Ronald McDonald House BC, Vancouver, BC
December 17, 2014
Check against delivery
Good afternoon, and thank you for your warm welcome to Ronald McDonald House. It is a pleasure to be here.
Ronald McDonald House charities across Canada provide a welcome refuge for sick children and their families, especially during this most stressful time of year.
As a home-away-from-home, Ronald McDonald House British Columbia and the new Ronald McDonald Family Room at Surrey Memorial Hospital serve about 7,500 families each year, from all across British Columbia and the Yukon.
The Ronald McDonald House here in Vancouver is the second largest such facility in all of Canada—and one of the 10 largest in the world.
The spirit of caring, good will, and service to others that one finds in places like Ronald McDonald House reminds us that philanthropy—the "love of humankind"—is at the heart of our Canadian identity.
Canadians have a long and proud history of helping those in need.
Millions give generously each year to charitable causes to improve the lives of others.
As the Minister of National Revenue, I am responsible for the Canada Revenue Agency, which is the federal regulator of the 86,000 registered charities.
Charitable donations received by these organizations help buy defibrillators for recreation centres; purchase lab equipment for cancer research; donate toys, crafts, and games to make a child's stay in hospital more bearable, and so much more—like providing the comforts of home to families during a child's illness.
Our Government encourages Canadians to donate to charity—especially during this holiday season—so that communities here and across the country can benefit from their essential work.
That is why we introduced the first-time donor's super credit in Economic Action Plan 2013. This tax measure provides an increased incentive for new donors to dig deep.
Available until the 2017 tax year, the first-time donor's super credit provides an extra 25% non refundable credit on top of the original federal charitable donation tax credit.
This means that eligible first-time donors can get a 40% credit for monetary donations of $200 or less, and a 54% credit for the portion of donations over $200, up to a maximum of $1,000 in the first year that they claim a charitable donation tax credit. This is in addition to the provincial tax credit.
You qualify as a first-time donor if you, or your spouse or partner, have not claimed the charitable donation tax credit since 2007.
My hope is that the first-time donor's super credit will offer people an extra incentive to give, and create a lasting tradition among a new generation of donors.
Our Government encourages charitable giving among Canadians to help drive much-needed funds to worthy causes. But our work doesn't stop there.
We have made it a priority to reduce red tape for Canadians—and this includes registered Canadian charities. Economic Action Plan 2014 included funding for the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to modernize its information technology systems so it can introduce electronic services for charities.
This investment will enable online filing of the annual information return and electronic applications for charitable registration—helping to free charities up to devote more resources to the important work they do in our communities—contributing to the physical, social, and economic well-being of all Canadians.
The CRA makes a searchable list of Canadian charities available on its website. As a donor, you can confirm whether the organization you intend to support is registered under the Income Tax Act and eligible to issue official donation receipts.
You can also view the charity's contact information and find out about its activities, revenues, and expenditures. In this way, Canadians can make more informed choices about where to direct their charitable donations.
We are proud to support the charitable sector— both by encouraging Canadians to donate wisely and generously, and by reducing the administrative burden.
It is heartening to see the increase in charitable giving that happens at this time every year. The expression of genuine concern for the well-being of others makes us all proud to be Canadian.
From a practical perspective, our Government wants to make sure donors know that their holiday giving gives back—and to remind Canadians that you have until December 31st to make a charitable donation to benefit from a tax deduction on their 2014 return.
I urge everyone to visit the CRA website to learn more about the first-time donor's super credit and the many other tax relief measures our Government has introduced to strengthen families, small businesses, and communities.
Our Government, under Prime Minister Harper's leadership, has an unrelenting focus on our top priority: creating jobs, growth, and long-term prosperity.
At the core of our plan is a commitment to keep taxes low for Canadians.
We are fulfilling our promise to balance the federal budget. We are now in a position to fulfill our promise to help Canadian families balance theirs.
Today, the overall federal tax burden is at its lowest level in over half a century. This is an unprecedented achievement—and only our Government would have done it.
But we won't rest on our laurels.
We remain focused on helping hard-working Canadian families prosper and have introduced five methods to keep money in the family budget.
First - we are increasing the Universal Child Care Benefit to $160 per month for each child under age 6.
Second - we are expanding the Universal Child Care Benefit to children aged 6 through 17. Parents will receive $60 per month as of January 1, 2015.
Third - we are introducing the Family Tax Cut, which provides tax relief—capped at $2,000—for couples with minor children.
Fourth - we are increasing the Child Care Expense Deduction limit by $1,000.
Last but certainly not least, our Prime Minister announced we will double the Children's Fitness Tax Credit to $1000— and make it refundable.
Every Canadian family with children will benefit from this tax relief and benefit package. On average, $1,140 will return to the pockets of families with children.
We know that for a more affordable life, Canadians need a more affordable tax burden. That is why we have cut taxes of all kinds—personal taxes, business taxes, the GST.
Thank you very much, and happy holidays.
