You And I Can Be Audited But Not Our Emplyees...

L’état, c’est le Board of Internal Economy

By National Post Staff  May 24, 2010 – 9:22 am

 

Every year, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) audits thousands of taxpayers. They may grumble, they may panic, but for most Canadians, it would never occur to them to say: “Wait a minute Mr. Taxman, I don’t need to show you my receipts, just take my word for it. Why would I cheat you? There are laws against that sort of thing.”
The reason for this lack of resistance is not our mythic Canadian politeness, but the fact that failure to comply with an audit can have very nasty consequences. The CRA can seize your bank account, put a lien on your house and generally make your existence a living hell. Such is the power of the state.
But apparently when you are the state, different rules apply. There are no immediate sanctions, and perhaps not surprisingly, your attitude shifts a little. L’état, c’est moi, as Louis XIV used to say. Membership has its privileges, and one of them appears to be avoiding scrutiny of your expenses.
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Parliament's audit disgrace

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