How much do Canadians make?

[darklord700]

Originally Posted by Temporary_User

That is the point of the article. The system needs to be reformed. Under 50k and most people are scrapping by, paycheque to paycheque with very left over.

The average tax rate is less than 20% for people making under 50K. How much lower do you want it to get? I know people who can save a lot of money making just 50K and I know people who make 150K and still living paycheque to paycheque.

Don't blame the system.

[wookster]

Originally Posted by fotze

And donair places

Those places that have the signs up "cash only" always make me go hmmmmm....

[justkidding]

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

Just drawn credit is counted in the stats. Household debt is a huge problem in Canada.

That may be true or not

In your example of the Globe and Mail article, you stated that they pulled the land title and used that data to conclude that most people had less than 25% equity. All I am saying is that land titles are not a good way to determine mortgage debt.

[justkidding]

Originally Posted by blankall

I don't think people are denying there is a problem. However, that doesn't mean people like to be lied to via manipulated data designed to create shocking statistics.

I agree. I think a lot of these so called studies and stories in the media are designed to be somewhat sensational or shocking.

[Travis Munroe]

Originally Posted by squiggs96

I tried explaining it to other servers when I was in the industry while attending university. Most thought my math was wrong, but I never received an audit. They thought 10% of their earnings was fine, because that's about what tips were per bill.

If they worked an 8 hour shift, making $6 per hour, that's about $50 in wage for the night. There is no way they would be making only $5 per night ($50 wage * 10%) in tips. When they did their tax returns, they though it was acceptable to put only $1,000 in tips earned from making $10,000 in wages. There is no way a server could survive on $11,000 a year in earnings if they don't live at home. Many of them were audited and many of them had to pay fines and back taxes. I have never seen anyone who has claimed at least 50% of their wages in tips get audited.

As a male, working in chain restaurants throughout the city, I would consistently make about 4-5 times my wages in tips over the course of a year. Any half decent looking female at a night club would have made much more than I would. It sucked when I went to article at a CA firm and made much less money, working much longer hours, with work that was much harder.

With 1-3% of files being audited I am surprised the government would go after a server who still claimed something.
All the servers I know are saving for school or going to school. I know the CRA has a tiny heart but one would have to assume they got bigger fish to fry. IE: the guy who claims 100% of his vehicle use was for work.

[Tron_fdc]

What really makes me wonder is all the gigantor houses in Calgary, and all the ridiculous multi million dollar homes in places like Sylvan, Kelowna, or the Shuswap.

Who are these people? What do they do for a living? If there are so little people in Canada making over 300k a year, then who the F is spending 2 million+ on these luxuries???

[OilKiller]

Originally Posted by Tron_fdc

What really makes me wonder is all the gigantor houses in Calgary, and all the ridiculous multi million dollar homes in places like Sylvan, Kelowna, or the Shuswap.

Who are these people? What do they do for a living? If there are so little people in Canada making over 300k a year, then who the F is spending 2 million+ on these luxuries???

Well, according to my last bill, they are all f'n dentists apparently.

[Kybosh]

Originally Posted by OilKiller

Well, according to my last bill, they are all f'n dentists apparently.

If ####ing a dentist gets you a 2 million dollar home, imagine what being a dentist gets you!

[OilKiller]

LOL...nice.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Realtor 1

With 1-3% of files being audited I am surprised the government would go after a server who still claimed something.
All the servers I know are saving for school or going to school. I know the CRA has a tiny heart but one would have to assume they got bigger fish to fry. IE: the guy who claims 100% of his vehicle use was for work.

I think you understimate how much many servers/bartenders make. At busy clubs, the girls will make upwards of $60k per year or more in cash, while working 2-3 nights a week and 18 hrs/week. Many will report little to none of this.

Even at a place like Earls, part-time servers who get shifts on Fri/Sat nights will make about 20-30k a year in tips.

[corporatejay]

Originally Posted by blankall

I think you understimate how much many servers/bartenders make. At busy clubs, the girls will make upwards of $60k per year or more in cash, while working 2-3 nights a week and 18 hrs/week. Many will report little to none of this.

Even at a place like Earls, part-time servers who get shifts on Fri/Sat nights will make about 20-30k a year in tips.

I think you are insanely overestimating what bartenders/servers make.

[troutman]

It is impolite for Canadians to ask what other Canadians make.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by blankall

I think you understimate how much many servers/bartenders make. At busy clubs, the girls will make upwards of $60k per year or more in cash, while working 2-3 nights a week and 18 hrs/week. Many will report little to none of this.

Even at a place like Earls, part-time servers who get shifts on Fri/Sat nights will make about 20-30k a year in tips.

Wouldn't the tips at a place like earls be made up in large portion by people who add a tip to their credit card/debit card payment? That seems like the sort of things that could be tracked to me...

[ranchlandsselling]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

I think you are insanely overestimating what bartenders/servers make.

My GF worked in one of the Penny Lane Establishments years ago when they were in their "heyday' so to speak. Pretty sure she cleared 80-100 k working 4 nights a week. I think average shifts were 400 approx. some nights were dirt slow, other nights were insane how much they made.

I have a buddy who bartended at a busy Edm lounge/bar place and made $2,500 one night just because of the party that went on.

Stampede can be ridiculous!

[Travis Munroe]

I think bartending at a busy night club and serving are 2 different things.
When I tip at a resturaunt I dont leave asking myself why I gave her 15-20%. She was friendly, quick and made my last hour or 2 enjoyable.
I leave a nightclub and ask why I was stuck dropping a toonie in her bucket after every beer I ordered. All she did was opened my beer.
Some might say "dont tip her then". Well you wont be served at this bar again.
+ Bartenders make a huge chunk on short pouring which your server cant do.
If 4 shots are only filled 3/4 then the bartender just made the equivalent of a extra shot. Multiply this by how many drinks she pours and cha ching!!!
Lastly, dont servers have to tip out numerous people while a bartender doesnt (maybe splits tips with her section)
***I was only saying "her" because 90% of my servers/bartenders have been female

[blankall]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

I think you are insanely overestimating what bartenders/servers make.

Do the math. Obviously if you work at a dead hole in the wall restaurant your tips won't be much. Lets say you work at Earls though, on a typical friday night.

5 tables an hour of 4 people each for 4 hours, at 25 dollars a head on average.

At 15% that's $300. You would tip out about $80 of that, leaving you with $220.

During that 4 hour shift, you've earned $9.40/hr (current minimum wage in Alberta), so $37.60 in wages.

If you do as some people are suggesting, which is declare 10% of your salary in tips, you've declared: $41.36 on your taxes.

Your actual earnings are $256.60. You've declared 16% of your actual earnings and not declared $215.24.

Let's say you do this twice a week. Now you've got someone who has worked 8 hours/week and not declared over $22,000.00 in earnings. That's pretty substantial. It is the norm in a restaurant. Actual shifts might be slightly longer, with prep/cleanup time on either end of the 4 hour shift, but I don't think the example I've given is extreme by any means.

Like others have mentioned, bartenders/servers at busy clubs make much much more.

[Tyler]

We should add an anonymous poll. Would be interesting to see what the average CP member makes a year

[blankall]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

Wouldn't the tips at a place like earls be made up in large portion by people who add a tip to their credit card/debit card payment? That seems like the sort of things that could be tracked to me...

Yes, yes it would. If the CRA decided to do something about it, 95+% of servers would be in a lot of trouble.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by Tyler

We should add an anonymous poll. Would be interesting to see what the average CP member makes a year

CP is going to be above the national average, because most of the users are Calgary based, and computer literate.

[corporatejay]

Originally Posted by blankall

Do the math. Obviously if you work at a dead hole in the wall restaurant your tips won't be much. Lets say you work at Earls though, on a typical friday night.

5 tables an hour of 4 people each for 4 hours, at 25 dollars a head on average.

At 15% that's $300. You would tip out about $80 of that, leaving you with $220.

During that 4 hour shift, you've earned $9.40/hr (current minimum wage in Alberta), so $37.60 in wages.

If you do as some people are suggesting, which is declare 10% of your salary in tips, you've declared: $41.36 on your taxes.

Your actual earnings are $256.60. You've declared 16% of your actual earnings and not declared $215.24.

Let's say you do this twice a week. Now you've got someone who has worked 8 hours/week and not declared over $22,000.00 in earnings. That's pretty substantial. It is the norm in a restaurant. Actual shifts might be slightly longer, with prep/cleanup time on either end of the 4 hour shift, but I don't think the example I've given is extreme by any means.

Like others have mentioned, bartenders/servers at busy clubs make much much more.

Sure. but my point was that servers don't make as much as you think, much like people in the oil patch, they take the busiest day they have multiply it by 5, then by 52 and say "wow, i make 150k a year".

The reality is sun-thurs servers probably don't make nearly as much as Friday/Saturday. So while you might make $350 a week in tips on friday/Saturday, the other three nights you might be lucky to make $250.

I'm not saying servers are poor, it's a great job that you can make a decent living at, but it's not like they're clearing six figures.