Chartered Professional Accountants
of Canada
News release
Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA Canada) supports the federal government’s crackdown (more information can be found at http://news.gc.ca) directed against tax evasion and tax avoidance.
“The actions unveiled today (April 11) outline how the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will strengthen tax compliance, ensure fairness and better protect the country’s tax base,” says Gabe Hayos, vice-president, tax, CPA Canada.
“Tax evasion is an illegal act that is harmful to economies, deprives governments of much needed revenue for vital programs, and unfair to those who comply with the law.”
CPA Canada welcomes the announcement which confirmed the Budget 2016 plan to invest over $444 million to enhance the CRA’s ability to detect, audit, and prosecute tax evasion – both at home and abroad.
The government also announced a number of concrete steps to address tax evasion including:
. Bolstering international collaboration to fight tax evasion;
. Creating an independent advisory committee on offshore tax evasion and aggressive tax planning.
CPA Canada has long been on the record as opposing tax evasion and supportive of measures to protect the Canadian tax base.
The government’s announcement comes at a time when the issue of tax evasion is drawing significant global attention in part because of the “Panama Papers” data release.
“This is a global issue,” says Hayos. “Collaboration is needed among governments and tax experts, especially at the international level where multiple jurisdictions are involved.”