A fair request

Judy Wasylycia-Leis points out the costs to small businesses of the Cons' GST cut, and has a reasonable suggestion to put the cost where it belongs:

NDP Finance Critic Judy Wasylycia-Leis today called on the Conservative government to provide assistance to small businesses to relieve the financial burden of converting to the new GST rate.

“It’s unfair to expect small businesses, many with few resources and tight cash-flows, to pay hundreds of dollars out of their pockets to accommodate this Conservative policy change,” said Wasylycia-Leis. “The government has an obligation to provide substantial help to ensure that the cost of delivering this tax cut doesn’t fall in the laps — and on the books — of small businesses.”

A recent poll by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business found that 40 per cent of small businesses expect to pay outside firms to change over their accounting systems to the lower 6 percent GST rate announced in the recent budget. The average cost is expected to run between $500 and $600.

Considering the amount of money thrown around in tax cuts in this year's budget, it would seem a reasonable investment to ensure that smaller businesses aren't worse off as a result of the Cons' tax policy. We'll find out soon whether the Cons really are interested in enabling entrepreneurs to survive and thrive...or whether they're content making matters tougher for Canada's small businesses.