[URBAN NOTE] Seven Toronto links: winter, Ontario Place, architecture, TTC, film, tax

• The Daily Hive Toronto notes that Toronto is definitely seeing more snow than normal this winter.
• Urban Toronto notes that different levels of government are seeking public input into what to do with Ontario Place.
• Richard Longley writes at NOW Toronto about the history and heritage of the now-demolish Davisville Public School.
• This Canadian Architect article is an interview with architect Karim Khalifa, involved with Sidewalk Labs.
• CBC reports on the many factors leading to unchecked fare evasion on the TTC.
• Ryan Porter writes for the Canadian Press about how the booming Toronto film and television industry is facing a lack of studio space.
• Edward Keenan writes at the Toronto Star about how increased property taxes are a perfectly workable solution to the revenue problems of Toronto.

[LINK] “What Greece Can Learn From Israel About Tax Cheats”

At Bloomberg View, Stephen Milm suggests that Israel’s strategy for fighting tax evasion by persuading people about the benefits of taxation, and making payment easier, is something Greece could learn from.

For example, authorities found it exceedingly difficult to determine how much tax people in certain occupations should pay, given that they rarely kept books or accounts. The solution was to create “standard assessment guides” known as tahshivim, which allowed all people in a given occupation to be taxed at the same rate.

These guides, notes Likhovski, were “perceived as a way to increase the objectivity of the tax assessment process and even to involve groups of taxpayers in it.”

This was part of a much broader strategy. Reformers sought to involve the taxpayers themselves in tax policy. For example, the Israel Revenue established advisory committees staffed by local business owners who had first-hand knowledge of area taxpayers. These committees were charged with hearing complaints about the assessments of taxes and could recommend a revision in a taxpayer’s favor.

At the same time, the Israel Revenue circumvented organizations that opposed its reforms. When it encountered resistance from trade unions or business groups, the government sent mass mailings explaining its position and the obligations of taxpayers.

To get buy-in from the public, reformers even redesigned tax offices. Previously, visits to the taxman meant sitting in large rooms with lots of other grumpy people. Unhappiness, the Israelis concluded, is contagious, and they moved to a system where taxpayers would wait alone for a government representative, with whom they would have a one-on-one meeting. They also self-consciously designed offices with an eye toward minimizing conflict. These featured pleasing pictures on the walls, comfortable chairs and a host of other modest modifications aimed at changing how taxpayers viewed tax collectors.blockquote>