Fuel Excise Tax on Hold But Inflation is Not
The U.S.-Israel war on Iran has thrown global oil prices into turmoil and there is plenty of fallout for consumers. Travelling to Europe this summer? That’s in jeopardy, as jet fuel may run out. Looking for relief at the pumps instead? The recently announced suspended federal excise tax on gasoline, unleaded aviation gasoline, diesel fuel and aviation fuel here in Canada will soften the blow, but only temporarily: it will be zero from April 20 to September 7, 2026. Here’s what you need to know:T-Slip Preparers Face Big Penalties for Failure to File Online
It’s time to get those T4s and T5s out and here’s another reason from CRA to go paperless: Those who issue more than 50 T-slips for a calendar year on paper instead of by Internet file transfer or Web Forms, will be subject to huge penalties this year. All T-slips must be filed with the CRA by February 29, with the exception of T3 slips and T5013s, which are filed by March 31.
Underground Economy: Canada Has Second-Lowest Problem
The most recent statistics on the Underground Economy (UE) in Canada are from the year 2012, released in April 2015. The total underground activities were valued at $42.4 billion or about 2.3% of gross domestic product (GDP). A high of 2.7% was reported in 1994 and this fell to a low of 2.2% in 2000. However, after a brief uptick in the early 2000s the proportion remained relatively stable between 2.3% and 2.4%.
Tax Treaties: Canada Has 92 of Them in Force
Tax treaties between nations serve an important purpose: They ensure that the taxpayer is not left in the lurch when multiple countries each want to tax the same income. Canada currently has 92 tax treaties in effect with other countries, to protect taxpayers from over-taxation. Most recently, on January 15, Canada and Taipei signed an Arrangement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income, based on standards developed by the OECD for the exchange of tax information.
