The knowledge created by private spending on research and development (R&D) generates benefits for society as well as for the firm performing the research, so there is a strong case for government intervention to encourage R&D. But intervening in the market has costs, and these costs may exceed...

Small business has a well-deserved reputation as the driver of job growth and as a key contributor to innovation. In the 12 years ending in 2013, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) accounted for about 90% of private sector job growth in Canada. What is less well-recognized, however, is...

The federal government implemented a new expenditure management system in 2007. Under the new system, departments are required to review programs on a four-year cycle to determine if they are aligned with federal responsibilities and priorities, if they are efficiently delivered and if they are...

In this chapter, I set out an approach for evaluating or assessing tax expenditures as part of an expenditure management system. I also make some recommendations on how tax expenditures should be included in one-off spending-control initiatives, and I discuss the merits of selected Canadian...

Business investment in research and development (R&D) makes a key contribution to rising living standards. Firms undertaking the R&D can reduce production costs and introduce new products that provide benefits to consumers that are not fully captured in selling prices. Further, it is very...

In this article, John Lester describes the federal tax expenditures database developed as part of the Finances of the Nation data portal. He also uses the database to analyze trends in federal tax expenditures over a 21-year period ending in 2019 and to identify the beneficiaries and the...