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:

Back in 1851, a decision in Russel v. Jackson reasoned that when the validity of a Will is challenged, the solicitor’s file should be disclosed in certain circumstances to provide insight into the views and intentions of the testator, or the objects and purposes for which dispositions have been made in the Will.

Have you gone paperless?  Innovations in technology and a focus on process improvements have paved the way to making “paperless” a reality for those businesses interested in improving efficiencies.

Dynamic Elise Pulver, LLB, will address significant and unexpected changes to the Estate and Administration Tax Act, at the Distinguished Advisor Workshop, June 22 in Toronto.   

Last week, Federal Finance Minister Joe Oliver announced in the House of Commons that the government is open to allowing Canadians to make additional voluntary contributions to their CPP in order in increase their CPP savings.

Parents with children under age 18 living at home will be receiving a lump sum of $420 per child with their July Child Tax Benefit payment. This lump sum represents the additional $60 per month per child payable as of January 2015.

CRA has applied a net-worth assessment against your client, who now comes to you for help . . . and they are emotional and scared. What do you do first?