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:

Did you incur legal fees in order to collect money owed to you for severance, pension benefits or a retiring allowance? You may claim those expenses as Other Deductions on the tax return. But there are a few catches.

This week, Canada’s finance ministers met in Vancouver and agreed in principle to the expansion of the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) over a seven-year phase-in period, starting January 1, 2019. Higher contributions by workers and their employers will result. But will the revamped CPP be enough to provide for the retirement security Canadians need?

The Underground Economy grew 3.8% between 2012 and 2013, but is considered “stable”  based on CRA’s June 20th revised estimate report for the period 1992-2013.  Still, it’s growing at the same rate as the GDP – 2.45% - and is estimated to be close to $46 Billion in size.  So who is skirting their tax obligations?

The month of June was a bad one for tax practitioners who have perpetrated fraud. Tax evasion can attract fines of up to 200% of the taxes avoided plus other administrative penalties, including gross negligence (50% of taxes owing) and late filing (up to 10% of unpaid amounts).

The changes to the CPP agreed upon this week by eight of Canada’s Finance Ministers (Quebec and Manitoba have not yet agreed), will help Canadians contemplate how much is enough for their retirement. To answer this question, it is important to first reflect on longevity statistics in Canada and, second, on the amount of money required for adequate income in retirement.

We love sharing feedback from our recent graduates. This week we feature the success of Mrs. Delores Moskal from Yorkton, Saskatchewan, who recently graduated from the Business Valuation for Advisors course.