Re: 鈥淗omeowners must apply for spec-tax exemptions,鈥� Jan. 16.
The provincial government is using 鈥渘egative option billing鈥� practices to spank homeowners who fail to report that they live in their homes in designated 鈥渟peculation tax鈥� areas. The same government already requires homeowners who live in their homes to apply for the sa国际传媒 homeowner grant.
I note the homeowner grant does not apply to rentals or homes that are not primary residences of the homeowner. Finance Minister Carole James states that applying for the speculation-tax exemption is about as simple as applying for the homeowner grant.
Why do homeowners have to report the fact they live in their homes twice? How much extra is this duplicate and entirely unnecessary reporting costing the taxpayer?
If bureaucrats can鈥檛 use the existing information on homeowner grants in the affected areas, why can the government not just put another box to tick on the property tax forms it already uses to determine who is entitled to the homeowner grant? Why does it have to duplicate, at great expense, a reporting structure that already exists?
Property owners in the affected areas should just refuse to report under the new system and let the government use the information it already requires from property owners who wish to claim their homeowner grants annually.
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David Badior
Nanaimo
