Taxes for professionals and union members

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This month’s topic is taxes for professionals and union members. If you’re a doctor, engineer, dentist, architect, union member or other professional, this is for you.

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History of the union and professional dues deduction

The government of Prime Minister Louis St-Laurent implemented the deduction of union and professional dues in 1951. The credit is meant to recognize the mandatory expenses people incur to earn employment income.

In 2013, the most recent year for which an estimate is available, about 5.7 million people claimed the deduction. In 2016, the government estimates the total deductions will cost $965 million in foregone tax revenue.

Canada’s largest unions by membership

Canadian Union of Public Employees – 630,050 National Union of Public and General Employees – 340,000 UNIFOR – 300,152 United Food and Commercial Workers Canada – 245,592 United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union – 190,452 Public Service Alliance of Canada – 178,093 Fédération de la santé et des services sociaux – 126,932 Service Employees International Union – 118,991 Teamsters Canada – 93,351 Laborers’ International Union of North America – 90,000

Note: All figures as of 2014