Other Press

 

Student Fees Taxable?

by Chris Lawson

Canadian University
Press

OTTAWA (CUP) —

Student association fees and
other incidental fees will be
subject to the goods and serv-
ices tax,.a finance depart-
ment official says.

“If membership in a
student organization provides
significant benefits, they will
be taxable,” says the official,
who refused to be named.
“Student association fees
generally do provide bene-
fits to their members in that
they collectively pay for
representation to govern-
ment.”

: Canadian Federation of
Students (CFS) Chair Jane
Arnold says a tax on student
association fees is ridiculous.

“What kind of a gov-
ernment do we have that
would tax students’ right to
organize and be represented,”
she says. “It’s going tomake

Photopol:

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

Iris Manghi
2nd yr. UT

“What the hell do they
think we are, rich britches?
6% is enough and if the gov-
ernment wants to kills us I
guess they're gonna raise the
tax. Students are poor, well
most of us are, and other
peopple aren’t rich either!”

it more difficult for CFS to
organize.”

Some interest groups’
membership fees would not
be taxable he says. Organi-
zations like Greenpeace,
which ask people to become
members, he says would not
be tasked.

“In that case, what they
call a membership fee is really
more like a donation,” he says.
“Greenpeace may lobby, but
it’s not on behalf of their
members per se.”

Tuition fees for courses
given for credit at universi-
ties and public colleges will
not be taxed But non-credit
courses will be subject to the
nine per cent tax, as will all
incidental and course mate-
rial fees.

Finance department
official Rick Doyon says the
new tax is intended to deny
public and non-profit groups
an unfair advantage where
they provide the same serv-
ice as private companies.

Neil McDonnell
UT Business

“The tax is necessary to
help bring the deficit down. I
also feel more should be done
to reduce the deficit, such as
cut back U.I.C. and Welfare
as they are being abused.”

 

 

David McLellan
2nd yr. UT Education

“Well; on the positive
side, I believe the tax will
help reduce inflation and
the national debt. However,
on the negative side, it mat
impinge upon the service
industry and reduce personal
spending.”

 

Afzal Barmania
2nd yr. Business

“What tax increase?”

Colleges and universities that
charge fees for services
duplicated by private com-
panies can expect to be taxed.
“A student charged
fee for renting a musi
instrument by the school,”
the official says, “is getting
the same service as they
would if they bought the
instrument for educational
purposes, so it will be taxed.”
Arnold also condemns
the government's intention
to tax incidental fees.
“Students are already
up against a wall for money,”
she says, “And every penny

.does count.

The Goods and Serv-
ices tax will take effect in
1991 and apply to most goods
and services as part of a tax
reform which will give a tax
credit to low-income earn-
ers.

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  

 

 

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WhatDo You
Think Of The GST?

Photos by Paisley Shaw and Jennifer Shephard

Camille DesLauriers
1st yr. Legal Secretary
option

“If it’s what they have
to do then they have to do it.
But they shiould try and
eliminate other unnecessary
expenses such as that bridge
they’re painting right now,
and they wouldn’t have to
raise taxes so much.

Aias Perez

DCSS Pesident
2nd year UT Arts

“Taxes are a means of
redistributing to the wealthy.
The 9% tax is a further
impairment, and a tremen-
dous burden on the very
people that the tax system is
supposed to be helping, for
example,
students etc...”

 

single parents,

 

2nd yr. UT Business

“If the governmment
can find its way to use the |
tax to reduce the National
Deficit, then I would support
it; however, paast records
indicate increased taxes only
mean increased government
spending.” {