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:

According to a new report, the middle class, women, and seniors have been stellar investors in the Tax Free Savings Accounts, amongst the 8.2 million Canadians who opened one up to the end of 2011.

In a recent case the ‘Tie Breaker’ rules were used to determine the tax status of a group of American business people working in Canada in Dysert v. The Queen (2013) TCC 57. 

Here’s a common issue encountered by tax and financial advisors. The client is Mr. X who has borrowed money to invest and wants to write off the interest. Can the investments be held jointly with his wife, Mrs. X for estate and tax planning purposes? What are the pitfalls to consider?

A new tax credit found on Schedule 1 and 5 of the federal tax return bumps up your existing non-refundable credits by $2000 when you care for an infirm person. 

Canadians love tax refunds, but hate rounding up the paperwork to do the return. That’s where common tax filing errors really begin.

Be very careful about blanket advice.