[drum118]

This came out of the woodwork at Council, but as today, Mississauga is offering monthly passes as of July 1st for the tax credit. Sudents will be $86
and $92 for adults.

For me, I will stay with the weekly one as I use the GTA pass from time to time.

It works out to be $40 cheaper on a yearly base or 1.75 free weeks of travel.

I have already requested that the Fed's review the weekly pass as some people cannot shell out the monthly fare in the first place.

makeshort.com/?q=oVg

www.mississauga.ca/portal...00020&ite\
mId=70500049

 

[spmarshall]

Brampton's doing the same thing:

BRAMPTON - Effective July 1, 2006, Brampton Transit will begin offering monthly passes with riders eligible to receive a 15.5 per cent tax credit on their next income tax return.

Federal Finance Minister James Flaherty announced in the federal budget on May 2, 2006, that public transit passes would be eligible for a tax credit beginning July 1, 2006.

City Council amended its User Fee By-Law enabling the monthly passes to be sold. Effective June 26 Brampton Transit monthly passes will be available at Brampton Transit terminals and selected pass agent locations.

The cost of an adult pass is $92, a student pass is $86 and a seniors’ pass is $42. To claim a tax credit, transit riders must keep the expired monthly transit passes to submit with their tax return. The expired pass serves as a receipt. Weekly Brampton Transit passes do not qualify for the tax credit.

 

[shmoopie nhi]

Interesting that the TTC hasn't instructed its riders on how it will administer the tax credit.

 

[rbtaylor]

Interesting that the TTC hasn't instructed its riders on how it will administer the tax credit.

It would be slick if they could embed the receipt information into the card itself.

If the government asks for your receipts, you simply mail in the cards.

 

[adma]

Actually, the best thing to do is to request a receipt when you purchase your pass.

It sure helps now; after all, you have to turn in your Metropass in order to qualify for a strike refund...

 

[shmoopie nhi]

If that's the case, they should be telling people to keep their passes (I would imagine most people normally don't). It would be a promotion message that costs them nothing.

I'm a monthly subscriber, so my purchases leave a paper trail somewhere, but again, it's not clear whether I should be keeping my passes or if I can expect a receipt at the end of the year. :\

 

[scarberiankhatru]

^ I tried to argue with a collector to keep my pass and still get the refund (I suggested punching a hole in it or writing on it or whatever) but he wouldn't budge. I still have every Metropass I've ever bought and my collection was ruined for $4. And it wasn't even enough to make up for te $5.40 I was forced to spend on a GO ticket that day.

 

[Chuck100]

The cost of an adult pass is $92, a student pass is $86

But that's affordable, since the average student makes 93% as much as the average adult...:rolleyes

 

[doady]

But that's affordable, since the average student makes 93% as much as the average adult...

Do the students taking the TTC have 84% of the income of adults? I didn't think so. Also, the TTC doesn't give discount to post-secondary students like MT, YRT, DRT, and GO all do. Fares should not be based on personal income anyways since that would mean most students get on the bus for free.

 

[Mark Dowling]

does TTC give a receipt to metropass discount plan cards they send in the post? I missed the deadline for July but will probably apply for the August one.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

"Fares should not be based on personal income anyways since that would mean most students get on the bus for free."

Not if it's based on disposable income.

 

[shmoopie nhi]

does TTC give a receipt to metropass discount plan cards they send in the post? I missed the deadline for July but will probably apply for the August one.

Nope.

 

[building babel]

I just bought my July Metropass, and got a receipt. Both have to be sent in, with the income tax form, when you claim.

 

[Mark Dowling]

ttc.ca has a page on it (finally)

For MDP keep your bank statements in case of audit. I will be e-filing so will be keeping my July receipt then statements from August on (I missed the July deadline for MDP).

The main problem with the tax credit is it's not refundable so people on low incomes who don't pay tax who are often the heaviest transit users don't see a benefit. These are often the people stuck with paying 2.75 a fare because they can't pony up for 10 tokens a time.

To make the GTTA pass work whenever getting people used to using passes is important - cheaping out on the tax credit is the Tories doing a good thing badly - the middle class (I include myself) get the benefit and the poor don't.