The submission expressed concerns with the potential implications of any proposed measures to impose a tax on residentially zoned vacant land.
Specifically, CFA’s main concern with the proposed new tax measure is the potential for agricultural lands to be misclassified, leading to unintended taxation and additional financial strain on farmers, as many agricultural lands may appear vacant due to crop rotations or the need to leave the field fallow.
As a result, the CFA recommended that the Government of Canada consider an explicit exemption for land that is in use for agricultural purposes, regardless of the zoning classification.