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:

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." Maya Angelou

Do RPPs and RRSPs act as substitutes for one another in retirement savings patterns?  At first glance, this appears to be so, based on a new study released this week by Statistics Canada.   The big finding is that workers who are self-directed savers benefit less than their co-workers who don’t tend to save enough for retirement when RPP contributions automatically increase.

How time flies when you’re having fun!  The end of 2015 is fast approaching, and what a wonderful year it has been working with all our amazing students and strategic partners at Knowledge Bureau. We want to take this opportunity to wish you a very happy holiday and thank you sincerely for sharing knowledge with us in so many ways!

Year end is a great time to reflect on your accomplishments: at work, in your family and in your personal life. For advisors, the power of the storytelling over eggnog and holiday treats can lead to important insights to help clients make the right decisions about their time and money; a key message recently delivered by Todd Hynes, Vice President of Sales at Ivari.

Knowledge Bureau is excited to introduce a new convenient, online learning opportunity:  continuing professional education on video – a great new way to earn 6 CE/CPD Credits.

The new T1135 Foreign Income Verification Statement was released last week, and it requires attention by clients who hold offshore assets. It will be discussed in detail at the Distinguished Advisor Workshops, being held January 20-25, 2016. However, cross-border issues in general present a significant opportunity for tax and financial advisors.