Archived - On Family Day, Minister Oliver Celebrates Tax Cuts for Canadian Families by Highlighting Tax Cuts and Benefits for Families

February 16, 2015 – Ottawa, Ontario – Department of Finance

Families across Canada are celebrating Family Day, Louis Riel Day, Heritage Day and Islander Day today, and to mark the holiday, Finance Minister Joe Oliver is celebrating the Harper Government’s latest action to cut taxes for every family with children.

Announced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper last October, these measures include:

an increase to the Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB) to $160 per month from $100 per month for children under the age of 6, effective as of January 1, 2015;
an expansion of the UCCB to include a new benefit of $60 per month for children aged 6 through 17, effective as of January 1, 2015;
a $1,000 increase to the Child Care Expense Deduction maximum dollar limits, effective as of the 2015 taxation year; and
the Family Tax Cut, a new federal non-refundable tax credit, which would provide up to $2,000 in tax relief to couples with children under the age of 18, effective as of the 2014 taxation year.

On average, these measures will put about $1,140 per year back into the pockets of every family with children.

Since 2006, the Harper Government has cut taxes of all kinds—the GST, personal taxes, business taxes, and others.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Harper, the Government has provided tax relief over 180 times since taking office.
Taken together, these tax cuts have led to the lowest overall federal tax burden in more than 50 years.
Low- and middle-income families will receive the overwhelming majority of the benefits from this latest package of tax relief for families.