Death and Taxes.

[Cat Driver]

The old saying that there are two things you can't escape, death and taxes , is true, I now have only one to go as the Canadian government finally grabbed the $935.00 they claimed I owed for their " medical certificate fee ".

What happened is my wife and I on the advice of our accountant filed our tax returns this year under the new spousal sharing thingy that splits both partners income for taxation.....anyhow for the first time in many many years the old Cat filed a return where he was owed money instead of the old days when I was self employed and always owed them.

So..." bingo " the tax department grabbed the $935.00 at the speed of light....no big deal, except that I kept getting hounded by a collection agency, so I finally had enough and I wrote my good friend Merlin and reminded him that his department owes me $250,000.00 and he had better get off his ass and stop this harassment by that collection agency or I would go to my MP again, just to get Merlin's attention I copied it to Cannon.....here is Merlins reply.

Thank you for your recent correspondence regarding the payment of costs associated with maintaining a pilot licence. I appreciate receiving your comments and have noted your concerns.

I should note that the medical certificate fee, previously known as the recurring pilot fee, came into effect on August 1, 1995, after consultation with representatives of aviation associations, such as the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association. The fee applies each time a pilot passes the required medical assessment for renewal of his or her pilot licence. Medical assessments are required every six months or every one, two or five years, depending on the pilot's age and the type of licence held. The fee was developed based on a careful review of all aviation costs, and it recovers only a portion of the total cost of services provided to pilots. In July 2000, Transport Canada increased the validity periods for private pilots and simplified the associated processing fees.

I should also explain that the fee recovers part of the costs of processing medical certificates and producing aeronautical information. The remaining costs of providing these services to pilots continue to be subsidized by Canadian taxpayers. Please note that after a change in user fee policy and when the fee was simplified in July 2000, the fee no longer subsidized costs for the old Aeronautical Information Publication and does not subsidize the new Aeronautical Information Manual. I should also note that doctor's fees are not included in the Transport Canada fee.

If you require additional information regarding these fees, I would invite you to visit the Civil Aviation website at the following address:

http://www.tc.gc.ca/civilaviation/menu.htm

The process followed by Transport Canada in requesting payment of the charge for processing a medical certificate is to forward an invoice to the pilot for the payment due. A statement of the status of the account normally follows this invoice. If no payment is forwarded in a timely fashion, a letter is sent from the Canada Revenue Agency. However, it should be noted that Canada Revenue Agency is simply acting as an agent in the collection of outstanding fees as they do for government departments that have accounts in arrears. While Canada Revenue Agency does collect personal income tax, they are collecting overdue fees for Transport Canada. The collection of fees in this way does not constitute a tax though it is collected by a department that collects taxes.

Since April of 2008, all outstanding invoices and statements that are overdue are sent to A.R.C Collection Agency. This was in response to a problem in the collection of outstanding fees by using the Canada Revenue Agency only. Often monies are already owing to the Canadian Revenue Agency on personal income taxes and as a result a set off and subsequent collection is not possible by the Canada Revenue Agency.

We hope that the above information helps your understanding of the problems in collection of the fees that have necessitated using the Canada Revenue Agency and a collection agency.


Yours sincerely,



Merlin Preuss
Director General/Directeur général
Civil Aviation/Aviation civile
613-990-1322 Cell 613-286-9153 Fax 613-957-4208
Transport Canada/Transports Canada
Place de Ville AAR, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N8
Government of Canada/Gouvernement du Canada

Anyhow gang that is an example of how the system works, don't you just love the part I highlighted in red.

He forgot to mention when he was going to send my $250,000.00...so I guess I'll have to just keep asking....

....how do these creatures get that way, are they born like that?

[g5]

the fee was simplified in July 2000, the fee no longer subsidized costs for the old Aeronautical Information Publication and does not subsidize the new Aeronautical Information Manual.

So now you don't get anything for your money, wow good deal!

[Cat Driver]

I wonder who actually wrote that rambling narrative for Merlin?

They are breathtaking in their ability to write gibberish and idiotic stuff when they answer any concerns of the tax payer...

I should also explain that the fee recovers part of the costs of processing medical certificates and producing aeronautical information. The remaining costs of providing these services to pilots continue to be subsidized by Canadian taxpayers.

Are those of us in aviation not Canadian taxpayers?

I should also note that doctor's fees are not included in the Transport Canada fee.

No shit Sherlock, who would ever have figured that out without your pointing it out.

Morons.....

[bornagain1340]

I think it's their intention to just frustrate you into not pursuing the issue...pretty sure actually. Usually whenever I finish one of those letters I ask myself "what the hell did I just read??" (I am a little slower than most though )
Then like a good citizen just carry on carry on paying for their private functions and public inquiries

[Cat Driver]

I think it's their intention to just frustrate you into not pursuing the issue...pretty sure actually.

That is obvious.

However Merlin or more likely one of his puppets never addressed the most important issue in my letter.

Why was I being harassed by a collection agency that his department hired to collect money from me when another arm of government had already collected it.....these collection agencies can be a true pain in the ass......

......anyhow if nothing else it is entertaining reading their correspondence and trying to figure out how anyone can be so stupid and still hold down a job in society.

[bornagain1340]

Would it be reasonable to assume that ARC Collections is sending the Feds a hefty bill for their services...more than likely in excess of the outstanding balances for the medical fee?? That would seem like the government way.
They probably contracted a private agency to write your letter as well.
The last time I checked that was all taxpayer dollars as well...

[Cat Driver]

1340, I would imagine the collection agency takes a percentage of what they collect.

But there are more important issues at work here such as how many other professions are penalized in this manner by a government department?

We can't hold our licenses without these medicals...and why are some of us charged $110.00 per year to hold the same license that a younger person only has to pay $55.00 for?

However the biggest issue in my mind is how did we get to the place where our regulator will put a collection agency to work to collect a so called fee that they can not even tell us where the money really goes? How about the young ones who may end up with a bad credit rating?

I guess that Canadians have become so used to just bending over and taking it that it is part of being Canadian.....

[CD]

There are a number of different threads all discussing this issue... However, it would be interesting to know from these folks what the fees are for, since they all participated in the development of the fees and fee structure back in the mid-1990's:

The members of the Regulatory Services Fees Technical Committee of CARAC include Aero Club of Canada, Aerospace Industries Association of Canada, Air Canada, Aircraft Maintenance Engineers Association (Atlantic) Inc., Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association - Canada, Air Transport Association of Canada, Association québécoise des transporteurs aériens inc., Aviation Québec, British Columbia Aviation Council, Calgary Flying Club, Canada 3000 Airlines - Pilots Association, Canadian Airlines International, Canadian Air Line Pilots Association, Canadian Association of Aviation Colleges, Canadian Business Aircraft Association, Canadian Helicopters Ltd., Canadian Owners and Pilots Association, Canadian Transportation Agency, Central AME Association, Diamond Aircraft Industries, Experimental Aircraft Association - Canadian Council, Fantasy Sky Promotions, Helicopter Association of Canada, Home Aviation, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, International Council of Air Shows, Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association of Canada, Northern Air Transport Association, Phoenix Aviation Resources, Pratt and Whitney Canada Inc., Shuswap Air, Soaring Association of Canada, Ultralight Pilots Association of Canada, and Union of Canadian Transport Employees.

TC sends Collection Agency after me - page 8

[SeptRepair]

We can't hold our licenses without these medicals...and why are some of us charged $110.00 per year to hold the same license that a younger person only has to pay $55.00 for?

I guess because statistically speaking younger people are in better health than older people.

[grimey]

We can't hold our licenses without these medicals...and why are some of us charged $110.00 per year to hold the same license that a younger person only has to pay $55.00 for?

I guess because statistically speaking younger people are in better health than older people.

The requirement is to pass the medical. Both young and old pilots have to take it, so why the extra cost? It doesn't cost any more money to hook up an old guy to an EKG than it does a young guy.

[Hedley]

In a functioning democracy, the government serves
the people, and carries out their will.

However, just in case nobody noticed, Canada is NOT
a functioning democracy. The people serves the government,
and carries out their will.

[sameasyou]

Hey Cat, as you often describe in your rants or speeches, depending on who you ask, you have undisputable proof that the government has agreed to pay you 250K. So instead of bending over like the upstanding citizen you are, why not sic the collection agency on the govt. dept. that you say owes you money. It seems like a logical solution to getting your money but you have never mentioned going this route to try to get the aforementioned cash.

[Cat Driver]

sameasyou:

Well first off as to proof that they owe me the money I do have proof that I agreed to allow the RDG to conduct an internal investigation into my complaints against TCCA and I only agreed to his request after he agreed to my terms.

My proof is witnesses to said agreement...and the official government document from the RDG that " all " my complaints were shown to be true.

Here were my terms, and on the record it is clear they were in this order......very clear because I wanted it on the record what I felt was most important.

(1) If my allegations were proven to be true Merlin Preuss and Dave Nowzek were to be fired.

(2) Every operator in Canada would be notified of the fact that two of TCCA's top management had been fired for abuse of power and wrongdoing in the performance of their jobs.

(3) I would be compensated for my losses in the agreed upon sum of $250,000.00 tax free.

So far they have not kept their end of our agreement.

It is not really possible for me to sue Treasury board for such a small amount of money, and small claims court is not an option.

By the way if you are truly greived by my making these accusations against TCCA, why don't you contact Preuss and demand he stop me from making such statements on a world wide read forum......that would be the fair thing for you to do.

[Hedley]

small claims court is not an option

What is the $$$ limit on small claims? Why not take
Transport and Merlin to small claims court, for the
maximum that court will handle?

If the limit was say $5,000 and they owe you $250,000
then you only need to take them to small claims
court 50 times to get your money back.

[Cat Driver]

If the limit was say $5,000 and they owe you $250,000
then you only need to take them to small claims
court 50 times to get your money back.

Would you?

Is there even the most remote chance that would be possible?

[Siddley Hawker]

I wonder who actually wrote that rambling narrative for Merlin?

Cat, that's the Transport Canada equivalent of "Send that prick the bedbug letter."

[Hedley]

Would you?

Well, I'm going to the Tribunal Appeal this fall to argue,
amongst other things, a Charter of Rights issue.

And this case isn't even mine. Thanks to Tranport's
amazing "attention" over the last seven years (thanks
Chris P.) and the resulting incredible expense of the
taxpayer's money on my impromptu legal education,
I am now representing other people at the Tribunal,
Tribunal Appeal, Federal Court, and Federal Court of Appeals.

And I'm no frikken lawyer. But I'm going up against
the government, which has endlessly deep pockets
to fund their legal activites, which they try to use to
bury some pretty nefarious activities, like intentionally
exercising an invalid warrant with FOUR armed RCMP
officers to seize documents they already had certified
copies of, and detaining without explanation a retired,
founding Tribunal Member at gunpoint for SIX hours.

But if we don't stand up to them, ., who will?

I expect that I will visit the Tribunal Review, the
Tribunal Appeal, the Federal Court, the Federal
Court of Appeals and quite possibly the Supreme
Court during the next 30 years of my aviation
career.

It's insane, but if you want to fly an aircraft in
Canada, this "attention" from Transport is simply
another tax, just like federal and provincial income
tax, UI, CPP, GST, PST, etc.

It's a cost of being Canadian. One must wonder
at times if all the taxes that we continually pay,
though, are really worthwhile, and entirely in the
best interests of the Canadian taxpayer.

Of course, out of control bureaucracy is not
entirely a Canadian invention. Anyone here
old enough to remember Bob Hoover, and
his bizarre medical cancellation for "cognitive
dissonance" back in the mid-90's, which
magically cleared up after the US Congress
and Senate investigated? It's a miracle cure!

[Cat Driver]

But if we don't stand up to them, ., who will?

That Hedley is what truly mystifies me.

I have other concerns in life now that are more important to me, my wife's health is more important to me now than trying to beat these moral degenerates.

However the last two months has seen a real improvement in her condition so at least that part is getting better.

For me it was never the money, now that I have fewer years to look forward to I don't want to waste them trying to do the almost impossible which is getting rid of the cancer at the top of TCCA.

I would gladly trade the $250,000.00 that TCCA said they would pay me to get the first two issues the DGA's office agreed to.

So if they would move on issues 1 & 2 I would forget issue 3.

That would for me be worth the effort and money I put into it.

I do not buy the argument that if you cut off the corruption at the top someone else will replace them with the same lack of morals.

If that is true then lets just get rid of every police force in Canada.

[square]

We can't hold our licenses without these medicals...and why are some of us charged $110.00 per year to hold the same license that a younger person only has to pay $55.00 for?

I guess because statistically speaking younger people are in better health than older people.

The requirement is to pass the medical. Both young and old pilots have to take it, so why the extra cost? It doesn't cost any more money to hook up an old guy to an EKG than it does a young guy.

If you're younger than 40 you only need a medical once per year to hold a CPL, 40 and up you need one twice per year. So you pay two processing fees. Which is kind of stupid though since the $55 isn't actually for just stamping the form, but those old farts make more money anyway :p

[Cat Driver]

but those old farts make more money anyway :p

In that case I would have been paying more for sure.