A tale of Open DataHow Canada found $3.2B in missing tax

“Open data is information that is available for anyone to use, for any purpose, at no cost.”

Who are the biggest charities in Toronto?

Based on tax-receipted charitable donations

Expected results

1. United Way of Greater Toronto

2. Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario

3. Salvation Army

4. Canadian Cancer Society Ontario Division

5. SickKids Foundation

“The largest private-sector supporter of social services in Toronto”

Raised $117M (2013-14)

758 programs and services

Actual results (2005)

1. International Charity Association Network $248M

2. Choson Kallah Fund of Toronto $120M

3. United Way of Greater Toronto $96M

4. Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario $80M

5. Millennium Charitable Foundation $80M

Cannon v. Funds for Canada Foundation, 2012 ONSC 399 (CanLII)

Leveraged donation tax shelter schemes

1. Donor gives money to a tax scheme company

2. Scheme buys an asset3. Asset is donated at an inflated value4. Original donor is issued a tax deduction

receipt for the inflated value

The damage

2005-2007$3.2B sheltered from tax

12% of all charitable giving

2005$1B tax missing in

0.5% Canadian budget

25% Health budget

Linus’s law

"given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow"

- Eric Raymond

Why open data?

Transparency

Realising social and commercial value

Participation and engagement

Thoughts

What data do we have that would be useful to others?

How could we use public open data to improve the way we work?

ReferencesOriginal blog: eaves.ca/2010/04/14/case-study-open-data-and-the-public-purse

Cannon v. Funds for Canada Foundation, 2012 ONSC 399 (CanLII):www.canlii.org/en/on/onsc/doc/2012/2012onsc399/2012onsc399.htmlOpen Knowledge Foundation: okfn.org

Open data institute: theodi.org

UK: data.gov.uk

USA: data.gov

CA: data.gc.ca

slideshare.net/DanielKenyonJones/open-data-lightning-talk