/R E P E A T -- MEDIA ADVISORY - Federal budget 2019: CFIB available to comment on small business perspective/

OTTAWA, March 18, 2019 /CNW/ - The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is available to comment on Tuesday's federal budget announcement.

CFIB has asked the government to take actions on several issues of importance to small business owners:

• Stop the Canada Pension Plan increases nationally and the new federal carbon tax affecting small businesses in several provinces, or at the very least, offset these added costs.
• Address the shortage of skilled labour and offset the costs of hiring and training by implementing a permanent lower EI rate for small business and an EI holiday for hiring youth.
• Reinstate its promise to grandfather existing passive investments from the formula for determining eligibility for the small business deduction.
• Recognize the vital formal and informal roles spouses play in a small business by fully exempting them from the new income splitting rules.
• Commit to measuring and reducing red tape at the federal level.
• Implement a plan to balance the budget within the next three to five years.
• Ensure that the sale of a small business to a family member is not taxed more heavily than selling to a third party.

Dan Kelly (President), Corinne Pohlmann (Senior Vice-President, National Affairs), Monique Moreau (Vice-President, National Affairs) and Martine Hébert (Senior Vice-President and National French Spokesperson) will be in Ottawa for the announcement. CFIB spokespeople across the country will be available to comment on the budget and what it will mean for small business owners.

About CFIB
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is Canada's largest association of small and medium-sized businesses with 110,000 members across every industry and region. CFIB is dedicated to increasing business owners' chances of success by driving policy change at all levels of government, providing expert advice and tools, and negotiating exclusive savings. Learn more at cfib.ca.

SOURCE Canadian Federation of Independent Business