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:Government Extends CRB and Other Pandemic Benefits
The federal government has extended pandemic support benefits, in the midst of a reopening of the economy; many believe in advance of a federal election announcement expected soon. However, the benefits have significant changes in them. This report provides an overview of the CRB, the Canada Recovery Benefit changes.
New CERB Reimbursement Form Introduced
In an unfortunate series of miscommunications, self-employed people were given inaccurate information about eligibility requirements for claiming CERB in 2020. Under heavy warnings to repay the benefits they may have received, many reached into their pre-Christmas cash flow to do just that. Now with new Form T183E, the money can be recovered again. Application processing began June 15 and applicants can expect reimbursement within 90 days.
CERB Refunds: Am I Owed Interest?
To address the self-employment gross vs. net issue, the Government of Canada registered the Canada Emergency Response Benefit and Employment Insurance Emergency Response Benefit Remission Order (“Remission Order”) on May 12, 2021. The Remission Order redresses the self-employed workers who did not qualify for CERB because of the gross vs. net issue by providing that a self-employed Canadian earning less than $5,000 in net income who received CERB, who otherwise would have qualified for CERB, need not return the CERB monies.
