Seniors Targeted? The Tax Audits Begin

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) routinely reviews or audits tax filings, including personal, trust, corporate, and HST returns. The most common types of reviews that focus on personal tax returns include, but are not limited to, Pre-Assessment Reviews, Processing Reviews, and the Matching Program. This year there is a new focus: the Multigenerational Home Renovation Tax Credit introduced to help families better care for their elders. But claiming it, like other tax benefits, comes with a tax snare. Read on to learn more.

It’s here!  The Personal Income Tax (PIT) relief  offer to Canadians in the form of a 1% change in the lowest federal marginal personal income tax rate (PIT) takes effect on July 1. . .so it is half of a percent for 2025 and this rate will also apply to reduce the value of most non refundable tax credits.    That makes it complex and hard to quantify.  Just how much will you get?  Canada’s Parliamentary Budget Officer, Yves Giroux, has broken down the impact of this 1% shift. The results are not as impressive as first presented to Canadians.

Navigating the complexities of tax compliance is a critical part of running a business in Canada—and understanding the Goods and Services/Harmonized Sales Tax (GST/HST) is a key component. While not all provinces participate in the HST system (those who don’t remit GST only), every business owner should understand what it is, how it works, and whether they are required to register.

It’s almost the halfway mark in the year 2025! How prepared are Canadians for uncertainty and volatility ahead? StatsCan is reporting that our debt to income ratio worsened in the first quarter of 2025. There is an opportunity for advisors to start year end tax planning early to engage clients in solutions to pay down debt. Online certificate courses leading to the DMA (Distinguished Master Advisor) designation can help shore up knowledge on tax, accounting and budgeting as well as business forecasting and planning gaps this summer. Here’s the backdrop:

Charitable giving has changed noticeably in recent years. As professionals who prepare tax returns or provide estate and legacy planning services, you will almost certainly have noticed a decline in the number of clients who are giving. But donors who plan strategically throughout the year may be more inclined to give more and most important, highly value the opportunity to discuss this with a training strategist. This is where the MFA-P™ designation program comes in. Consider the following as a key professional opportunity:

Secure Your Spot by June 30 and Save on Tuition for Canada’s Only Multi-Advisory Wealth Management Conference:   the Annual Acuity Conference for Distinguished Advisors, taking place November 23–26 in spectacular Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. This year’s theme, “Happy Landings”, sets the stage for what may be the most important conference you attend in 2025. In a time of global uncertainty, this is Canada’s only multi-disciplinary gathering of top advisors and thought leaders—brought together to navigate a New Era of Risk and Reward from both a national and international lens.

This tax season has been particularly challenging for both taxpayers and tax professionals. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) provides tax information slips—such as T3, T4, T5, and their variations—through secure online portals: My Account and Represent a Client (RAC). This year, there were lots of problems with these portals, and now, it appears, CRA is not being quite transparent about when the slips were actually visible to clients and that doesn’t seem fair. Here’s an update on where we stand now.