MONTREAL – Over 100 Quebec business, culture and other leaders have put their names to a new push in the province urging all levels of government to make sure foreign companies selling goods and services digitally in Canada are subject to the same taxes as Canadian companies.
The group, hashtagged #100voix, have put their names behind this declaration: "We cannot allow foreign giants to avoid the taxes that all local businesses must charge. This injustice must be corrected. It penalizes our businesses, our artists and our workers. We have a shared duty to protect Québec and Canadian culture."
Business leaders such as Quebecor’s Pierre Karl Péladeau, Cogeco’s Louis Audet, Bell Media’s Gerry Frappier, film director Denys Arcand, Groupe V Media’s Maxime Rémillard, Stingray’s Eric Boyko, Vidéotron’s Manon Brouillette, many others and just about every other cultural group or association in the province of Quebec have put their names behind this push.
Quebecor CEO Péladeau took to Facebook Wednesday to explain, writing: “Why does the #Netflix of this world escape from taxes that all Quebec companies have to collect?
“I've been denouncing this injustice for months. Justin Trudeau's government decision severely penalizes companies, artists, workers and artisans from here. We must denounce it, we must protect our culture.”
The province of Quebec has indicated it will force Netflix to collect the provincial sales tax but has yet to make that move official.
It’s not just about Netflix or Spotify, however, as some of the names on the list, like Simon’s department store owner Peter Simons, wants to see a more level playing field when it comes to physical goods, too.
