Podcast: Automatic Tax Filing - Will It Work?

Last week Taxpayers' Ombudsperson François Boileau  tabled his annual report:  In Pursuit of Better Service: Taxpayers Deserve More.  once again, it was nothing short of scathing, as CRA received its highest number of complaints in the last three years.  Calling our “completely nuts” Income Tax Act a potential barrier, he is nonetheless pushing for automatic tax filing as a potential solution.  A new episode of Real Tax News with Evelyn Jacks & Friends available next week, will feature guest Gillian Petit, Ph.D. - author of a great report, Welcome News for Lower-Income Canadians, but There’s More to Do - which takes a deeper dive.  Consider the following:

It’s time to register for the 2018 Distinguished Advisor Conference in Quebec City and make it your conference this year! Aaron Robertson from Alitis Investment Counsel was already thinking about making it his after last year’s event. Hear what he had to say and join us.

The IMF predicts that if Canada and the U.S. fail to reach agreement on NAFTA, Canada’s competitiveness could take a serious hit, resulting in a drop of 0.4 percentage points or more in GDP. Donald Trump’s tweets about Justin Trudeau could further dampen the outlook. But, astute financial advisors can help clients meet their goals in these difficult times by staying on course.

Tread lightly into new, uncharted territory: it’s good advice as marijuana legalization is set to occur on July 1, 2018. But many Canadian employers and their staff are still unclear about the legal implications. Now, we have some more answers from Manitoba lawyer Philippe Richer.

A new study shows that change in the financial services is leaving many advisors feeling unsettled and insecure about the future of their firms. If you’re one of them, exactly what are the solutions that can provide meaningful help to you?

After decades of calm, the issue of competitiveness is front and centre for Canada. To address the best interests of your clients, your deeper knowledge about the emerging North American tax and trade reforms will serve you well, and there is no better person to help you interpret the changes than DAC Keynote speaker, celebrated tax expert and economist Dr. Jack Mintz.

The most professional tax practitioners are those who have excellent investigative skills in conducting the most exhaustive client interviews, and the best research skills in knowing when and where to look for help. Would you like to hone your skills and become one of them?