Downsizing Your CRA Tax Files?

Happy New Year! If one of your resolutions for 2026 is to downsize, or at least sort through all that stuff you don’t need anymore, you may inevitably run across those tax files you’ve been keeping for decades. Just how long do you have to keep them? Do you need permission to destroy them? From whom? Read on to learn more. 

Don't miss the one-day May Distinguished Advisor Workshop in a city near you May 21-June 3. The theme is CHANGE...change in relations with CRA and change within the family as clients copy with life transitions. How can you be the best advocate and steward for your client? Earn 10 CE/CPD credits – register today!

Evelyn Jacks will kick off the Distinguished Advisor Workshops next week by helping tax and wealth advisors prepare their clients for recent budget changes and global wealth management trends that will affect planning in 2014-2015. 

John Poyser will challenge professional advisors to open their dissenting issues – with CRA, within family wealth discussions, and when preparing the transition of cottage and business assets to the next generation in a compelling program of tips and traps all tax and wealth advisors need to be aware of.

Tax audit season has begun and you need to be prepared to represent your clients with competence, confidence and a winning attitude by knowing what will be audited, what can be defended, and how to astutely position your advocacy for your client’s best after-tax position.

The Age Amount is a non-refundable tax credit found on Line 301 of Schedule 1 of the federal tax return (provincial amounts may vary).

Doug Nelson, author of Master Your Retirement, looks deeper into the questions you should ask yourself when considering each of the seven retirement plan components.