Fresh because that's what you just had?

No, that's last winter. Random stuff - the anything else thread
What we have right now is a gentle rain, but there could be sleet later.

I like the cooler temps of winter, easier to stay warm than to stay cool. I just don't like the rain of winter, rain is the only downside to winter, rain rain rain.

All this talk of snowy winters... It can be a conversation-stopper at times. It's a joy to watch Americans' faces when I tell them about having to put our rubbers on before going outside... ("You what, John?!")

Amazon in the US including Whole Foods is going to raise the companies min. wage to 15/US$ per hour. Average hourly US wage is 22 and some change.

Target pledges to have its employees at 15/hr by 2020.

Wal-Mart recently raised to 11/hr but hasn't pledged a higher wage.

Amazon will lobby congress to raise the federal min. wage.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/ama...p=FB_Post_News

I hate it more and more every year. Hoping that this is my last Albertan winter.

Of course driving is more fun, in the snow...

Just need to get photos taken and can finally mail off my PR card renewal. I had it ready like 6 months ago, but always seem to forget, one time around I will get the application in before the card expires........

Reimbursing Moving Expenses

Can someone explain, please, how a desire to maximise Benefits, even manipulating how something is applied for, is seen as scrounging and fiddling but it's perfectly fine when it comes to the tax system?

You know the answer. Poor people claim benefits.

Winner winner chicken dinner

But that answer would suggest a bias against poor people. Surely not?
Keeping up standards...double ones...sounds more like it.

Looks like personal air fares - posh class, I expect - now count as something to have tax payer subsidy.

Raccoons v Toronto

Trash pandas?

Would you like a battered sausage to go with the bag of chips on your shoulder?

In the example that you are using, (& brave of you to post about hidden here in this thread rather than replying directly to the poster involved) I don't see it as tax avoidance. If a person is being offered a relocation package by an employer, it's presumably because their talents are useful to that employer. If that includes the costs of flights (posh or otherwise), moving expenses, hotels etc, then it's not unreasonable to want to do that the most tax efficient way. In other words pay it through expenses (not taxable) or pay directly as the company as to paying the employee a bonus that they would pay income tax on. If the company chooses to do the latter then, for the employee to get the benefit that has been offered, the company would have to scale up the bonus to ensure that the post-tax amount meets the costs. That's all a bit unwieldy to expenses would seem to be the easiest way.

Are you suggesting the employee - who is valued enough to receive the relocation package - should receive it in such a way that they pay more tax and receive a lesser value than they've been promised? Doesn't' sound particularly smart to me. Frankly it all smacks of jealousy ("Posh flights") on your behalf. Equating it with benefit fraud and poor people is just wrong. Debate tax avoidance vs. benefit fraud if you like. That's a reasonable discussion to be had. But do it without the thinly veiled attack on another poster.

For disclosure I got my flight paid for relocation 14 or so years ago. It was in scum class & paid directly by the company or I paid it and expensed it. Either way, I didn't pay tax on it.