One Tax for the CF.

[aesop081]

Not in Ontario!! 

You know damned well what i'm talking about. Military members get free health care...full stop.  As for your families, well...you pay a premium in Alberta too.  NB doesnt charge extra for HC...have you suffered through the HC system in NB ? I have.......Just like non-issued boots, you get what you pay for.

1.  A standard Licence Plate for all CF members.

Who cares, the military pays for you to change your plates.......no cost to you.

2.  A standard Drivers Licence for all CF members and their families.

Again, who cares since the military pays to change your drivers liscence and that of your family when you move.....no cost to you.

3.  A standard rent for PMQ's.

Why ?  Are real estate prices to be standard for those of us smart enough to live on the economy ?

4.  A standard Insurance Policy for both Auto and Home.

That would be just what we need...another government run insurance program......you dont live in BC i can tell.....I like MY rates going up whenever SOMEONE ELSE has an accident when they're drunk.

5.  A standard PLD rate for all CF members.

Anyone who advocates a standard PLD rate across the country obviously lacks understanding on what PLD is and what it is for ( not pointing at you GW)

6.  A standard Field/Sea allowance.

Field pay is standard for everyone, sea pay is standard for everyone too......if you want sea pay/ aircrew allowance because its more money...remuster.....my MOC is short 50 people.

7.  A standard Pay (either no Spec Pay, or all Spec Pay).

Again, someone who says that doesnt understand why certain MOCs are in a different pay category than others.  The grass isnt always greener on the other side boys and girls, take it from me. Most specialist MOCs are very short people...feel free to remuster....

8.  A standard Mess Dues.

Why standardise them...why not just get rid of them........I know i'm not getting my money's worth out of my mess...it sucks !!

EDIT : Everyone to complains about pay can go on civvy street and find a job with a comparable starting salary, benefits and advantages who provides all the training, does not require previous experience and has the same job security......... :

 

[aesop081]

  And also, isn't there a time period in which you have to change to the province you're residing in, or is that only your vehicle license?

Most provinces i have been to require that you change-over your plates within 90 days of MOVING there.  When you go on course in another province, you are nt required to do so as long as your plates are valid in the province of issue.  I went to CFANS in Manitoba for 6 months with NB plates.......good to go.

 

[antique]

Arron,
Back in November,you were complaining about the fact that work sucked in St-Jean,that you and your wife had no life,that you basically hated the place and now,it's the taxes.
Well let me tell you that first and foremost you are a Canadian citizen who chose to join the military out of your own free will,with the knowledge that postings are  a part of life  with it's good and it's not so good.
St-Jean is a challenge I know all too well but,it's also a place where you can get job satisfaction if you set your mind to it.
Quebec is also a challenge I know all too well but,see it as an opportunity to learn another way of life and another language.People in Quebec will speak to you in English if you try to speak to them in French.Hey there are rude people everywhere across Canada but if you can learn another language it makes you the smartest one.A soldier's quality is adaptation
Taxes are high true enough but that's life....complaining and ranting won't change anything.
At the end of the day,if you are not happy in your job,where you live,how much money you take home well maybe you should consider a 9 to 5 job in a lower taxes province....mind you being in the military is really the best job... so stop complaining we have all been there...make the best of it instead
Je me souviens

 

[aesop081]

Well said antique

 

[geo]

Let's face it, each province offers different services and these services cost money.
The majority of the Quebec population like the idea of rent control (excl rental property owners)... thus, Quebec maintains a rental board... thus rents in Quebec are much more closely regulated than elsewhere in the Country. Do you draw benefit from this?

 

[George Wallace]

You know damned well what i'm talking about. Military members get free health care...full stop.  As for your families, well...you pay a premium in Alberta too.  NB doesnt charge extra for HC...have you suffered through the HC system in NB ? I have.......Just like non-issued boots, you get what you pay for.

Just a point on this.  Yes, CF members get 'free' health care while in the Service.  What is different, is how each province treats 'Serving Members'.  Alberta charges CF Members a 'premium' and the CF Members entitled to get that refunded.  Ontario on the other hand charges the CF Members a 'health Tax' which does not entitle CF Members to a refund. 

There are many inequalities across the land, if you want to nitpick.  In the end they pretty much all balance out.

 

[Arron]

Alberta is the lowest rate with 10% income tax for all levels of income, compare that to any other province.  I have never lived or worked there, but the numbers speak for themselves.  I used Alberta and Quebec as an example simply because of the numbers, Newfoundland and Ontario would of worked just as well for tax rate differences.  Dec 30 was used as an example,  if you were posted Newfoundland to Ontario on 30 Dec your hit the payload,  the other way around not being  so nice.

To the best of my knowledge a posting outside of Canada, you pay the last province you lived in,  I believe you pay Ottawa's rate on deployments.  Here is on link specific for Quebec:

http://www.revenu.gouv.qc.ca/eng/bulletin/index.asp?nom=i-3_22-4

I do know of members from Quebec, BC, NS that are paying respective provincial tax rates while posted OUTCAN.  If there is some way to change this, please post!  It would be very beneficial to some members  OUTCAN if they could pay Ottawa's tax rate.

The US military has a simple solution, each member can chose and claim for their home state.  Who cares if you pay more or less than your neighbor, you don't have the same access to the benefits of each province, and the majority of your neighbors don't have to worry about moving every 2-6 years.  Or another way to solve this, and would be simple to fit into the present system would be to include tax amounts into the reimbursed or even deductions with IRP to make less impact on moving, then it would be more “no cost to member”.

The proportional monthly tax rates per province would be an awesome solution!  Rounding to the month, not year would solve many problems for many members would make postings so much easier.  Maybe if we all called or wrote to our MP's.....

I have talked with a lawyer, his retaining fee will eat most savings occurred.  Thank you niner domestic for the idea of an accountant, I think it might be the next best route to take, and hopefully save more than spent on fees.

I am sorry for those who takes offense talking about money or any other problems someone may have.  I did not bring up any costs of insurance or any costs in province A or B, health care quality, nor personal issues or views in this thread or yearly tax rates.  I only brought up incurred costs during the move which is suppose to be “no cost to the member”.

PLD here is 0$ vs where i was at 6$, no biggie.  That is not the kicker here, the fact that we are looking at owing 5 digits due to a move is (not the actual tax, just owing because of the move).  If the CF moved us Jan 1, this would not be a issue because we would get PLD and pay taxes for the year at one location.  As it gets later into the tax year for a COS, the amount owed increases.  How is this fair to anyone who have to pay large sums in taxes due to a move past Jan 1?  I hope a accountant can help reduce this, and i hope other deductions may help. 

There is a new Quebec 6% or 500$ deduction that may help some :

http://www.revenu.gouv.qc.ca/eng/entreprise/retenues/changements.asp

This is something that must be fixed with a policy of some sort and IS a problem with the CF and how well it takes care of its members.  Maybe we should all write to our MP's or ombudsman, we will all be affected by this at some point.

 

[Michael OLeary]

Having read through this thread, I cannot help but think that we would not be hearing from you about the "unfairness" of this system if you had been posted in the other direction.

 

[armyvern]

I do know of members from Quebec, BC, NS that are paying respective provincial tax rates while posted OUTCAN.  If there is some way to change this, please post!  It would be very beneficial to some members  OUTCAN if they could pay Ottawa's tax rate.

Perhaps then they maintain (Ie still own) a principal residence in that respective province which they are renting out to someone while they are posted overseas? All the pers I know who are posted overseas are paying the Ontario tax rate, which is the norm.

As for flat-tax, it simply won't work because a whole new set of complaints and problems crop up.

Ie...the guy now posted in Alberta and yourself, in Quebec, are now both paying a flat-tax on your income of 10%.

Complaint from those who happen to get posted to Alberta is now "Well how come I get the same take home pay as the guy in Quebec yet my standard of living is so much lower than his? He gets to buy a nice 4 bedroom house for 200K to house his family in and I get to pay 500k for a freaking 3 bedroom 1200 square foot bungalow? It's not my family's fault the military posted me to Alberta so why should he get more in the bank after expenses than I?"

 

[GO!!!]

Unless I'm grievously mistaken, provincial taxes pay for things that are the provinces bag, like language police and 5$/day daycare.

Why don't you have a bunch of kids - you can send them to daycare for 5 bucks - thats worth 600-850$ A MONTH here in alberta, and then learn french, on the Provincial Government's dime in all your newfound spare time!

Each posting has it's benefits, I can see a few good ones to yours!

 

[Arron]

Perhaps then they maintain (Ie still own) a principal residence in that respective province which they are renting out to someone while they are posted overseas? All the pers I know who are posted overseas are paying the Ontario tax rate, which is the norm.

That could be, I will have to ask.  I know coming out of Quebec, you continue to pay Quebec tax, I've called revenue Quebec and as per that link i posted.  Do you know of any documentation with more info?

Complaint from those who happen to get posted to Alberta is now "Well how come I get the same take home pay as the guy in Quebec yet my standard of living is so much lower than his? He gets to buy a nice 4 bedroom house for 200K to house his family in and I get to pay 500k for a freaking 3 bedroom 1200 square foot bungalow? It's not my family's fault the military posted me to Alberta so why should he get more in the bank after expenses than I?"

Good point.  It can very quickly get complicated.  This whole system needs to be updated.  The idea of monthly taxes would solve this, but may cause other problems, or with a flat tax the PLD can effectively apply to locations.  There is no simple solution, but thats why we pay all these taxes in the first place, for our government to figure it out.  At least I hope thats what its for  ;D

Michael O'Leary: you are right.  We don't say anything when its in our benefit, as well as Canadians we don't say anything when there is something wrong.  Not right either way.

Go!!:  Yes first one on the way... very scary!  We wont be here long enough to really benefit from childcare with more than 1 kid, with taking the year off and all.  If we had 2 or3 kids now, BAM what a savings!  Still, that is separate from owing back tax from a move late n the tax year.  If I had 3 kids now, yes i would save lots on the childcare (marginal though, loss of 800/month in income due to income tax), but then I would be bankrupt owing this much in back tax on top of raising 3 kids.  As well kids are a personal choice to have.  It would not be fair to a person having no kids, paying for other peoples child care.  This is another debate for another conversation though.

 

[GO!!!]

Go!!:  Yes first one on the way... very scary!  We wont be here long enough to really benefit from childcare with more than 1 kid, with taking the year off and all.  If we had 2 or3 kids now, BAM what a savings!  Still, that is separate from owing back tax from a move late n the tax year.  If I had 3 kids now, yes i would save lots on the childcare (marginal though, loss of 800/month in income due to income tax), but then I would be bankrupt owing this much in back tax on top of raising 3 kids.   

Well, I'll give you the easy solution.

Learn french, only because it's free and it will get you ahead.

Have your child in Quebec, and collect the large "baby bonus" equivalent that they have there.

Don't pay your tax bill. Wait until you are posted out of the bell province  and then it will be deducted from the return you would have gotten. The interest on unpaid income tax is only 5.5%, far less than the rate you will pay with a line of credit.

Get posted to Alberta, where we take home more, but everything costs more too.