iPolitics
By Charlie Pinkerton. Published on Apr 12, 2021 5:44pm
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during the Game On The Hill rugby event on Parliament Hill in 2012. (iPolitics/Matthew Usherwood)
The upcoming federal budget should include a tax credit for gym memberships to help Canadians improve their health, and to support fitness centres following the financial battering they’ve taken during the pandemic, says an industry group that’s backed by several of the country’s well-known health organizations.
A “Fitness Tax Credit” was one of the budget suggestions from the Fitness Industry Council of Canada, which is a trade group that represents gyms and other fitness facility operators. In its pre-budget submission, the Fitness Industry Council asked the government introduce a plan to cover up to $1,000 of what eligible physical activity programs cost.