It’s imperative that Canadians distinguish between convenient political rhetoric and reality when it comes to the country’s finances, particularly as we approach a potential fall election. The Trudeau government continues to promulgate three assertions that must be clarified.
First, that the government lowered personal income taxes for the middle-class. While the Trudeau government in 2016 reduced the middle-income tax rate from 22.0 per cent to 20.5 per cent, it simultaneously eliminated a number of tax credits such as children’s fitness, public transit and income-splitting for couples with young children. By eliminating these tax credits, the government increased personal income taxes for all Canadians who previously claimed these credits.
