The Department of Finance has released the "Annual Financial Report of the Government of Canada Fiscal Year 2013–2014″. Highlights include:

  • The Government posted a budgetary deficit of $5.2 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2014, down from a budgetary deficit of $18.4 billion in 2012–13.
  • Revenues increased by $15.0 billion, or 5.9 per cent, from 2012–13, reflecting increases across all revenue streams. Program expenses increased by $2.4 billion, or 1.0 per cent, as increases in major transfers to persons and other levels of government were offset in part by a decrease in direct program expenses. Public debt charges were down $0.7 billion, or 2.3 per cent.
  • Direct program expenses, which include other transfer payments, the operating expenses of government departments and agencies, and the expenses of consolidated Crown corporations, have now decreased for four years in a row. This is the first time this has occurred since 1961–62, the earliest year for which records are available. This decline reflects effective control of government spending.
  • The federal debt (the difference between total liabilities and total assets) stood at $611.9 billion at March 31, 2014. The federal debt-to-GDP (gross domestic product) ratio was 32.5 per cent, down from 33.5 per cent a year earlier.
  • As reported by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Canada's total government net debt-to-GDP ratio, which includes the net debt of the federal, provincial/territorial and local governments, as well as the net assets held in the Canada Pension Plan and Québec Pension Plan, stood at 40.4 per cent in 2013. This is the lowest level among Group of Seven (G-7) countries, which the OECD expects will record an average net debt of 84.3 per cent of GDP for the same year.
  • For the 16th consecutive year, the Government has received an unmodified audit opinion from the Auditor General of Canada on the consolidated financial statements.

For additional articles on the financial report see here and here, and see Ralph Goodale's commentary and Finance Minister Joe Oliver's response.

For more information, visit our Canadian Tax Litigation blog at www.canadiantaxlitigation.com

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