Tax breaks for kids' activities?
Friday, October 27, 2006 | 02:41 PM ET
Activities that boost children's "cardio-respiratory fitness" should be the focus of a federal tax credit, an expert panel urged Thursday as it outlined the types of activities and costs that should qualify.
The panel was appointed to advise Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Conservatives on their proposed tax credit for parents with children in organized sports, proposed in May 2006 to fight obesity and encourage fitness among young Canadians.
As the Expert Panel for the Children's Fitness Tax Credit released its recommendations, its chair, Dr. Kellie Leitch, told a news conference in Ottawa that for the exercise to boost children's fitness, the activity has "got to make them sweat."
"While we do not pretend that the Children's Fitness Tax Credit will be a panacea that will end most childhood obesity, we passionately believe the tax credit is an important component of what must be a broader strategy to encourage activity among young people," Leitch said in a letter from the panel to Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty.
On Oct. 26, the panel released its recommendations, including that:
- The tax credit not be issued to parents unless their children are involved in an activity that includes at leastone session per week for a minimum ofeight weeks.
- For children under 10, eligible activities should include at least 30 minutes of sustained and vigorous activity.
- For those over 10, the time rises to 60 minutes.
Although the final approval for the panel's recommendations is up to the cabinet, the Conservatives have said they plan to introduce the credit on Jan. 1, 2007. It's expected to cost the federal government $160 million a year.
The panel's recommendations now go to government. Revenue Canada will come up with a list of sports that qualify for the tax credit, which will be available next year.
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- Why should we be encouraging our kids to play sports? Sp...
- Tax breaks for kids' activities?
- Let’s give a great big tax break to all of the taxpayer...
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- Being a childless single male, I would like to know if th...
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Comments
Bill
Mr. Fowlie, I can only assume you do your volunteer work because you think it's important for children to be involved in organized sports and do it freely and without any expectation of personal gain. I do the same. Now if a tax credit will encourage more parents to "drop off the at the rink" then people like you and me should encourage it rather than wondering "what's in it for me?". This credit is not for the parents it's really for the kids by encouraging more participation.
Posted October 27, 2006 04:24 PM
Debbie Mills
Why should we be encouraging our kids to play sports? Sports turns kids into violence. Ever watch a hockey game or soccer game its nonstop fighting. It seems like the conservatives led by George Bush are trying to turn our kids into fighters
Posted October 27, 2006 04:16 PM
Allan Eizinas
Let’s give a great big tax break to all of the taxpayers by stopping this nonsense of tax breaks for the political issue de jour!
Posted October 27, 2006 03:59 PM
Neil Fowlie
Being a childless single male, I would like to know if this credit can benefit me.
I am a volunteer youth hockey coach.
I spend several hours a week working with other people's kids, and have several hundreds of dollars of out of pocket expenses, such as driving myself and kids to games and practice, taking first aid courses. I also help some of the kids purchase equipment if their parents can't. It appears I am out of luck, whereas a parent who simply drops their kid off and the rink will be getting a tax credit.
Posted October 27, 2006 03:40 PM