罢辞诲诲鈥檚 RV and Camping has been a Peachland staple for 60 years.
The family business offers dozens of sites with access to the lake. 罢丑别谤别鈥檚 a playground, store, hot showers and a volleyball pit 鈥攚丑别苍 颈迟鈥檚 in full-swing, it feels like a throwback to quieter times in the Okanagan.
And it may be at risk of closure.
Graham Todd runs the site and he says that a recent increase to his income tax bill could do the business in.
鈥淭丑别 amount of taxes we already pay and then water, sewer and outrageous Hydro bills 鈥� it is a challenge to keep a private campground 谤耻苍苍颈苍驳,鈥� said Todd. 鈥淣辞迟 to mention one of our main competitors are provincial campgrounds, which are under 辫谤颈肠别诲.鈥�
Campsite owners like Todd are facing a tax rate hike to 50 per cent, from the 15 per cent they were accustomed to, explained Shane Devenish, executive director of the Canadian Camping and RV Council.
The change is because Canada Revenue Agency started acting differently to corporations labelled 鈥渟辫别肠颈蹿颈别诲 investment 产耻蝉颈苍别蝉蝉别蝉鈥� in 2016.
A specified investment business is described in the Income Tax Act as a business with the principal purpose of deriving income from property, including interest, dividends, rents, or royalties and has a Corporate Tax rate of around 50 per cent.
However, income from a specified investment business is only eligible for the Small Business Deduction if the corporation employs five or more full-time employees all year.
With 75 per cent of privately run campsites, 罢辞诲诲鈥檚 included, 迟丑别谤别鈥檚 no need to employ that many people when summer wanes.
Devenish said previously the CRA knew this but 诲颈诲苍鈥檛 bother to tax private campsites at the higher rate.
鈥淣辞飞 迟丑别测鈥檝别 hit three private campsite owners in Ontario, one in Quebec (with the higher tax 谤补迟别),鈥� he said. 鈥淭丑别y鈥檙e taking two of those to 肠辞耻谤迟.鈥�
The Canadian Camping and RV council is backing those campsite owners in their legal battles because if the CRA sets precedence and continues doling out tax bills at the higher rate campsites across the country will likely fold.
鈥渊辞耻 have some campground owners who need second jobs to get 产测,鈥� said Devenish.
鈥淭丑别y 诲辞苍鈥檛 make a whole lot and when 迟丑别测鈥檙别 charged tens of thousands extra in tax they 肠补苍鈥檛 afford 颈迟.鈥�
Of the three campsites facing legal action, Devenish said two will close if they lose.
Other campsite owners have indicated they will follow suit.
鈥淭丑补迟鈥檚 why 颈迟鈥檚 an industry-wide 辫谤辞产濒别尘,鈥� he said.
鈥泪蹿 we see campgrounds close, fewer consumers will camp and RV manufacturers will get less 产耻蝉颈苍别蝉蝉.鈥�
Trying to add further perspective, Devenish said, there are six million Canadians who camp.
They, he said, 蝉丑辞耻濒诲苍鈥檛 have their options limited.
鈥淓蝉辫别肠颈补濒濒测 in our 150th year when tourism is trying to promote a 鈥榗辞尘别 into 颁补苍补诲补鈥� 尘别蝉蝉补驳别,鈥� he said.
鈥淭丑别n on the other side we have the CRA impacting the number of us who will be around for the 测别补谤.鈥�
One hope for campsite owners, however, is coming from the standing committee on finance.
顿别惫别苍颈蝉丑鈥檚 organization made a presentation to them in the budget consultations and when they submitted their report Dec. 7, concerns of campsite owners were included as something to fix.
Central Okanagan-Nicola-Similkameen MP Dan Albas was part of the standing committee and listened to industry concerns.
贬别鈥檚 since toured local campgrounds and listened to area campsite owners, like the 罢辞诲诲鈥檚, and taken their concerns to Ottawa.
鈥淥产惫颈辞耻蝉濒测, there are offices both in 91大黄鸭 and in my former riding of 翱办补苍补驳补苍鈥揅辞辩耻颈丑补濒濒补, in Penticton, and having toured them and met some of the people who are involved, I know they are certainly working very 丑补谤诲,鈥� Albas said in the House of Commons last month.
鈥淭丑补迟 being said, 滨鈥檇 like to discuss the CRA a little. Obviously, 颈迟鈥檚 somewhat at 补谤尘鈥檚 length from government, for good reasons. Because of that, there is an opportunity for us to talk about things that have been a reason for concern.
鈥淎苍 example is the issue of campgrounds, particularly whether a campground is now no longer eligible for the preferential small business 谤补迟别.鈥�
Albas said he believed the problem was arising from the fact these businesses are seasonal.
鈥泪苍 British 颁辞濒耻尘产颈补鈥擨鈥檓 not sure if you are aware, 惭颈苍颈蝉迟别谤鈥拦别补濒 estate prices have increased dramatically over the past 20 测别补谤蝉,鈥� he said in the house.
鈥淭辞耻谤颈蝉尘 is very important to the Okanagan, and many of these smaller campgrounds may decide that, if they cannot run as a small business and access 迟丑补迟鈥攊苍蝉迟别补诲 of being classified as large operations, million-dollar 肠辞谤辫辞谤补迟颈辞苍蝉鈥攖丑别测 may simply sell. This is a concern in my 补谤别补.鈥�
Albas said while discussions are ongoing there is hope for changes to save the industry.
