25,000 families to lose tax benefit for arts, sports fees
CBC News | Posted: March 18, 2015 6:39 PM | Last Updated: March 19, 2015
Tax break for children's arts and sports fees now income-tested
More than half the families that have been receiving a tax benefit to offset the cost of things like minor hockey and music lessons will lose that benefit in this year's Saskatchewan provincial budget.
The active families benefit provides annual tax credit rebates of up to $150 per child in registration fees for cultural, recreational, and sports activities.
Until this year, the benefit was available to everyone.
Now it comes with an income test. Starting in the 2015 taxation year, the benefit will be available to families with combined net incomes below $60,000.
The change will save the province $6 million per year.
The number of families expected to receive the tax benefit will decline from 46,000 to 21,000.
Reacting to the change, Julio Davila said he has two young children and he's not happy with the government's move.
"It costs gas and time to take the kids to the activities, then the activities itself," Davila noted. "So yeah I mean you will have to cut back on the number of activities."
Another parent, Darcy Kinzie, said her family's situation is such that they are not eligible for the tax credit.
"I feel for the families that won't get it," Kinzie said. "I'm OK with it because we're well off, we can still afford to do that stuff. I feel for the people that won't get it for the simple fact maybe they only make two grand over that and still it's going to be tight."
Kinzie said she thinks the change will prevent some parents from getting kids into activities.
"The biggest thing right now is kids need to get exercise," she said. "Not everybody is outside, not everybody gets enough time outside."
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