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Quebec Transport minister considers recovering lost tax revenue from Uber

cjad.com
Feb. 18, 2016

Uber should publicly disclose data that would permit the Quebec government to recoup taxes from the ride-hailing company since it began operating in the province, Transport Minister Jacques Daoust said Thursday.

The company should not only share information about its revenue, but also on the payments it makes to drivers who use its mobile phone application to pick up customers, he said before the start of legislative hearings into the future of the taxi industry.

"When we're talking about 300,000 (monthly) transactions, that's a lot of money that should be taxed,'' Daoust said.

He said the company and the drivers share responsibility for declaring revenues.

"I have the right to ask: 'Are you ready to give me this information?'''

Earlier in the day, Daoust said he was considering using the courts to collect taxes the government feels it is owed by Uber.

"It's something I want to talk about with my team,'' he said.

He told members of the legislature he plans to introduce a bill aimed at clarifying the rules governing the province's taxi business because of the arrival on the scene of the U.S.-based tech company.

The legislative hearings are scheduled to last several days amid increasing tensions between cabbies and Uber drivers.

Taxi drivers are seeking a permanent injunction against Uber that would force its mobile application to be deactivated.

The industry has said Uber drivers are breaking the law and that the company's services are illegal.

On the first day of hearings, the commitee heard from a taxi company owner, Alexandre Taillefer, who called for greater control over Uber drivers.

"We are strongly against contraband taxis,'' he said.

"However, if the government wishes to allow amateur taxis, it is imperative that the rules are fair, especially when it comes to taxes.''

Taillefer said drivers who hold taxi permits, which can cost up to $200,000 each, should have the exclusive rights to medical and adapted transit, curbside hailing and taxi stands.

He also asked lawmakers to relax rules that prevent taxi owners from gathering their own fleets of cars, as well as other assets and licences in sufficient numbers to create economies of scale.

Uber argues its mobile app, which connects its drivers to customers, makes it a technology firm rather than a transportation company.

At a news conference Thursday, Uber Quebec's general manager, Jean-Nicolas Guillemette, said he and many of his drivers have been victims of intimidation tactics by the taxi industry.

He also pointed to a recent 50,000-signature petition in favour of Uber as proof of the company's appeal.