The 100th Anniversary of the Income Tax Act in Canada

On September 20, 2017, the Canadian Tax Foundation and Osgoode Hall Law School presented the Income Tax War Act Centenary event, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Income Tax Act in Canada. To commemorate the anniversary they hosted a book launch for the publication Income Tax at 100 Years: Essays and Reflections on the Income War Tax Act.

The reception was held at the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa, a significant location as it is the venue where (due to the 1916 fire in Parliament) the government was sitting when the tax law was passed in 1917.

The occasion acknowledged the notable contribution of government officials, academics, and tax professionals and how the Act has impacted the lives of Canadians over the last 100 years. The event hosted a range of guest speakers including the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of National Revenue; Bob Hamilton, Commissioner of the Canada Revenue Agency; Justice Henry A. Visser of the Tax Court of Canada, Honourable Bill Morneau, Minister of Finance and more.

Heather Cant-Woodward, Director, Market Segment Solutions, Tax and Accounting, noted, “My favourite moment was Professor Jinyan Li’s speech, a professor and author I have worked with for many years. Professor Li sincerely talked about the Income Tax Act as a Canadian phenomenon. She discussed the redistribution of wealth, beginning with child benefits, early in the Act’s history, which along with social spending, have become the fabric of Canadian society. Without the Income Tax Act, we would not have the Canadian values and society we have today.”

Thomson Reuters is a proud supporter of the publication of Income Tax Act at 100 Years. Learn more about Income Tax at 100 Years: Essays and Reflections on the Income War Tax Act.