Document Detail


Non-refundable tax credits are an inequitable policy instrument for promoting physical activity among Canadian children.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  22905634     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
A clear income gradient exists for the sport and physical activity (PA) participation of Canadian children. Governments in Canada recently introduced tax credits to alleviate the financial burden associated with registering a child in organized physical activity (including sport). The majority of these credits, including the Children's Fitness Tax Credit, are non-refundable (i.e., reduces the amount of income tax a person pays). Such credits are useful only for individuals who incur a certain level of tax liability. Thus, low-income families who may pay little or no income tax will not benefit from the presence of non-refundable tax credits. In this commentary, we argue that the non-refundable tax credit is inherently inequitable for promoting PA. We suggest that a combination of refundable tax credits and subsidized programming for low-income children would be more equitable than the current approach of the Canadian government and several provinces that are expending approximately $200 million to support these credits.
Authors:
John C Spence; Nicholas L Holt; Christopher J Sprysak; Nancy Spencer-Cavaliere; Timothy Caulfield
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de santé publique     Volume:  103     ISSN:  0008-4263     ISO Abbreviation:  Can J Public Health     Publication Date:    2012 May-Jun
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2012-08-21     Completed Date:  2012-09-20     Revised Date:  2013-06-05    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0372714     Medline TA:  Can J Public Health     Country:  Canada    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  175-7     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB. jc.spence@ualberta.ca
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adolescent
Canada
Child
Eligibility Determination
Female
Health Policy*
Humans
Income Tax / legislation & jurisprudence*
Male
Medically Uninsured
Poverty
Sports*
Tax Exemption / legislation & jurisprudence*

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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