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March 31 Spec Tax Deadline


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#1 SamCB

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Posted 31 March 2019 - 10:45 PM

It's March 31- 11:40pm. I planned to declare my exemption at the last minute (as a mini protest of the idiocy of how this tax was applied).

I look for the letters that I've been keeping on the microwave for two months, and realize my wife has thrown them out. Probably weeks ago.

Am I screwed? Or is there leniency for late exemptions the first year?

Side note: how the f%^# can an "exemption" apply to 99% of people? An exemption is for the exception, not the rule.... sigh.

#2 Midnightly

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Posted 31 March 2019 - 10:57 PM

i heard on the news they do plan to contact people who didn't submit the forms online though i wouldn't depend on that, give the phone number a call explain the situation, though leave out the protest part, forgot to file, remembered went to file forms accidentally tossed... they should have a procedure in place for lost forms



#3 Cassidy

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Posted 01 April 2019 - 06:35 AM

It looks like you're in luck:

https://vancouversun...deadline-passes



#4 Mike K.

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Posted 01 April 2019 - 06:38 AM

I filed mine today. Whatevs. It's a stupid tax and great ammo for a Liberal election platform.


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#5 VIResident

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Posted 02 April 2019 - 02:31 PM

Comment from a bit of a fluffer article by National Post -Rob Shaw (shoulda coulda been a tad harder Rob)
 
"This program will cost more to run and operate than the revenue they bring in. Another huge bureaucracy."
Yup.
 
Spec tax is a flop, homeowners in special areas that the tax applies are pissed they're treated as different 'class' 
and old ladies (and gents) are losing generational 'cabins' (no running water/outhouses etc.) because they have to sell - can't rent 'em.
 
There will be seniors who will make mistakes and pay - and the youngsters will figure it out for their grams & gramps and run to the media.
DISASTER for NDP.  PR & optics - total mess. This is the stuff that loses elections. 
 
AND the local municipal "politicians" who LOVED the NDP spec tax, said it would create more rentals, said it would create more affordable housing, said those who could pay would pay and the extra money 'taxed' would help BC'ers who needed it  - on FB telling folks how easy it was for them to 'complete' the paperwork, 5 minutes! etc. making snipes at the Mayor of Langford - who wanted his community out of the catchment area and pointed a very pointy stick at NDP.
 
When the nasty stories, the ill-effects this spec tax has had starts to dribble-out these mighty local municipal politicians (even one or two who took a 'gap' term hoping to return next municipal election) are in for a surprise if they believe people will 'forget'. 
 
This will not 'free' up any additional rentals to any great degree or lower prices to a point where housing is 'affordable' but it sure has pissed off lots of regular good 'ole BC folks. 
 
The next provincial and municipal elections BC residents will be asking - where is the affordable housing?, where are all the rentals? where is the gobs of money the 'tax' was to generate.  Politicians will come up empty-handed.
 
 
 
 

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#6 SamCB

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Posted 02 April 2019 - 04:41 PM

I phoned serviceBC today (Apr 2) and they emailed me both letters for myself and my wife.

The agent could not tell me if I'd be charged a penalty for being late. "They haven't told us that," he said, "but off the record probably not since its so new." Great customer service, BC...

Declared online in about 5 mins. Weird that they asked for SIN. Why? Isn't that a Federal-only thing?

Agree with the article above. Terrible useless tax, waste of my time and energy, so poorly designed and executed it will be the easiest low hanging fruit for Liberals to go after.
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#7 Bob Fugger

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Posted 03 April 2019 - 02:22 PM

Declared online in about 5 mins. Weird that they asked for SIN. Why? Isn't that a Federal-only thing?

I called the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of BC with this exact question two months ago, before I was going to declare.  I still haven't heard back.  MinFin's authority under the Act to request information is extremely broad.  Arguably, they could ask me for my blood type with this broad authority.  Except that this authority ought to be hemmed in by FOIPPA.  They are asking for a third-party piece of information for a purpose arguably unrelated to the speculation tax.  I mean yeah, the money laundering thing blah blah blah, but this is swatting a fly with a cannonball.



#8 Nparker

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Posted 03 April 2019 - 02:36 PM

I called the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of BC with this exact question two months ago, before I was going to declare.  I still haven't heard back...

You're not alone.

...Two of the people concerned about the SIN issue are Steve and Peg Orcherton. He’s a former NDP MLA and she is a former school trustee and board chair. They have been objecting to the design of the speculation tax and the requirement to disclose SINs for weeks. They’ve been active in NDP circles for years and are on a first-name basis with many people in the current government. But they’ve yet to get answers to their concerns...

https://www.timescol...-tax-1.23777413



#9 VIResident

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Posted 03 April 2019 - 05:34 PM

A bunch of us during our coffee break gritted our teeth on this one.  I'm putting this in the 'speculation tax' thread because unlike Screech we did not 'win' $5,000 but feel his 'intrusive' pain.

Screech says he was told that as a mayor, he was considered to be a "politically exposed person" by FINTRAC, the federal agency that monitors financial transactions. As a result, extra scrutiny had to be applied to his finances.

"I had no idea of that," he said. "It was news to me that my bank would just spring this on me."

The designation of politically exposed person is part of federal rules that went into effect in 2017, meant to detect and deter money laundering and terrorist activity financing.

According to information on the FINTRAC website, a politically exposed person is "a person entrusted with a prominent position that typically comes with the opportunity to influence decisions and the ability to control resources."

Family members of such a person are also flagged for extra financial scrutiny.

'It was intrusive'

https://www.cbc.ca/n...7q-w82GML72GYCQ



#10 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 03 April 2019 - 05:46 PM

i don't know mayor deposits $5000+ cash and he gets a phone call.  sounds ok to me.  

 

 

 

But then a few weeks ago, Screech and several members of his family, started getting calls from the bank with questions about the deposit.

  •  

 

 

started getting calls or got one call each?  where each just said it came from the royals game.  who gives a flip.


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#11 LeoVictoria

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Posted 03 April 2019 - 06:00 PM

Whoop de doo. We have a big problem with money laundering in Canada and BC is a hotbed for it. Good to hear someone is starting to pay attention.
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#12 LJ

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Posted 03 April 2019 - 07:20 PM

Take care of this first, then you can come after me....

 

https://globalnews.c...laundering-ops/


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#13 LeoVictoria

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Posted 03 April 2019 - 10:05 PM

That’s exactly what they’re going after. The province has been turning a blind eye for years. Not anymore
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#14 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 04 April 2019 - 03:33 AM

he says he won money.  that's as close to the casino laundering scandal as it gets.  no he should not be exempt because he is "the mayor of a small town" as he says.  he's also the mayor of the town with the island's largest casino.

 

secondly why is the hockey team handing out that kind of large cash?  surely they can deposit the money and pay a cheque.  they have to count the money indeed they deposit the other $5000 and there are government forms to fill in with 50/50 too.   it would not be hard to target the winner each night going home with thousands of dollars of cash if you were an enterprising criminal.    


Edited by Victoria Watcher, 04 April 2019 - 03:40 AM.

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#15 VIResident

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Posted 04 April 2019 - 04:37 AM

I would have prefered to hear this Mayor say something like "While uncomfortable it is encouraging to see this level of inquiry, to experience first-hand how they are paying close attention to this type of crime.  Money laundering is being taken very seriously"  


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#16 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 04 April 2019 - 04:40 AM

or just keep his thoughts internal.  instead of going and making a big case in the national media about 3 phone calls.


Edited by Victoria Watcher, 04 April 2019 - 04:41 AM.

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#17 rjag

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Posted 04 April 2019 - 06:02 AM

I would have prefered to hear this Mayor say something like "While uncomfortable it is encouraging to see this level of inquiry, to experience first-hand how they are paying close attention to this type of crime.  Money laundering is being taken very seriously"  

 

 

I think he isnt concerned about scrutiny towards him but is concerned when the bank called his wife and youngest son. He is also concerned that this rule came into effect but nobody alerted the folks it was impacting so it was a surprise.

 

I think he is justified in alerting the media and making his concerns known about the intrusive aspect towards his family. Heck its only $5k which is the cost of a 15 year old pick-up truck and it was 1 time, no trend etc. No need for this level of scrutiny 


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#18 Mike K.

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Posted 04 April 2019 - 06:17 AM

No kidding. They went after him and his piddly $5000 because it was easy. The guys moving $75k around are still doing it, they’re just smarter.

It’s always the innocent person who gets caught up in a dragnet because officialdom needs to prove it's doing something.
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#19 rjag

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Posted 04 April 2019 - 06:51 AM

No kidding. They went after him and his piddly $5000 because it was easy. The guys moving $75k around are still doing it, they’re just smarter.

It’s always the innocent person who gets caught up in a dragnet because officialdom needs to prove it's doing something.

 

 

Yup reminds me of the old story that if you owe the bank $10k and are late with a payment they send the bailiff, but if you owe them $10 million and are late, they take you for lunch



#20 Bob Fugger

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Posted 04 April 2019 - 08:57 AM

No kidding. They went after him and his piddly $5000 because it was easy. The guys moving $75k around are still doing it, they’re just smarter.

It’s always the innocent person who gets caught up in a dragnet because officialdom needs to prove it's doing something.

 

And yet, I feel zero sympathy because the guy is really an asshole.



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