Time’s Up: CRA’s 100 Day Mandate for Improvement

After years of frustration on the part of tax professionals and taxpayers alike, the Finance Minister ordered the Canada Revenue Agency to clean up its act in 100 days. Specifically, the improvement plan was to run from September 2 through December 11. Finance Minister and Minister of National Revenue, Francoise-Phillippe Champagne instructed CRA to fix “unacceptable wait times and service delays.” Time’s up this week and CRA has released an update on progress. What gets measured, gets done. Let’s see what CRA’s metrics show. 

Canadian taxfilers are saving the planet! Of the total returns received to April 25 for the 2015 tax filing year, 87% were filed electronically, according to CRA’s tax filing statistics. The average refund so far is slightly lower than last year: $1653.

Tax filing season is officially over and that means it’s officially tax audit season. And that can be very expensive. For example, you may have heard the story of the $250,000 owing in back taxes by a campground in Ontario.

The tax filing deadline of midnight May 2 has come and gone. Now what? It’s important to file as soon as possible if you owe money to CRA. That’s true even if you’re a proprietor and qualify to file by midnight June 15.

Boomers are moving towards retirement, but many are not getting the planning services they need to manage their retirement income on a tax-efficient basis.

Application forms for the 2016 DAC Young Advisors Award are now being accepted from young advisors, their clients, employers or mentors and can be found on the Knowledge Bureau website at the Conference tab at www.knowledgebureau.com. The application process will close on May 31 and selection will be announced on June 15, 2016.

“Do not value money for any more nor any less than its worth; it is a good servant but a bad master.” Alexander Dumas