The City has auditors? How come we never hear from them?

Parking isn’t a taxable benefit, that’s ridiculous. I’ve never had to pay for parking in any place I’ve ever worked in my life. I certainly wouldn’t expect the RCMP to pay to park. Most of these members work long shifts that often don’t coincide with our bus schedules I’m betting. Cops do a tough and necessary job in our town. They are well compensated, but I’d never be petty enough to grind them for parking passes that’s just pathetic. I have no problem, as a taxpayer, subsidizing their parking costs right now.

I’m sure its been said before but I missed it. Why was there no parkade or underground parking built for the new RCMP building?

No one is concerned about the RCMP getting free parking. Their parking places will be behind the new building on 4th. It is the 50 city staff that work for the RCMP, that will be provided free parking at 4th and Vancouver adjacent to the old (Princess) theatre. This is the lot that the City kicked out downtown off street parking patrons, to make way for City staff.

This is **free* parking. One could argue that **free** parking provided by the City is a benefit and therefore taxable. What’s good for the Goose in good for the Gander.

If Downtown Parking costs approx. $1200.00 per year, then City Staff have a taxable benefit of $1200.00

Of course a parking space can be a taxable benefit, so can be use of a company car, room and board, awards and gifts, child care expenses, etc. It depends how they were given and if they follow certain rules.

Here are the rules for 2013, 2014 rules are not out yet:

Employer-provided parking is usually a taxable benefit for an employee, whether or not the employer owns the lot. The amount of the benefit is based on the fair market value of the parking, minus any payment the employee makes to use the space.

There are some exceptions to the taxability of parking:

If your employee has a disability, the parking benefit is generally not taxable. For more information, see “Disability-related employment benefits,”.
There is no taxable benefit for your employee when both of the following conditions are met:
You provide parking to your employee for business purposes.
Your employee regularly has to use his or her own automobile or one you usually supply to do his or her duties.

Note: Travel between work and home is not considered travel for business purposes.

If you cannot determine the fair market value, do not add a benefit to your employee’s remuneration. This could happen in the following situations:

A business operates from a shopping centre or industrial park where parking is available to both employees and other people.
You provide scramble parking (there are significantly fewer spaces available than there are employees who want parking). For more information on scramble parking, go to Parking, and select “Examples of Scramble Parking”.

Note: If you provide enough parking spaces for all employees who want parking, but do not assign the parking spaces to individual employees, this is not scramble parking. You must add the benefit to the employee’s remuneration.

To determine if an employee has received a benefit, the facts of each case must be examined. If you are not sure if employer-provided parking is a taxable benefit, contact us.

You can answer a series of questions on our Web site to help you determine if there is a taxable benefit. For more information go to Automobile and motor vehicle benefits and allowances, select “Parking,” then select the “Q&A” icon.

Palopu is right on the money…..!!!

the moose,

They nixed the underground parkade to cut down the cost of the design. Yes, it actually could have cost more than it did!

Palopoo,

So by that logic, all those people who’ve been getting free parking downtown over the past couple of years should be issued T4 slips now indicating the amount of taxable benefit they should pay income tax on to the provincial and federal governments?

I find it odd that you don’t have a problem subsidizing the police’s parking, but you do have a problem subsidizing the people who also provide a necessary service to the RCMP and the public and make arguably a lot less money than the RCMP do? Why?

You remind me of the “crabs in a bucket” folk tale. Sometimes you’re funny, but most of the time you just seem angry and bitter.

What level of government should get free parking downtown. Employees of city, provincial or Federal government, driving their own private vehicle parked on public parking spots. I say none.

Should customers or public pay for parking space downtown, I say yes, just don’t know how the mechanics should work. Ideally, it should be annual parking pass purchased at city hall. the three hour max should apply on the street parking.

Not sure what 115 Police mean. I was under the impression that we had 121 police. Where did the others go?? Are they on sick leave???

Furthermore it was stated that the New Police station would house 148 Police. Who are these extra police, and where do they come from??

Wow, thanks for that information Slinky, I did not know. So, I wonder why I’ve never been charged a taxable benefit for employer provided parking? I always look at the taxable benefits section and it’s always easily traceable to employer paid benefits like meal allowances, automobile allowances, medical and other benefit costs etc… But I’ve never been charged for parking ever. How long has this rule been in effect?

Has anyone had a taxable benefit put on their T4 for parking?

It is in the 2013 guide, not sure how long it has been going on but more than likely for 20+ years. If your employer don’t ask, or they could go retro on you for up to 7 years.

You can get rulings on everything from the guide. I called the office in surrey for quite a few rulings, just make sure they send you the ruling in writing and don’t go by what they say verbally.

“If your employer don’t ask” rrr… my insert key was active…

“If your employer didn’t charge you don’t ask why” was what I was going to type. Most employers do not know the rules until told by the bookkeeper “why don’t you… xxx …”

I really don’t like the fact that RCMP and support personnel have to park off the detachment, and yeah, I know it would cost more. I don’t like the fact that there are idiots out there who will do harm to members and support personnel. I really hope they have eyes on the parking areas or someone walking the support personnel to their cars at the end of shift.
It will only take one incident to make everyone realize that not having secure parking was a really foolish move by the movers and shakers.

I noticed today the crane putting huge rocks in front of the RCMP building? Something I said last week about someone driving through the front door ala “The Terminator”? Nah. Couldn’t be. Just a coincidence.

@sine nomine.

Thanks. I figured it might be cost but I also thought it might have had something to do with the composition of the soil or something like that.

Well this solves the city vs union labour talks. “Here’s your extra 1% raise. Oh by the way, you now owe $1200 per year parking. Get to work”
:D

So the cost of fancy architectire

Oops, what I was going to say the cost of fancy architecture may have payed for parking which those working may have appreciated.

Sine Nomine. If you read the article you would see that Kathy Soltis from the City stated that free parking could be considered a taxable benefit.

The RCMP have sufficient parking behind their new building and it will be fenced in. The RCMP City support staff approx. 60 people will be provided parking on 4th and Vancouver. Who knows whether this area will be fenced or not.

City staff should not be entitled to anymore free parking than any other business in the downtown area.

Personally, I believe that all of downtown should be free parking, with the exception of the parkades. Many Cities and towns do not harass their citizens for parking and doing business in their downtown area.

Prince George as usual is a day late and a dollar short.

Actually Palopu, the fenced area is for rcmp vehicles…they drive their personal vehicles to work and will be parking those in the same parking lot as the support staff. And I don’t believe they would be fencing it…their old parking lot was never fenced either.