What's new

FADOQ has submitted its brief in preparation for the upcoming Québec budget, proposing seven recommendations, many of which focus on taxation.

1. Standardize tax measures for seniors.
2. Recognize the costs associated with meal preparation and delivery included in the lease of community housing for seniors as a fully eligible expense under the home support services for seniors tax credit.
3. Develop and launch an engaging information campaign to raise awareness among seniors about their tax obligations and rights.
4. Promote non-digital options offered by the Québec government to ensure better access to public services and tax benefits for seniors.
5. Maintain investments in home care and services, ensuring they align with demographic changes.
6. Increase the death benefit amount to reflect actual costs.
7. Eliminate the taxation of the death benefit.

Optimizing Tax Credits

Navigating the tax system can be complex, especially since both provincial and federal tax returns must be filed.

For this reason, we have recommended standardizing eligibility criteria and harmonizing the qualifying age at 65 for all provincial tax credits for seniors, aligning with the normal retirement age in Québec.

Moreover, several tax credits, such as the career extension tax credit and amounts granted based on age, living alone, or retirement income, are non-refundable. This deprives low-income individuals of essential financial support. To better support them, these tax credits should be converted into refundable credits.

During a meeting with the Ministry of Finance to present the brief, FADOQ also suggested launching an information campaign to educate seniors about their tax obligations and rights. As the largest senior organization in Québec, FADOQ expressed its willingness to collaborate with the government on this issue.

Continued Investment in Home Support

As the Québec government develops its national home support policy, FADOQ has emphasized the importance of increasing funding for home care and services to keep pace with demographic changes.

Finally, our organization has proposed doubling the death benefit to better support grieving individuals and families. Set at $2,500 since 1998, this benefit no longer reflects current realities. This situation places an increased financial, administrative, and psychological burden on families and grieving individuals in an already difficult time.

Read the brief (in French only)