Peace Tax Trust Fund

Since 1982, Conscience Canada has maintained a Peace Tax trust fund in which peace trusters have deposited the military portion of their taxes as a protest against paying for war. Until a CO Bill has passed into legislation, Conscience Canada provides a positive option for Conscientious Objectors to Military Taxation (COMTs) to deposit the military portion of their federal income taxes into a Peace Tax Trust Fund as a formal objection to paying to kill.

We suggest the following procedure:

1. Complete your Income Tax Form as usual, down to Balance Due.
   
   

2. Go back to Net Federal Tax line. Calculate 7.88% of the amount you entered on this line.
   
   

3. Make out a cheque for this amount to Conscience Canada Peace Tax Fund In Trust, and send it to Conscience Canada, 901-70 Mill Street, Toronto, ONT M5A 4R1. Please specify if you want the interests on your deposit kept segregated or if they can be used for the work of Conscience Canada. If you have all your taxes deducted at source, as 85% of taxpayers do, you can deposit a symbolic amount in the Fund. Be sure to make a copy of your cheque before you mail it in.
   
   

4. Write a letter to the Minister of Finance (Ralph Goodale) explaining why you wish to have your taxes supporting peace rather than killing, teaching others to kill, making and selling lethal weapons and preparing for war. Indicate that you have directed the military portion of your income taxes to the Peace Tax Fund in Trust (or have sent a symbolic amount to the Fund). Make seven copies of this letter.
   
   

5. Send the following to your local Tax Centre:

   • your completed Income Tax form, your cheque to the Receiver General for the Balance Due (less the amount of the cheque derived from step #3),

   • a copy of the cheque in #3, and

   • a copy of your letter to the Minister.
     

6. Send the original letter to the Minister of Finance (House of Commons, Ottawa, ON K1A OA6: no postage required), your MP (click here to find), and a copy to Conscience Canada for possible use in the newsletter.
   
   

7. Send other copies of your letter (postage free!) to the following federal politicians, all at the House of Commons, Parliament Buildings, Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6 (no postage required)

   • Hon. John McCallum, Minister of National Revenue

   • Stephen Harper, Leader of the New Conservative Party of Canada

   • Gilles Duceppe, Leader of the Bloc Québecois

   • Jack Layton, Leader of the NDP

   • Alexa McDonough

8. You may also wish to write to your local newspaper and/or to Canadian magazines of your choice. Send your letters addressed to Dear Editor.

What Happens to the Taxes I Divert to the Peace Tax Trust Fund?

Conscience Canada will deposit your cheque in the Peace Tax Trust Fund. In the event of collection by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), Conscience Canada will refund you on request your deposit, and also the accrued interest if you have so specified. (You can also request a refund at any time.) Conscience Canada may be unable to cover the full amount of interest CRA may charge you on these arrears, as their interest rate is usually higher than the amount we obtain on the Trust Fund.

We cannot guarantee that you will not be subject to collection by CRA from your bank account, garnishee from salary or seizure of goods and chattels for this amount they consider in "arrears." So far, to our knowledge, no goods and chattels have been seized in Canada for non-payment of war taxes. In general, only larger amounts, over several hundred dollars have been collected. Some COMTs have had collection in following years from refunds due. By now, all COMTs have probably had GST refunds seized.

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