Shaw Centre, Ottawa, ON
November 26, 2014
Check against delivery
Hello everyone. It's a pleasure to be here today.
Thank you to the Financial Management Institute for hosting us today, on Chartered Professional Accounts Day at the FMI Professional Development conference. I have some great news for the CPAs in the room—and indirectly, for the entire financial sector.
The Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada is a robust voice for our national accounting community, as well as for the many individuals and businesses that rely on their wise guidance and good advice.
As we all know, Canada's tax system is based on voluntary compliance and self-assessment. The better Canadians understand the system, the rules, and the benefits, the easier it is to comply.
CPAs play a major role in this because they help Canadians—businesses and individuals—meet their tax obligations. As a result, they help protect the integrity of the tax system and Canada's revenue base.
That is just one reason why formally acknowledging our valuable partnership today is so important.
With the recent merger of the accounting profession, CPA Canada allows the Canada Revenue Agency to connect—through a single organization—with more than 190,000 professional accountants in Canada, and ultimately, to millions of taxpayers.
That is why I am pleased to announce that today the Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the CRA, Andrew Treusch, and the President and CEO of CPA Canada, Kevin Dancey, will sign the CRA CPA Canada Framework Agreement.
The Framework ensures regular and ongoing dialogue between the CRA and Canada's accounting professionals on tax related matters.
This framework is tangible proof of the CRA's open and transparent administration of Canada's tax regime, which is responsive to taxpayers and practitioners, and accountable to stakeholders.
Our Government's objective is to grow the tax base through rooting out non-compliance while keeping taxes low for hard-working Canadian families.
It's why we cut the GST…
… Why we introduced Tax-Free Savings Accounts
… Why we created and expanded The Universal Child Care Benefit
… Why we established Income-splitting for our pensioners
… And why we have introduced the Family Tax Cut Plan.
Since 2006, we've lowered taxes for families and job creating businesses, by tens of billions of dollars.
We take non-compliance very seriously in order to keep the tax system fair, protect the tax base, and maintain a level playing field for all Canadians.
I look forward to what this new partnership with the unified accounting profession will bring to strengthen compliance and reduce the administrative burden for stakeholders and taxpayers.
Together we are building a stronger, healthier tax system and a more prosperous, competitive Canada.
Thank you very much for the opportunity to be part of today's important milestone.
