An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act (no GST on funeral arrangements)

This bill was last introduced in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session, which ended in September 2008.

This bill was previously introduced in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session.

Sponsor

Peter Stoffer  NDP

Introduced as a private member’s bill. (These don’t often become law.)

Status

Outside the Order of Precedence (a private member's bill that hasn't yet won the draw that determines which private member's bills can be debated), as of Oct. 16, 2007
(This bill did not become law.)

Summary

This is from the published bill. The Library of Parliament often publishes better independent summaries.

This enactment amends the Excise Tax Act to eliminate the goods and services tax (GST) on the sale of goods and services under an arrangement for funeral services.

Elsewhere

All sorts of information on this bill is available at LEGISinfo, an excellent resource from the Library of Parliament. You can also read the full text of the bill.

Excise Tax ActRoutine Proceedings

April 30th, 2007 / 3:10 p.m.
See context

NDP

Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-436, An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act (no GST on funeral arrangements).

Mr. Speaker, when the government talks about a $21 billion surplus over two years, it forgets to tell us that that money came from people who have to go through the aspect of burying a loved one or having somebody cremated. I cannot figure out why the Conservatives, in the eighties, put this tax on crematorium and funeral services. It is unacceptable.

This bill would remove all federal taxes from funeral and crematorium services.

It is tough enough when a loved one passes away. It is tough enough to have to pay taxes on top of that, which gets to the old adage that there are two things in life we cannot avoid: death and taxes. I do not think we should tax death. It is as simple as that.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)