Tax credit offered for volunteer searchers, firefighters mike.dejong.mla@leg.bc.ca

by Tom Fletcher - BC Local News North Vancouver BC posted Feb 11, 2017 at 11:00 AM
The BC Liberal government is adding a provincial tax credit to its pre-election budget for volunteer firefighters and search and rescue members, worth up to $150 a year. Volunteers who put in 200 hours a year for search and rescue, firefighting or both would be eligible for the tax credit, starting this year. Combined with a federal tax credit, volunteers would receive about $600 a year in tax breaks for their efforts. "These local heroes leave the comfort of home to rush out into often dangerous and unpredictable conditions, in every type of environment, to provide a beacon of hope to both those lost and to the families waiting at home," said Naomi Yamamoto, minister of state for emergency preparedness, making the announcement in North Vancouver Saturday. Bob Stevens, president of the Volunteer Firefighters Association of B.C., said the tax credit is welcome recognition for people who in many cases receive no compensation for their effort and personal expense. "Many small communities in B.C. rely heavily on volunteer firefighters and search and rescue groups to provide protection and assistance in times of need," Stevens said. Yamamoto said in an interview the tax credit will cost the province about $1 million a year, in addition to the $5 million a year currently provided for training and materials and $9 million in the current fiscal year to compensate volunteer organizations for fuel, helicopters and other expenses. The B.C. Search and Rescue Association has 2,500 volunteers in 80 groups in the province. The Volunteer Firefighters Association of B.C. has 177 active volunteer fire departments with about 4,500 volunteer members. The B.C. government is set to unveil a monument to search and rescue volunteers on the grounds of the B.C. legislature on March 2.
========
Don Quixote Note: My input to the Provincial budget in January 2017. (1 positive response re Provincial Tax credit for 2 of the3 First Responders Volunteers.
===================
Date: January 15, 2017 at 8:21:51 AM PST
To: citizenengagement@gov.bc.ca,  cc mike.dejong.mla@leg.bc.ca

RE upcoming Budget:

1. The Volunteer Fire personnel (2011) and the Volunteers at Search and Rescue (2014) get a tax credit from the Federal Government. The Police auxiliary volunteers do not so far. (expecting a response in upcoming budget in reaction to petition E-29 https://petitions.parl.gc.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-29)

Will your government consider a Provincial tax credit for all 3 of these Volunteer First Responders group ?

2. Will the Carbon tax be removed from Cremations done in the Province of B.C. ?? (Recognize that unlike other provinces within this country that do charge HST or a Prov. Sales tax, B.C. does not Charge PST on Cremations). However beside the carbon tax on the Cremations the feds charge their 5% GST on the Carbon Tax. (Tax on a tax)

3. Since Carbon Tax was introduced in B.C. in 2008 the GST has been charged the Carbon Tax. Estimates based on the $ 1.271 billion in estimated Carbon Tax for 2016/17 in B.C. the Feds are ripping off $63.55 million in GST from our Revenue Neutral Carbon Tax Program. (Total Estimated Carbon Tax Revenue Recycling 2008-2015 Carbon tax revenue: $7.3 billion - GSt on this would be $365 million)

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-trudeau-climate-change-1.3788825
"Whatever model a province chooses, Trudeau said, it will be revenue neutral for the federal government, with any revenues generated under the system staying in the province or territory where they are generated.”

In view of this statement from the Prime Minister will the Province seek to have the GST removed from the Carbon Tax immediately??