TORONTO, May 10, 2001 (LSN.ca) – The Ontario Conservative Government has introduced a plan to give a partial tax credit to parents who choose to send their children to private schools. During his budget presentation yesterday, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced the “Equity in Education Tax Credit” officially described as to “assist parents who want their children educated in their religion and culture but find the cost of sending their children to independent schools prohibitive.”
The government proposes to phase in a partial tax credit, beginning in the 2002 taxation year, that would be provided for kindergarten, elementary and secondary tuition fees at independent schools in Ontario. The credit rates, to be applied to the first $7,000 of tuition fees exclusively, are proposed to be phased in over a five-year period starting at 10% of tuition and capping at 50% of tuition. Thus for the 2002 year parents will be able to receive up to $700 per child in private school and by 2006 up to $3,500 per child. The credit would be applied to tuition up to $7,000 only and would not include, for example, expenses for books, sports, uniforms, computers, travel or boarding.
LifeSite spoke with Sue Craig of the Government’s Communications Branch asking if the plan could at all benefit homeschoolers. Craig answered, “no.” However, Aynsley Wintrip the Minister’s Press Secretary told LifeSite that consultations on the working out of the plan were underway and that a provision for homeschoolers may yet be worked in.
See the coverage in the Globe and Mail and National Post: https://www.globeandmail.ca/gam/TopNational/20010510/UMAINNSB.html https://www.nationalpost.com/home/story.html?f=/stories/20010510/558075.html