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441-00399 (Taxation)

Paper petition

Original language of petition: English

Petition to the Government of Canada

Whereas:

  • Volunteer firefighters account of 83% of Canada's total firefighting essential first responders;
  • In addition, approximately 8,000 essential search and rescue volunteers respond to thousands of incidents every year;
  • The tax code of Canada currently allows volunteer firefighters and search and rescue volunteers to claim a $3,000 tax credit if 200 hours of volunteer services were completed in a calendar year;
  • This works out to a mere $450 per year, which we allow these essential volunteers to keep of their own income from their regularjobs, $2.25 an hour.
  • If they volunteer more than 200 hours, which many do, this tax credit becomes even less;
  • These essential volunteers not only put their lives on the line and give their time, training, and efforts to Canadians, but they also allow cities and municipalities to keep property taxes lower than if paid services were required;
  • Increasing this tax credit would allow these essential volunteers to keep more of their hard-earned money, likely to be spent in the communities in which they lives; and
  • It would help retain these volunteers in a time when volunteerism is decreasing.

We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to support Private Members Bill C-264 and increase the tax exemption from $3,000 to $10,000 for lines 31220 and 31240 to help our essential volunteer firefighters and volunteer search and rescue people across the country.

Response by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance

Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable Chrystia Freeland

The Government recognizes the contributions of all volunteers and the important roles they play in their communities. In light of this, reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by volunteers in the course of their duties may generally be reimbursed on a non-taxable basis. Additionally, emergency services volunteers are eligible for an income exemption of up to $1,000 if they received an honorarium from a government, municipality, or other public authority. The Volunteer Firefighter Tax Credit and the Search and Rescue Volunteer Tax Credit provide tax recognition for eligible volunteers who do not receive an honorarium or who do not claim the income exemption.

Our Government is committed to a tax system that is fair, and that works for the middle class. In this regard, we are increasing the amount of money Canadians can earn before paying federal income tax to $15,000 by 2023 for all but the wealthiest Canadians.

As we enter a new phase of the pandemic, the Government of Canada remains focused on finishing the fight against COVID-19, supporting Canadians and Canadian businesses, and ensuring a strong recovery for everyone.

Presented to the House of Commons
Gord Johns (Courtenay—Alberni)
April 25, 2022 (Petition No. 441-00399)
Government response tabled
June 6, 2022
Photo - Gord Johns
Courtenay—Alberni
New Democratic Party Caucus
British Columbia

Only validated signatures are counted towards the total number of signatures.