CRA’s Callback Service for Tax Pros Pilot
Are you a tax professional with years of experience? Have you ever felt frustrated after calling the CRA, having spent hours on hold, wasting your client’s or employer’s time, only to speak to CRA agents who aren’t qualified to answer your questions? The Auditor General of Canada was equally displeased in a scathing report last fall on wait times and accuracy levels at the CRA. Now a new CRA callback service may come to the rescue this tax season. Here is my experience with the pilot project so far: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.
Patience Required: Canada Greener Homes Grants and Loans
The red tape is significant, and the governmental processes are not ready. Unfortunately, that’s what your clients will find if they want to get a head start on energy efficient retrofits with new government assistance programs before the winter comes. The federal process involves several government departments and sharing of data that could also put clients at increased risk principal residence audits. The help of a tax professional can be invaluable to access an interest free loan of up to $50,000, a $5000 grant and up to $600 to get a required home-energy evaluation.
