[Bcma-l] (Fwd) CMA Clip Serv: For Artist, Prolonged Feud with Taxman
bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca
bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca
Thu, 28 May 2009 10:09:10 -0700
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<b>For this artist, a prolonged feud with taxman</b></span></font>
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Paul Waldie, The Globe and Mail, Thursday, May 28, 2009</span></font>
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A few weeks ago, sculptor John Greer was the toast of the Canadian
arts scene.</span></font>
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He received a Governor-General's Award in Visual and Media Arts in
honour of his 30-year career, and was feted by Governor-General
Michaëlle Jean during a ceremony at Rideau Hall.</span></font>
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The celebration didn't last long.</span></font>
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As soon as Mr. Greer returned home to Nova Scotia, he received a
note from a collection agency working for the Canada Revenue
Agency. They wanted his $25,000 prize money.</span></font>
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The note was the latest twist in a prolonged tax dispute Mr. Greer has
had with the CRA. The agency says he owes about $60,000 in taxes
and penalties. Mr. Greer disputes that amount, but he can't afford to
fight it. He's tried selling some pieces to pay off the debt, but the
market for sculptures has cooled. He even offered to give a</span></font>
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sculpture to the government, or to a museum.</span></font>
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“I was willing to donate a piece that would be worth $150,000 just t=
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get them off my back,” Mr. Greer said from his home in West Dublin,
N.S. “They said all they'd settle for was cash. … The only wa=
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see myself getting clear of it is putting my house and studio on the
market.”</span></font>
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That would be a sad ending to a remarkable career. Mr. Greer has
gained international recognition for his unique public artworks, which
have included huge renderings of people, feathers, fish and grains of
rice. His sculptures have won numerous awards and are on display in
several countries, as well as in the National Gallery in Ottawa.</span></f=
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The tax case stems from his work on an outdoor monument in Ottawa
commissioned by several groups, including the Canadian
International Development Agency.</span></font>
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The sculpture, Reflection , honours Canadian foreign aid workers, and
former governor-general Adrienne Clarkson unveiled it in 2001. Mr.
Greer received $100,000 for his work, which he believes prompted an
audit by the CRA.</span></font>
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Since then, the CRA has disallowed some of his expenses, challenged
his donations of sculptures, argued over accounting methods,
acknowledged mistakes in its own calculations, and put a $50,000
lien on his house. </span></font>
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“It has been a nightmare,” Mr. Greer said.</span></font>
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He said many of the problems can be traced to the management of the
monument project. First, he had to store the piece for weeks while the
federal government figured out where to put it, and then he had to
make four trips to Ottawa to have it installed. The payment system
also changed in the middle of the project, resulting in the</span></font>
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misplacement of a $20,000 cheque for Mr. Greer. During all of this,
he was going through a divorce and a dispute at the Nova Scotia
College of Art & Design, where he worked as a professor.</span></font>
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“So I had all these other stresses,” he said.</span></font>
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During its audit, the CRA also questioned the value of a sculpture he
later donated to St. Mary's University in Halifax. It was independently
appraised at $100,000. The CRA eventually dropped its query, but
only after Mr. Greer spent weeks gathering documents to back up the
appraisal.</span></font>
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Mr. Greer acknowledges he made mistakes on his taxes regarding the
$20,000 payment from the monument project. But he disputes the
CRA's other assessments. He has tried to appeal without success, and
a recent request for relief from the CRA penalties was turned down.</span>=
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Mr. Greer, 64, retired from his teaching job several years ago and
lives on a pension of about $20,000 annually.</span></font>
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He planned to start an art school, but said he can't get a loan because
of the tax dispute.</span></font>
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He has two weeks to launch one more appeal concerning the
penalties. But he is losing his will to fight. The dispute has already
cost him thousands of dollars, and affected his ability to work. </span></=
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Meanwhile, the total keeps rising as interest piles up.</span></font>
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“I have a lot of sleepless nights,” he said.</span></font>
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CRA spokesman Philippe Brideau said the agency can't comment on
individual cases. As for whether the CRA would accept a donation in
lieu of payment, he said it “will always exercise discretion regardi=
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the acceptance of security in the sense that the security must be in a
form and in an amount that is acceptable to the agency. For example,
a bank letter of guarantee would be an acceptable form of payment.”<=
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