Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Minister Ahmed Hussen told CTVNews that not only are Santa and Mrs. Claus honorary Canadian citizens, they pay their taxes.
“As is the longstanding view of the Canadian government and Canadians from coast to coast to coast, Santa and Mrs. Claus are Canadian citizens and reside in the North Pole,” Hussen asserted, though he cheekily claimed to withhold proof of their citizenship for “privacy reasons.”
Doubling down, CRA spokesperson Michael Hanlon added:
The confidentiality provisions of the Income Tax Act prevent the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) from commenting on specific cases… However, on special exception, and with the kind permission of Mr. and Mrs. Claus (henceforth known as ‘the Taxpayers’), the CRA has been permitted to share some confidential filing information.
“We are pleased to report that the Taxpayers have filed Canadian income tax returns on time every year since… well since as far back as CRA records go,” Hanlon added. According to CTVNews, Hanlon claimed the Clauses “pay their employees in ‘holiday cheer;’ have accepted payments in ‘cookies and carrots;’ and have expensed a considerable amount for single-day travel and list-making materials.”
The Canadian government has long history of Santa support, including his own “H0H 0H0” postal code, which Canada’s tots have used to write message to the jolly old elf for decades. Last Thursday, Transport Canada Minister Marc Garneau even cleared them for travel.
“While reviewing this year’s pre-flight checklist with Mrs. Claus, Minister Garneau stressed how important it is for her, Santa and the reindeer to get adequate rest and to avoid consuming alcohol or drugs to ensure that everyone is #FitToFly on this very important mission,” Transport Canada announced in a statement.