Health
Tax breaks for kids' activities?
Friday, October 27, 2006 | 02:41 PM ET
An expert panel has suggested that activities that boost children's "cardio-respiratory fitness" should be the focus of a federal tax credit.
The panel was appointed to advise Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Conservatives on a tax credit they proposedin May 2006 to fight obesity and encourage fitness among young Canadians.
The federal government let parents claim up to $500 per child, but give them an annual maximum refund of $78.50 per child.
The panel has also suggested a provision for children with disabilities. It recommended that their parents be able to claim up to $1,000 per child per year, up to and including the age of 21.
Cabinet must still give the final approval for the panel's recommendations. Ottawa plans to introduce thecredit on Jan. 1, 2007, at an expected cost of $160 million a year.
Question: Would the proposed fitness tax credit make a difference for your family and help solve the problem of childhood obesity?
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