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:

Winnipeg, MB - Top tax and wealth advisors from across Canada will travel to Puerto Vallarta later this fall to participate in a strategic think tank on the challenge of building multi-generational relationships in a global environment in which digital communications both enhance opportunities and  present new risks.

It’s a warm summer day. You’re relaxing in the yard and wondering what could possibly make this day better. And then, out of the blue, you receive an e-mail from Canada Revenue Agency stating that they’ve discovered they owe you money!  Could this be true?  Or, do you need to wake up and smell the coffee . . . .?  There are two scams in particular to brief your clients about:  Refund and Collection Scams.

Last week, CRA reminded families to apply for the generous new Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB) being delivered to families this week. But there may also be more good news:  enhanced Family Tax Cut dollars available for the 2014 tax filing year for families in which one spouse was a full- or part-time student... $2 to $750 more in fact.

A new version of form RC343 has been released by the CRA to calculate TFSA contribution room for 2015, taking into account the new 2015 contribution limit of $10,000.

The Canadian Income Survey for 2013 was released by Statistics Canada on July 8.  While things are virtually unchanged from 2012, some interesting facts emerge about the income levels earned by Canadian families.

With real estate prices soaring in the US and the Canadian dollar falling in value against the greenback, Canadians who invested in a vacation property in the US may be tempted to sell their US cottage and purchase a Canadian cottage instead.