International Trade committee  Subclause 51.5 of the proposed legislation would require that a taxpayer be paid interest at the specified rate—i.e., plus 4%—from the 30th day after a refund application is filed with the minister. The proposed amendment would not provide for the higher rate of interest to be paid.

International Trade committee  No, I believe it would be less money paid out, because it would be at a lower rate rather than the specified rate at which interest would be paid.

International Trade committee  Yes, it is.

International Trade committee  I would like to clarify one point. Clause 26 is the general requirement for monthly return from all registrants. If there was an amendment here to require information to be forwarded by the Maritime Lumber Bureau, you'd be talking about the returns of information from a B.C. lumber producer going through the Maritime Lumber Bureau.

International Trade committee  Clause 26 is a requirement that registrants under the act, the exporters of softwood lumber from all parts of the country affected by the requirement to file returns, would file those returns with the Minister of National Revenue. No information is forwarded by anyone other than the taxpayer directly to the minister.

International Trade committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. This bill contains confidentiality provisions that are consistent with those contained in other tax statutes. The reason they are there is because taxpayers and individuals are required by law to provide the government with information in order for us to be able to establish their liability for tax.

International Trade committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. For tax purposes, the determination of whether in a particular transaction the parties are dealing at arm's length is a factual decision that's made on the basis of the circumstances at issue. One of the criteria that might be looked at is whether the parties are related to one another, but there are others.