Changes to Paper Filing Disempowering

Last tax season, only 7% of all Canadian tax filers filed on paper. The CRA is pushing for zero. It continues to steer the holdouts to digitized filing by adding lots of obstacles. Most recently, it is removing almost all the schedules from the tax return package it mails. This seems unfair to people who paper file because they can’t afford a computer and internet, distrust the security of online filing and those who are neither tax or computer literate. Here’s what they are up against:

Jennifer Snyder, CEO of Doyenne Financial hosted a Martini Vent at DAC 2021 where delegates could discuss highlights (the rose), opportunities (the bud) and challenges (the thorn) they have faced over the past year while enjoying a home-made martini with ingredients (in a flashing martini glass) included in the DAC-in-a-box at a fun networking event.   Indeed, there were some wisdoms amongst the olives:

Unsure about transferring the family farming or fishing corporation or small business corporation to your child or grandchild under the current taxing environment?  There is good reason, considering a reprieve family businesses obtained with the passage of private members’ Bill C-208; has now ended effective November 1.

CRA has announced the CPP maximum pensionable earnings and premiums payable by employers and employees for 2022.  Self-employed gig workers will want to be sure they understand the obligation:  $6,999.60 is required to be remitted – just forty cents less than $7,000 – if net income is $64,900 or higher.  For others with lower income levels the employer/employee rate is 5.70% each.  Your taxes will need to be remitted about that.  Here are the details:

Responsible Investing (RI) is not a fad, particularly not in light of the United Nations Glasgow Climate Change Conference taking place this week. And in fact, it has actually been in existence for a very long time, and it is picking up steam here in Canada , said Duane Green, President and CEO Franklin Templeton Canada, who provided a thoughtful and comprehensive expose of the subject at the 2021 Distinguished Advisor Conference.

Avoiding red flags with CRA is always a good idea, but for many small business owners, the shareholder’s loan account presents such a threat.  Here’s how a taxpayer can get into tax audit trouble:

Knowledge Bureau Report asked Marco Iampieri, Of Iampieri Law Professional Corporation, to review a new paper on small business tax competitiveness by Dr. Jack Mintz, who spoke recently at the Distinguished Advisor Conference (DAC), Patrick Smith and V. Balaji Venkatachalam. It’s an important paper for its time, as the small business in Canada attempts to leave the pandemic behind in 2021.