Is Your Aircraft Really a Luxury?

June 2021 – Recently the federal Liberal government renewed their proposal of a luxury tax on personal aircraft. That is, a 10 percent tax on any aircraft valued at more than $100,000. Certainly, there are aircraft that members have built or own that aren’t near that threshold. But to say EAA members shouldn’t be concerned, consider the value of a typical completed Vans RV or a nicely maintained C-182 or Maule. Typical EAA members and most aircraft owners don’t consider aircraft as a luxury. An aircraft is something that the family has saved for, has worked hard for, has invested countless hours in, and have chosen to make an important part of their life.

Our friends at COPA are communicating continued opposition to this tax to the various levels of government, including current Minister of Finance, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland. EAA and COPA encourage all pilots and aviation enthusiasts in Canada to do your part by writing to your Member of Parliament. Use the link Parliament of Canada website to find your MP.

COPA has provided a tremendous template letter as your starting point and they request that we copy them at copa@copanational.org.

To appreciate the importance of this, EAA is currently opposing a bill in the Massachusetts legislature that would impose a $1,000 landing fee on all GA in the state. To say this fee is crippling to aviation is an understatement.

Aviation is an important foundation in Canada and we all need to work together to support its continued growth and development.