Any day now the Fraser Institute will come out with its “news” that Tax Freedom Day — a device that is meant to show Canadians when they start “working for themselves” instead of the government — is just around the corner. This year, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives has beat them to the punch with a study arguing that TFD is fundamentally flawed, for a number of reasons.

Beyond the criticism of the Fraser Institute’s methodology (criticism that is often lacking from reports on Fraser Institute studies), it is nice to see the CCPA reminding Canadians that we actually do receive good value for our taxes, give or take a political scandal. “With their taxes,” explains the study’s author, “Canadian citizens buy their most valued goods and services: high-quality public schools, world-class universities, excellent medical services, public parks and libraries, safe streets, and livable cities.”

Incidentally, This published an article last year (I believe) pointing out that even if Tax Freedom Day has any merit, a quick calculation shows how little corporate Canada pulls its weight: Tax Freedom Day for corporations is several months earlier than it is for individuals.