The Canada Revenue Agency is demanding more than $266,000 in unpaid taxes from PLQ leadership candidate Denis Coderre

After Revenu Québec, it is the turn of the federal tax authorities to have in their sights the candidate for leadership of the Liberal Party of Quebec Denis Coderre, who now owes more than $400,000 in unpaid taxes.

The Canada Revenue Agency registered this Monday a legal mortgage of more than $266,000 for the house in Montreal North that Coderre recently put up for sale.

According to a document consulted by our Bureau of Investigation, Mr. Coderre’s debt to the federal government amounts to $261,303.67, an amount to which must be added interest of $4,928.69.

This debt is added to that of $134,000 already claimed by the provincial tax authorities.

Mr. Coderre declined our invitation to comment on Wednesday and instead referred us to his Facebook page, where he made two publications about his tax debt in recent weeks.

In the most recent, on November 25, the ex-mayor showed a photo of himself next to a “For Sale” sign freshly planted in front of his house.

“For the sake of transparency and since the media ask me; It’s no longer a secret that Revenu Québec imposed a legal hypothec on me,” he wrote, before assuring that “the matter will be resolved shortly.”

The man who was mayor of Montreal for 4 years explained that he had formalized his divorce on August 29 and that the family assets of him and his ex-spouse were limited to this bungalow.

On September 3, he also published a message in which he indicated: “Soon, I will announce to you that this personal and confidential tax matter has been resolved. And people will understand that I am good at solving problems. »

“Some people seem to be trying to use this tax file to stop my rise to the head of the PLQ,” he opined.

Mr. Coderre recalled having gone through a grueling medical ordeal in 2023, that is to say a stroke, following which he had to learn to walk again.

Denis Coderre’s tax situation creates a certain unease in the PLQ. In August, MP Marwah Rizqy publicly invited him to come to an agreement with the tax authorities if he planned to continue his quest to become party leader.

“It’s important that everyone pays their taxes, in Quebec, that’s clear,” said interim Liberal leader Marc Tanguay a few days later.

Denis Coderre’s house is currently listed at $749,800.

The website of real estate broker Lino Mucciarone describes it as “ideal for a family”, with its 4 bedrooms, its recent central heat pump and its bathroom “renovated up to date”.