A member spotted a Revenu Quebec pickup truck equipped with yellow flashing lights on the side of the road yesterday and found it odd that a tax agency would need such a vehicle.
Revenu Quebec employees regularly visit Quebec businesses so it’s understandable that vehicles are needed but a pickup trucks similar to what the Contrôle Routier uses seems a bit odd.
We found this page on the Revenu Quebec website:
http://www.revenuquebec.ca/fr/salle-de-presse/galerie/images/image0076.aspx
It contains the above photo with the caption:
Du tabac de contrebande saisi transporté par camion dans un entrepôt
Seizing illegal tobacco seems like it should fall under the jurisdiction of law enforcement so we are a bit stumped. If you have any thoughts on the subject feel free to chime in.
Update Feb 7, 2015: Thanks to member deathguyQc for what seems like the explanation we’re looking for:
Le fuel pour les fermiers est moins cher et différent du diesel normal. Sa permet aux fermiers de réduire leurs coûts de carburant et c’est seulement eux qui ont le droit à sa. Puisque c’est pas les mêmes taxes que le diesel normal, aux termes de la loi du revenu c’est de la fraude pour un transporteur d’utiliser du fuel de ferme que du diesel parce qu’il ne paie pas toute les taxes qu’il aurait du payer.
Farmers have access to diesel fuel but it’s taxed differently than fuel for vehicles. If they use it for transportation, it’s considered fraud so Revenu Quebec conducts checks on the road.
