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JUNE 2018
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Award-Winning Betulla Burning Pizzeria Forged by Fire Pizzeria Rises From Ashes Of Devastating Building Fire
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Movers and Shakers 6 Opinion 19 Contact us: 1-866-758-2684
OUR 8 YEAR TH
etulla Burning Pizzeria in Prince George was literally forged by fire. On May 6, 2015, development of the new restaurant was derailed by a massive fire that all-but-consumed the 60-year-old wooden building. But owners Eoin Foley and Garrett Fedorkiw persevered to bring their vision of Neapolitan style pizza to Prince George diners. Not only did the project rise from the ashes, but diners are now treated to a fiery display nightly as the restaurant’s wood-fired oven flash-cooks their meals. Betulla is Italian for birch, which burns hot enough to bring the oven to 800 to 900 degrees. Betulla Burning translates to “birch burning.” The centrepiece of the restaurant is the birch burning oven. Made of brick and masonry, it weighs 7,000 pounds. The SEE BETULLA BURNING | PAGE 14
Options Available For Small Businesses Facing New Tax Hikes
Accounting Firms Weigh In On Possible Solutions To MSP And CPP Increases BY MARK MACDONALD BUSINESS EXAMINER
Canadian Publications Mail Acct.: 40069240
Hot from the oven: Betulla Burning serves Neapolitan style pizza with an artisan flair
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hen the NDP government announced its onerous Medical Services Plan tax in the provincial budget, it caught many businesses by surprise. W h i le t he N DP fol lowed t h rou g h on for mer P rem ier Christy Clark’s plan to eliminate MSP payments, Finance Minister Carole James unveiled her plan to make business pay for the loss in revenue. Companies with payrolls over $500,000 are expected
to pay a 1 per cent tax on payroll, with the rate rising to 1.95 per cent annually for companies over $1,5 million. In real dollars, that means businesses at the lowest threshold would pay $5,000 per year, while a company with a $3 million in wages would face a $60,000 increase. On January 1, 2019, BC will implement the employee payroll tax - but residents’ MSP premiums won’t be eliminated until January 1, 2020. This means that the province will collect MSP premiums from both employers and individuals next year
- a move that will dramatically impact small business owners, particularly considering the federal government intends to hike CPP premiums during the same timeframe. It’s double tax-hit for companies in the first year. Employers who currently cover the cost of MSP premiums for employees will continue to pay that, plus the new tax. What is a company to do? Pass the unexpected overhead increase on to customers through higher rates for goods and services? What if the market won’t
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bear it? Should owners just shrug their shoulders, cut a cheque to the government and chalk it up to an increased cost of doing business in BC? There may be options to consider, and there is the fact that the government has yet to introduce an ironclad structure to the tax, so alterations could be made. Some companies may decide to cover the increase by reducing current benefits to employees. Before doing that, however, Tara Benham of Grant Thornton SEE PLAN TAX | PAGE 7