Transit Riders Don't Forget! - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

FireFly · 07-01-2006, 10:25 AM

Your monthly transit passes will now be tax deductable! Don't throw out your receipts!

http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/newsroom/re...r060619-e.html

This Canada Day is a great one all around!

Lombogirl · 07-01-2006, 10:53 AM

Thats very good news. I don't take transit, but I wish the gov did this 5 years ago

ken0042 · 07-01-2006, 10:55 AM

The only thing with this break; it doesn't make sense for me to buy a Transit pass. It costs me right about $70 with bus tickets assuming I take transit every work day. Now if I drive or catch a ride once; or end up being sick one day all of a sudden I'm out money.

FireFly · 07-01-2006, 11:03 AM

If you work 5 days a week, that's about 23 days/month. Assuming you ride transit both ways, at $2.25/trip, so $4.50/day, that's $103.50. If you buy the books of 10 for $19.50, you'll need at least 4 books for a total of $78.00. And there's 3 days not included in that total. So, overall, $70/month plus a tax credit is cheaper. But that's at 5 days/week. My biggest thing is days off when I want to go to the gym or grocery shopping, then I have even more trips so I ride transit almost every day.

ken0042 · 07-01-2006, 12:52 PM

Well, July is a 31 day month with one holiday in it; which is normal; we normally have one holiday each month. (9 out of 12 anyways) So 20 * $3.90 (because a partially used book can be reused the next month) still comes out to $78.

Your philosophy of "I use it on the weekends" matches with Calgary Transit's, and its that philosophy I have an issue with. Because like most Calgarians I own a car. So I'm not going to rely on a once per hour Saturday service to go to the store when I can just use my car.

I hate to say it, but for at least 15 years cities like Winnipeg have offered weekly passes. link I could buy one of these passes on a 5 day work week, use tickets for the 4 day work week. I can also buy a pass the day before the work week; a time when I have a better idea of how many times I'll take transit for that week.

IMHO Calgary Transit dropped the ball when they raised the passes from $60 to $65 to $70. They should have increased the regular fare, and left the passes alone. If fares were $2.50, and ticket $2.25 with passes being $60, I would be taking Transit every day.

Calgary Flames · 07-01-2006, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FireFly

If you work 5 days a week, that's about 23 days/month. Assuming you ride transit both ways, at $2.25/trip, so $4.50/day, that's $103.50. If you buy the books of 10 for $19.50, you'll need at least 4 books for a total of $78.00. And there's 3 days not included in that total. So, overall, $70/month plus a tax credit is cheaper. But that's at 5 days/week. My biggest thing is days off when I want to go to the gym or grocery shopping, then I have even more trips so I ride transit almost every day.

You take transit to buy groceries?? I can't really see myself hopping on a train with a cart full of Lucky Charms..

CalgaryDesi · 07-01-2006, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calgary Flames

You take transit to buy groceries?? I can't really see myself hopping on a train with a cart full of Lucky Charms..

Who really cares? People don't point and snicker at someone with a grocery bag in their hand on a bus/train.

Lots of people take transit to buy groceries. Not everyone has a car.

FireFly · 07-01-2006, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calgary Flames

You take transit to buy groceries?? I can't really see myself hopping on a train with a cart full of Lucky Charms..

Maybe, but at least I don't buy coolers.

Robbob · 07-01-2006, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FireFly

Maybe, but at least I don't buy coolers.

LOL. Now that was funny.

Table 5 · 07-02-2006, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fotze

Some people take firewood on the Ctrain

atleast if they are good co-workers, they do.

JD · 07-02-2006, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ken0042

The only thing with this break; it doesn't make sense for me to buy a Transit pass. It costs me right about $70 with bus tickets assuming I take transit every work day. Now if I drive or catch a ride once; or end up being sick one day all of a sudden I'm out money.

Agreed. That is fairly annoying. I drive to work once a week, so it's never cost-effective for me to buy a bus pass.

However, my understanding of the tax credit is that it is good for your tickets too, as long as you have the receipts to prove you spent X dollars on transit.

tvp2003 · 07-02-2006, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JD

However, my understanding of the tax credit is that it is good for your tickets too, as long as you have the receipts to prove you spent X dollars on transit.

Only monthly (and yearly) passes are eligble for the tax deduction: http://www.calgarytransit.com/taxcre...ly_passes.html

Winsor_Pilates · 07-02-2006, 06:51 PM

I love the U-Pass!!!!
but I guess I'll deduct my summer passes now.

Calgary Flames · 07-02-2006, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FireFly

Maybe, but at least I don't buy coolers.

Ohhhhh snap. You're a bright one.