Business group pushes feds to reconsider new taxes

As people work to get their holiday shopping complete, an advocacy group says many small business owners are dreading the new year.

That’s according to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) which is calling on provincial finance ministers to advocate for small businesses.

Vice President of Prairie and Agri-Business Marilyn Braun-Pollon says family businesses face an affordability crisis.

“That’s why we felt it was so important for finance ministers to delay some of these tax hikes,” she said.

She said the federal carbon tax, planned increases to payments into the Canada Pension Plan and changes to rules around passive investment were among the irritants set to hit small business owners in the wallets.

“Ninety-six per cent of business owners surveyed in the last week oppose the federal carbon tax,” Braun-Pollon explained.

She told Gormley opposition to the carbon tax has nothing to do with how business owners feel about the environment.

“They’ve already made a lot of changes to their business to help reduce their own carbon footprints,” she said. “And Saskatchewan has an aggressive plan to further reduce that footprint.”

Braun-Pollon said the biggest problem is small businesses get none of the rebates or exemptions available to big emitters and consumers and can’t pass on the extra costs.

“Eighty-two per cent of (business owners surveyed) say they can only pass on 25 per cent or less of the cost,” She said. “It’s extremely unfair.”

Following the results of the survey, the CFIB sent a letter to provincial finance ministers in an effort to have them advocate for small businesses.

Saskatchewan and Ontario’s finance ministers went on to send a joint letter calling on the federal government to reconsider the changes and to study their potential impacts on small and independent businesses.

“Our main message is that small businesses need a break and it doesn’t look like 2019 will be a very happy new year,” Braun-Pollon said.