Canadian Musicians Employment Status Archive Wednesday June 03, 1998
Thunder Bay Symphony waits for tax decision BOB STEELE - CBC Radio Arts THUNDER BAY - The waiting will continue for the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra. The Symphony had been expecting a decision on its tax case with Revenue Canada. The case involves the employment status of the its musicians. Revenue Canada considers them to be employees of the Symphony. The Symphony says they're self employed. The difference is significant. If the court rules the musicians are employees, the Symphony would have to pay the musicians benefits and employment premiums. That could come to as much as $138,000. The tax court of Canada's ruling was expected by mid-April. It was delayed to the end of may. Now the court says it won't render its decision until at least the middle of July. That means more nail-biting for many Canadian Orchestras. Only a handful treat their musicians as employees. If the case goes against the Thunder Bay Symphony it could mean other orchestras will have to make back-payments to Revenue Canada on behalf of their musicians.
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