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:

Two new important pieces of information from the CRA impact the registered investment strategies of Canadian taxpayers. The forecasted TFSA contribution limits for 2019, and the long-awaited Income Tax Folio S3-F10-C3, Advantages – RRSPs, RESPs, RRIFs, RDSPs and TFSAs issued on October 1.

The new NAFTA deal—now called USMCA—will no doubt make positive contributions to the Canadian economy and investors will appreciate the improvement in market uncertainty. But, there are also some points of concern, including impacts to specific sectors and looming interest rate hikes. Plus, a duty-free limit increase that improves ease of holiday shopping, but could have economic repercussions.

A new report from the C.D. Howe Institute answers the common question: should the rich pay more tax? While recent tax rate changes brought in $1.2 Billion federally (far less than the $3 Billion anticipated) the data points to several negative impacts, with consequences to all taxpayers, when the rates applied to Canada’s top income earners go up.

It’s almost unanimous among tax and financial advisors who strongly believe that Canada needs tax reform to create a fair, simple and certain tax system for people of all income levels.

There is a very bright future for the tax preparer who makes a great decision to become the Tax Services Specialist of the future. But, to offer the best advice in that regard, tax specialists must have more than precise technical skills.

Knowledge Bureau is pleased to announce that Kristin Ramlal, B. Comm (Hons.), PFP, CIM, FCSI, Securities Specialist and Qtrade Advisor with Great-West Life and London Life, has been selected as the 2018 winner of the DAC Young Advisor Award. The award will be presented at the Opening Ceremonies of the Distinguished Advisor Conference (DAC) in Quebec City, November 11 - 14.