is $11635 on T1 general tax return. Any declared income over this amount is subject to income taxes.

I find it hard to believe 40% of the Canadians are declaring less income than this. 4% is more like it. Typo?

Lol, the article is simply misleading If people, not earning income, are included in that 40%. The impression given by the article, is that a lot of people in Canada are not paying their share of income tax. Well okay then, let’s get the whip out and get those 6 year olds pulling their weight, ludicrous.

It is actually 40% of households (not individuals) who pay no net tax (not no income tax).

Some of those households do pay some income tax. But, the household may receive enough Canada Child Benefit, Ontario Trillium Benefit (includes Ontario Energy credit, Northern Ontario energy credit, and Ontario sales tax credit), or GST/HST tax credit to offset the income taxes paid.

Agreed, but why does the article talk about a family with three kids and has a title mentioning 40% of Canadians don’t pay income taxes? Is the article then saying that 40% of the population resides in family units with children and that those living in that family unit aren’t paying income tax? Because it is pretty harsh to say the three children aren’t paying income tax and also harsh to say that the two working parents should pay full income tax while raising our country’s future. I’d like to know who is included in that 40% and whether it’s just working age adults. Why aren’t retired seniors talked about? Why aren’t single adults and childless couples mentioned? Just reading the article on its own merits paints a picture of families with children are deadbeats. That’s harsh.

I was thinking the unemployment rate in Canada thru the years were like 5 to 8 percent. How can 40% of Canadians are not paying taxes?

If the journalist is using his or her counting method (such as Canadian babies) to come up that 40% Canadians are not paying taxes, that same method I suspect can also conclude that 40% of Americans (or any country) are not paying taxes either.

It is not fake news but it is not some information that one can draw any decisive conclusion out of it. The purpose of this headline is just boosting the sales of the newspaper. It certainly will catch people's attention. It catches ours, isn't it?

Agree - the journalist could have been more clear in his comments - but it is the Prime Minister from whom I would expect better than saying what he did. I think Mr. Trudeau is demonstrating more and more that he is simply out of his depth.