Three In Four Canadians (77%) Think Income Splitting Is A Good Idea

Toronto, ON -According to a new Ipsos Reid survey conducted on behalf of CanWest/Global News, most Canadians (77%) are in favour of "income splitting" for couples. One-quarter of Canadians (23%), however, believe income splitting is a bad thing.

Question: Some people have said in the media that the next Federal Budget could contain a change that would allow married couples to do what's called "income splitting" which allows couples to pay taxes on their combined incomes instead of individually. This can result in substantial tax savings for couples when one partner has a much higher income than the other. An estimate prepared by the Library of Parliament indicates that up to $5 billion could be taken out of the government revenues and put into the hands of many Canadian couples if income splitting is allowed. Now some people argue that income splitting is a bad idea because it could reduce the amount of government funds available to support public programs in a wide variety of areas -- including health care and other social initiatives. Other people argue that income splitting is a good idea because it's about time the Canadian couples got a solid tax break. What's closer to your own point of view?

• Income splitting is a bad thing: 23% -- Saskatchewan/Manitoba (26%) and Atlantic Canada (25%) are most likely to agree with this statement, followed by Ontario and British Columbia (24%), Quйbec (23%) and Alberta (15%). Women (25%) are more likely than men (21%) to feel income splitting is a bad thing.
• Income splitting is a good thing: 77% -- Alberta (85%) is the most likely to feel income splitting is a good thing, followed by Quйbec (77%), British Columbia and Ontario (76%), Atlantic Canada (75%) and Saskatchewan/Manitoba (74%). Men (79%) are more likely than women (75%) to feel income splitting is a good thing.

These are the findings of an Ipsos Reid survey fielded from February 15th to 19th, 2007. For the survey, a representative randomly selected sample of 1,000 adult Canadians were interviewed via an on-line survey. With a sample of this size, the aggregate results are considered accurate to within 177 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within each sub-grouping of the survey population. These data were weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to Census data.

For more information on this press release, please contact:
John Wright
Senior Vice President
Ipsos Public Affairs
(416) 324-2900
[email protected]

About Ipsos Reid
Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

To learn more, please visit www.ipsos.ca.

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Ipsos is a leading global survey-based market research company, owned and managed by research professionals. Ipsos helps interpret, simulate, and anticipate the needs and responses of consumers, customers, and citizens around the world.