Principal Issues: 1. Taxpayer is expressing concern with respect to application of new legislation dealing with taxable benefits relating to group sickness or accident insurance plans.
Position: 1. No position taken; referred to CRA.
Reasons: 1. New legislation.
XXXXXXXXXX
Dear XXXXXXXXXX:
The Honourable James M. Flaherty, Minister of Finance, sent me a copy of your correspondence, which I received on April 19, 2013, about employer contributions to group sickness or accident insurance plans.
The recent legislative amendments to the Income Tax Act include in an employee's taxable income any benefit arising from an employer's contribution to a group sickness or accident insurance plan. You are concerned that including these benefits in income could have a negative impact on the volunteer fire service and ask that emergency responders be exempted from the proposed legislative changes.
Because the legislation received royal assent only recently, and this particular situation has not yet been considered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), I am sending a copy of your letter to the CRA's Income Tax Rulings Directorate for review and reply. An income tax rulings officer will call you for more information.
I trust this action is helpful.
Yours sincerely,
Gail Shea, P.C., M.P.
Minister of National Revenue
Robert Dubis (905) 721-5191
2013-048666