Alberta Farm Fuel Rebate/Benefit or Census

[Kathy]

In yet another intrusive manner, the Alberta Farm Fuel Benefit application is changed. Whereas in the past, we had to declare that we had farm commodity income over 10,000 dollars, NOW the AB government wants to know every single amount of each commodity wey grow.

Surely, this information is already on our tax returns.

You must now also supply the Motor Vehicle ID number from the vehicles that will be burning the rebated fuel.
Plus more information on the on-farm vehicles/tractors utilizing this fuel.

Now you must include information on your OTHER (off farm) income, including employment income, business income, interest, investment income, CPP, Old Age and other pensions and retirement income.

Grassfarmer, what do you think this is all for? Is it to our benefit to tell the goverment our life history, details and surrender them to the data-bases of our governments [beyond Revenue Canada]. By the way, our Canadian Census material is now gathered and handled by Lougheed Martin Company, and they share this data (supposedly minus our names) with the USA government.

Are we going to have to refuse our farm fuel rebate, in order to secure our privacy? Should we blindly fill in all the government forms they present us with, now and in the future?

Or should we tell our government that this form with its blanket of personal questions is a serious invasion of our privacy?

Maybe if they just paid us to fill out the form? Well, I suppose the rebate is our payment!

Does taking any money/funds/rebates/programs from government means they OWN US? [NB: an employee AFSC told me so much]

[Kathy]

Some data from the Fuel Tax Act - Fuel Tax Regulation:

(p) “farm machinery” means any of the following when used by a farmer in farming operations:

(i) any machinery powered by an internal combustion engine or stationary engine;

(ii) a boat or aircraft;

(iii) a vehicle that is not registered under the Operator Licensing and Vehicle Control Regulation (AR 320/2002);

(q) “farm truck” means a vehicle that

(i) is owned or leased by a farmer,

(ii) is used exclusively in the conduct of farming operations, and

(iii) is classified as a Class 2 commercial vehicle and is registered for farm use under the Operator Licensing and Vehicle Control Regulation (AR 320/2002) or, in the case of a farmer who conducts farming operations on land outside Alberta as described in clause (t), is registered for farm use in the jurisdiction where the land is situated;

(r) “farmer” means a person who is actively and directly involved in farming operations in Alberta, where the market value of production from the person’s farming operations, including farm income stabilization payments and crop insurance payments, exceeds annually

(i) $10 000, or

(ii) $5000 where the farmer has no other income other than a pension or supplement as defined in the Old Age Security Act (Canada) or a benefit as defined in the Canada Pension Plan;

(s) “farming operations” means, subject to subsection (2), one or more of the following:

(i) any step in the production of plants or domesticated animals, including animal products or by‑products;

(ii) the harvesting of peat moss;

(iii) custom farming;

(iv) the heating of buildings located on a farm by a farmer;

(v) the personal use of a farm truck by a farmer and the farmer’s dependants;

(vi) the operation of an irrigation district, when carried out by the board of directors of the irrigation district and its employees, but not when carried out by a contractor;

(t) “farming operations in Alberta” includes farming operations conducted on land outside Alberta

(i) where the farmer conducting the operation is

(A) an individual who is a resident of Alberta,

(B) a partnership of which at least 50% is held by partners who are residents of Alberta, or

(C) a corporation of which at least 50% of the shares of the class that, in the opinion of the Minister, has the controlling voting rights are owned by residents of Alberta,

or

(ii) where the farmer conducting the operations combines or integrates them with the farmer’s farming operations on land in Alberta

[Kathy]

Sorry for being a little quick on part of the above thread, the government fuel rebate form only wants to know your off farm income if your gross income from all farm commodities was between $5,000 and $9,999.
This is so that people who have no other income except farming and pensions can qualify for the rebate. My apologies for not seeing this earlier.

[per]

Kathy, a pet peeve of mine is going to the card-lock and seeing all the abuse of the dyed Privilege. SUVs, cars and folks that are going to their day job all fueling with purple. As long as the abuse is rampant we will either see more regulation or loss of the benefit. Kind of makes you wonder how many are under $10,000 and don't have outside income. They must be living with someone with income.

[kato]

Fuel rebate? You get a fuel rebate?

[Kathy]

This issue is so vast. I spoke with a older gent the other day. He is a bachelor, lives with his very elderly mother and they live on less than 10,000 per year.

then I got to thinking about the retired couples (from farming) who still like to keep some cows as a little extra income, and to keep in touch with their past livelihood.

$10,000 in gross farm income; that could be say 20 calves sold in the fall for 500 each. Much needed income for those that are living at levels that might otherwise put them into desperate poverty.

The abuse of the dyed fuel may indeed be a rampant problem, but that doesn't mean we are all guilty. We should not be surrendering our freedoms because the government can't figure out who IS abusing the system.

One of the sayings on our office wall (put there by our son, who is always looking for great sayings from the past), is: "If you want total security, go to prison. There you're fed, clothed, given medical care and so on. The only thing lacking... is freedom". - Dwight D. Eisenhower.