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Budget Talks feedback: Money and pensions

What we heard

A summary of Ontarians' ideas related to money and pensions.

The cumulative result of the underground economy is that we all pay more in taxes to make up for those who do not share the load.

Subcategory	Your ideas
Income taxes 40ideas	Create a guaranteed minimum income (8 ideas) Decrease taxes (3 ideas) Reduce taxes on the middle class (2 ideas) Make tax brackets more redistributive (2 ideas) Tax lotteries (2 ideas) Increase taxes on the wealthy (2 ideas) Tax cash tips earned by bartenders and waitresses Tax child support payments as income Tax credit for Northern Ontario residents Pay tax returns in monthly installments Tie taxation to the local cost of living Simplify probate rules Don't raise the top tax rate above 50% Decrease taxes on low income people Create a flat income tax Increase taxes Allow education tax credits to be transferred to relatives Reduce tax deductions, loopholes and use of tax shelters Automatically file tax returns Create a special schools and health care tax Align federal and provincial tax brackets Eliminate income taxes Allow homeowners to claim mortgage interest on tax returns Reduce taxes on young payers Increase the threshold at which provincial income taxation begins Lower taxes on low single and dual income households Simplify the tax code
Sales tax 24ideas	Lower the gas tax (5 ideas) Reduce sales tax evasion (3 ideas) Decrease taxes on used cars sold by owners (3 ideas) Eliminate taxation on essential utilities (2 ideas) Harmonize the HST with federal taxation Remove taxes from mutual fund fees Lower sales taxes Replace the gas tax with a mileage based system Implement a tourist tax on hotel rooms Increase the amount exempted from sales tax for small food purchases Ensure rounded up cash transactions are taxed Increase sales taxes Eliminate tax refunds for visitors to Canada Don't allow Toronto to implement a sales tax Create a sales tax for Toronto
ORPP 17ideas	Stop implementation of ORPP (11 ideas) Speed up implementation of ORPP Decrease impact of ORPP on businesses Take cost of living into account when calculating pension payouts Replace ORPP with matched RRSP contributions and additional incentives to save Don't cover people who didn't pay into ORPP Share administrative functions between ORPP and CPP
Business taxes 15ideas	Increase taxes on business (7 ideas) Eliminate tax breaks for religious organizations (3 ideas) Decrease taxes on small business Tax Uber to fund public transit Reduce taxes for businesses which create high quality jobs Encourage telecommuting Reduce tax write-offs for self-employed and business owners
Loans and investments 12ideas	Develop a coordinated investment strategy for all public pensions Reform the bankruptcy discharge process Place investment funds under management of financial regulators in care of MOF, pay a nominal interest rate Establish provincial debt-repayment loans Reintroduce mortgages with 30 year amortization periods Decrease the cost of mortgage discharge Help Ontarians save for school, retirement and home ownership Enact new unclaimed property legislation Create a grant for first time homeowners Increase funding to the Pension Benefits Guarantee Fund to buffer Ontarians from insolvent funds Put stronger limits on the size of mortgages available to Ontarians Bring back Labour Sponsored Investment Funds with stronger regulation and tax credits
Property tax 9ideas	Give large municipalities the ability to collect sales taxes Assess properties based on market value Increase taxes on farmland Prevent municipalities from lowering taxes on vacant properties Tax industrial properties more than residential ones Reduce the tax incentives to keep storefronts empty Reform MPAC to lessen the tax burden if housing prices decline Allow municipalities to implement a graduated residential property tax Tax homeowners in low density areas according to the cost of service delivery
Drugs and prostitution 8ideas	Legalize, regulate and tax marijuana (5 ideas) Legalize, regulate and tax prostitution and drugs Legalize, regulate and tax recreational drugs Legalize, regulate and tax prostitution
Alcohol and tobacco 7ideas	Create a tax credit for e-cigarettes (2 ideas) Increase taxes on alcohol and tobacco Reduce taxation on legal tobacco Don't raise taxes on alcohol and tobacco Decrease taxes on craft brewers and distillers Reduce taxes on alcohol in licensed establishments
Cost of living 7ideas	Decrease the cost of living (5 ideas) Address the increasing cost of living Freeze costs of all essential utilities

Updated: July 25, 2023

Published: January 17, 2019