Boy receives, spends $100 tax refund
Sunday, May 20, 2007
The Crater LASALLE, ONTARIO—Eighteen-year-old Phil Partington experienced the exhilaration of receiving a $100 cheque from the Canadian government and, later, a $100 pair of shoes from the Tecumseh Mall, all within a one day period, sources in his family confirmed Saturday.
An official government receipt rests beneath Phil Partington's exhausted patriotic wallet.
"But all of those cost more than $100."
Partington passingly considered using the money to alleviate some of his mounting debt, he said, but similarly abandoned the idea when he quickly realized the $100 would make only a "small dent" in the growing arrears.
Ultimately, he chose to spend the money on a pair of $100 shoes he happened upon by chance at the Tecumseh Mall, a purchase his mother called "precipitous" upon his return to LaSalle.
"That boy has plenty of shoes," Partington's mother Melinda asserted. "He did exactly what he always does when he comes across money: He spent it on the first equal-value item he came across."
"The shoes were actually 90 [dollars]," Partington said. "Gas cost 10 bucks to Tecumseh and back."
"Besides, what's the big deal?" he continued. "I did nothing for this money and have no idea why I got it. It makes sense to spend it on whatever." Low-income taxpaying residents of Ontario, such as students, are eligible to receive a $100 sales tax credit from the Canada Revenue Agency after filing their income tax return. As such, Partington was supposed to pay 50 of the $100 to his family's accountant, but had already made his footwear purchase by the time he had learned of this.
"One more bit of debt I'll never have the money to pay off," he said inattentively, taking a quick sip of milk.
Once again living off of the odd change he finds on the street as well as while cleaning his room, Partington spoke to his future investment plans.
"This DVD player's on sale for $99.95," he pointed out, flipping through a Best Buy flyer. "That leaves enough for a sour [candy] watermelon from 7-Eleven. Or five penny candies."
Partington said that, assuming he will receive similar governmental cheques annually, he plans to hold off on making any purchases until a year from now.
