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:

"Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud." Maya Angelou

If you are confused by the numerous family tax changes over the past couple of years, you are probably not alone.

In the unlikely event that you have no plans for your tax refund, consider using it in a special way this year, especially if you’re a parent or a grandparent: help your kids or grandchildren with their education funding. One way to speed up the accumulations is with a contribution to the Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP).

The GST/HST Credit is a federal refundable credit payable to those 19 years of age and up. The next payment will be made on April 20 to eligible taxpayers who have filed a 2014 tax return.

Whether refugees from conflicted countries are looking to start anew for themselves and their families, or disgruntled Americans are looking to escape a government they do not agree with, immigration to Canada has never been a hotter topic.

In the past year, numerous tax advantages have been altered; if nothing else, the March 22, 2016, budget reminds us again never to look a “tax gift horse” in the mouth, especially when it comes to tax-free or tax-deferred investment opportunities.